Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Bill Passes Utah House, Can It Work?

Friday Feb 24, 2012 – by Thembi Ford

The Utah State House of Representatives voted 45-28 in favor of a bill that would repeal the current requirement that all public schools must teach sex education to students in grades 8-12. The bill would instead allow each district to decide whether to offer an abstinence-only curriculum or to not offer sex education at all. Teachers would be allowed to answer student questions about safe sex but any instruction on or information about birth control or any other forms of contraception would be banned. Currently, teachers are prohibited from promoting sex outside of marriage and contraception, but conservative lawmakers say that is not enough.

Republican Rep. Bill Wright sponsored the proposal, and thinks that lessons on friendship, love, and fidelity will decrease teen pregnancy and therefore the poverty rate. Stressing the need for a return to morality, the lawmaker had this to say:

“We’ve been culturally watered down to think we have to teach about sex, about having sex and how to get away with it, which is intellectually dishonest … Why don’t we just be honest with them upfront that sex outside marriage is devastating?”

But even some of Wright’s fellow Republicans don’t fully agree, with Rep Francis Gibson arguing that the abstinence-only curriculum in his district is not working and unplanned teen pregnancy is still a problem.

“I would hope as we make this decision, that we won’t think if we say abstinence only, that fairy dust will have been sprinkled and that teen pregnancy will no longer be a problem.”

Utah joins Wisconsin as the second state to recently force abstinence into state sex ed curricula, which is in deep contrast to New York State’s recent effort to broaden it’s curriculum to include information on bestiality and vibrators. The Utah measure will now go on to the State Senate for more debate and another vote.

Sex education in public school is always evolving and I’m sure if courses on vibrators are necessary, but any system that does not address the reality of teens having sex before marriage seems dangerous and misguided. Can an abstinence-only sex education course be effective in preventing teen pregnancy? Even if it could, is it the state’s responsibility to influence the sexual behavior of teens?

What do you think?

E.M.S. says:

February 24, 2012 at 1:52 pm

The old school approach of teaching abstinence just doesn’t work. The more you forbid something, the more appealing it becomes to young people. I don’t necessarily agree with teens having sex, but I’d feel a lot better knowing they at least have the information & resources to be safe and healthy. We don’t need any more teen pregnancies or spreading of STD’s.

And don’t get me started on the “no sex before marriage” stuff. Sex needs to be addressed properly because whether you like it or not, people will have it. And as we can see, age is becoming irrelevant, and so is marriage, therefore that old mantra doesn’t fly so well.

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Nire says:

February 24, 2012 at 3:51 pm

I agree. Instead of teaching kids about abstinence and this whole sex until marriage bullshit. Why not educate them on the dangers of having unprotected sex and how to use contraceptives properly. It’s all about being smart.

BeautyIAM says:

February 25, 2012 at 2:47 am

These people are so delusional. The main thing that I think should be discussed amongst adolescence about sex is to be be safe. We all get those urges. So this abstinence only idea is just crazy. Also, these older people are not understanding that technology is making it very easy for children to access sex at an early age. Have they not heard of sexting? Children are getting a lot more savvy about how to view sexual content.

I think that it is very insulting for this older generation to think that they know what is best for these children when they are not even trying to see the world in from their perspective. Children are bombarded by sex at every turn. Unless these parents turn off the tv, radio, and band them from looking at anything other than the Bible…its unrealistic to tell them they should only have sex until they are married.

Children need to be taught the essentials so they they can be prepared to make the right decisions. These law makers are just trying to bury their head in the dirt. Then when they take their head outside of the dirt, they wonder why STI’s are on the rise and teen pregnancy is high. Idiots.

mamareese says:

February 25, 2012 at 11:35 am

The ideal of making a teen wait may not work with everyone. I agree, the class should encompass more that just abstinence. More than anything all this SHOULD start at home, it’s not the government or schools job to raise your kids. You know what this is going to boil down to in the years to come….sterlization and mandatory vaccination in kids to further prevent the spread of STDs. They government is setting itself to control every aspect of life….And if I disappear after this post you know they came and got me LOL!!!!!

Greg says:

February 25, 2012 at 3:59 pm

Abstinence-Only programs will work alot better than the Sexual Revolution crap that Feminist have been teaching.

Teacher’s unions must be losing their minds but they are also pushing a Gay Agenda. It’s about time SOMEBODY pushed back.

Feminism has led many astray!!!