Yes, abstinence from sexual intercourse is the most effective means to prevent unwanted teenage pregnancy, STDs and AIDS. The consequences for those young people that are engaging in sexual activity are staggering.
Statistics show that in the state of Washington, births to mothers out of wedlock get higher as they grow older. In 1999 there were 142 births to girls under the age of 15, 2967 births to 15-17 year old women and 5454 births to 18-19 year old women. This tells us that the education that these young people received did not work. Teaching students to use contraception correctly each and every time does not work for the long term.
Abstinence education teaches life skills for the long term. Just because I am married now does not mean that I do not still use those skills in my marriage. My wife still wants me to be faithful! She still wants me to be loving, patient, kind and honoring. She wants me to say no to sexual activity with anybody but her. She wants me to make good decisions, and wants us to achieve our goals.
I agree with giving the true statistics about contraceptive failure. Success rates are the failure rates subtracted from 100%.
I believe Washington State students can figure out the success rates of contraceptives but it is the failure rate that causes the consequences.
Studies show that unmarried adolescents consistently experience higher contraceptive failure rates for pregnancy.
1. Oral Contraceptives-11 to 18% (Lancet)
2. Intra-Uterine Devices-10.5% (JAMA)
3. Diaphragms-31.6% (Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA)
4. Condoms-18.4% (The Medical Management of AIDS)
5. Foam & Suppositories-34% (Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA)
Contraceptive failure rates are cumulative. You may be safe the first time, but every time you try to be safe by trusting in contraception you have less of a chance. Committee members, would you give this advice to your son or daughter to trust in one of these methods, when their lives depend upon the results?
Giving the latest statistics based on contraceptive success rates does not stop a young couple when they are in the throws of passion. It only confuses them.
Numbers and statistics change daily. That is why Teen-Aid keeps a Web site current with links to the CDC and every health department in the U.S., but what does not change are the skills that young people learn when they are living the abstinence from sexual activity until marriage lifestyle.
To view our Web site go to www.teen-aid.org
Bryan Mossey
1-800-357-2868