Understanding Information and Comprehensive Education
"Just because folks are well informed doesn't mean they'll necessarily make the wisest choices in terms of their health," said Dr. Ronald O. Valdiserri, who oversees AIDS prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "This is true of all humanity, not just gay men." http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/health/03aids.html
This statement should clarify whether comprehensive sex education that relies on dumping all the information possible on youth is worth doing.
The article goes on to say,
The only hope for changing behavior, public health experts and psychologists say, is to recognize and address the underlying factors that propel men into risky situations. Loneliness, alienation and self-hatred, they say, are the real culprits that need to be addressed.
Again reinforcing the need for relationship formation and education not increased facts and skills on how to have sex. These quotes are not from a radical right journal but from interviews by the New York Times. It should therefore be safe for parents to say, "Meet the needs of our children with relationship skills like those taught in abstinence education"
See Washington State Guidelines.
To view the differences between Abstinence and Comprehensive Sex Education see Simple Differences.
For more information see Summit Presentation.
See Network of Abstinence Educators of Spokane (NAES) Response.