Every year on World AIDS Day people from around the world talk about the problem of HIV/AIDS on the African continent. They insist that the people of Africa should have better access to things like condoms and have access to education about STI prevention and birth control. I couldn’t agree more. However, it strikes me as odd that people think that the United States can teach anything to other countries if it can’t take care of its own. Until there is comprehensive sex education in the States, your friends and neighbors will be just as in need of the same aid that people suggest the United States send to Africa.
When I was in high school I was one of the lucky ones. After the required talks about abstinence and the horrifying videos showing every kind of STI possible with a kind message at the end telling us something like “true love waits,” my teacher closed the door and preceded to ask if anyone had a moral objection to her talking briefly about contraception. After everyone said it was fine she proceeded to tell us how to put on a condom, where to get them for free in the area and answered questions about different kinds of birth control. The sad thing? Trying to educate us could have easily gotten her fired. Under the requirements of abstinence only education it is strictly forbidden to even mention condoms and other forms of birth control, let alone explain where these can be obtained and how to properly use them.
While many people thought that abstinence only education would be shown the door when President Obama took office in January, abstinence only education quickly got refunded and it doesn’t appear that it’s going to bow out anytime soon. The idea behind abstinence only education is that it will prevent all unwanted pregnancies and STIs by teaching kids that abstinence is the only way to go. But as anyone can see, this program doesn’t address one of the biggest issues – people are going to have sex if they want to no matter what you tell them. Instead of lying to themselves and saying that this type of program works, they should take a step back and ask if it’s better to shame kids into thinking sex is wrong and bad or if it would be better to openly discuss sexuality to help adolescents and teens make well-informed and healthy decisions about their future and their sexual well-being.
Therefore, I propose that World AIDS Day not only be a day for AIDS awareness, but also a day for awareness of the current state of sex education in the United States. I encourage you to write into local newspapers, local and state governments and even the president to try to get this changed. Although I don’t plan on having children, I don’t want future generations getting the same sub-par sexual education that I received. I want them to have more resources for making informed choices about what is best for them and not what it best for their parents, their best friend or for their pastor. Teenagers need to be trusted with their own bodies instead of constantly told that some Big Brother figure knows what is best for them.
If you have a teenager currently dealing with this abstinence only education model or know someone who is, I highly recommend you read The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti. It deals with the abstinence-only education and its downfalls. This way, when you set out to change the world (by changing the legislation) you can be well informed and ready for whatever comes at you. In conclusion, talk to the teenagers you know about sex from a positive and open point of view. Talk to your friends who are parents about what their children are being taught in school and challenge them to talk to their children about the other options out there. And you know what? Pass out some condoms – you can feel good for giving people a means to protect themselves from STIs like HIV/AIDS all while spiting the system that perpetuates sexual shame and lack of knowledge of how to protect against disease.