Is Abstinence Education the Best Sex Education?

Is abstinence the best sex education? No, because in my mind it is like sticking your head in the sand. Ostrich's stick their head in the sand when they are afraid. Does that save them from the predator? No, it does not. It just keeps them from having to face reality, that they are the prey. It will not save the ostrich, only make it easier for the predator.

In reading Thomas Lickona's viewpoint that he beliefs that abstinence education is the best sex education, I found myself thinking of the ostrich scenario. I could also tell he was very religious and pushing that "only religious people have values". In my way of thinking, hiding from a problem is not going to solve it. He did not even consider the natural biology stages of life. When puberty begins at age 11 or 12, and in some cases even earlier, kids are changing dramatically. They are going to ask questions or want to. If they are denied an answer, they will just go test it out for themselves. Kids are going to rebel against the fact that they are being controlled, yet, again, without proper facts to support his reasoning. It is a "just because I said so and it is wrong to have sex before marriage". Yet, he did have some pretty convincing evidences about how the abstinence education was working in certain schools, until I read Roffman's and Brick's side of the argument.

In reading Roffman's and Bricks side of the argument, I was surprised to find out a lot of Lickona's data had no supporting evidence. The evidence he used had been manipulated to suit his own purpose. He tried to show that in a couple of school's abstinence education was very effective on lowering the teen pregnancy and sexual activity in teens. When actually, those schools were pushing so hard on abstinence that kids were not reporting the truth, due to fear of reprisal. Later, non-bias surveys were done to prove that the numbers Lickona used were inaccurate. The new surveys showed increase in activity, not decreased as Lickona claimed.

I agree with Deborah Roffman and Peggy Brick side of the debate. The education about sex is needed in order for kids to be able to understand and evaluate their choices by knowing and understanding the consequences.