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Disrespecting teens
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Available on the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) website is the entirety of the district's high school health curriculum. While the information is vague, it points to one recommendation for teens: abstinence only. "Health Education Curriculum: Tenth Grade Health. Demonstrate understanding of core concepts related to abstinence and sexual risk behaviors and effects by reviewing the definitions of abstinence, sex and sexual activity; Explaining that abstinence is the only sure method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections...," the site states. As many of my friends are going through health classes at Fairview, I noticed a small card that was given out in their class. A stack of them sits in the health classroom, and my friends told me these cards were given out at a presentation from none other than the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. This folded card is titled "It's OK to say 'No Way!' Sex can wait." All options should be shown to teenagers, but for me it seemed outrageous to turn the card over and see the stamp of the state of Colorado and, in small print, the words, "In collaboration with the Office of Governor Bill Owens. This card is part of the Colorado Abstinence Education Program." "Ten Reasons to Wait" are listed on this card. Included are No. 10, "Four out of 10 girls will be pregnant by the time they turn 20," and my favorite, No. 6: "There is no condom or contraception that can protect you from a broken heart or shattered dreams." It surprised me to see such a heartfelt comment from the state of Colorado mixed in with terrifying statistics about teen pregnancy and STD rates. Abstinence-only campaigns are a way to scare teens. Through horrific statistics and overbearing speeches, the state of Colorado is trying to "protect" the state from the unwanted effects of unsafe sex. But instead of teaching teens how to have safe sex, they think they should prevent any kind of sex at all. But these campaigns won't keep teens from having sex. Teens will naturally experiment with many things, and the friendly message of Gov. Owens to wait until you're married to have sex will not keep teens from testing their limits. Did Owens wait until he was married to have sex? I doubt it. And better yet, Owens wants you to pledge to stay abstinent! Attached to the card is the "abstinence pledge," which reads, "Beginning today, I _____, pledge to wait to have sex until marriage because I know that this is the only way to prevent pregnancy, STDs and shattered dreams." This seems like another way for the conservative side of our country to push its moral and religious agenda on us. Whether between two people in a serious and loving relationship or a spur-of-the-moment occurrence, teenage sexual encounters should be safe regardless of whether or not the state approves. Teens should be informed about contraception as the real way to prevent pregnancy and STDs (I don't know what to suggest for those shattered dreams). An abstinence pledge won't keep kids who are having sex from getting pregnant. Colorado should look at its own statistics—that 4 out of 10 girls will be pregnant before they turn 20—and realize this pledge just isn't going to cut it in educating thousands of teens. In Canada, England, France and Sweden, the teenage pregnancy rates are half as high as those in our nation. The rates are 10 times higher in America than in the Netherlands. Why? Teens are being protected from unwanted pregnancies and STDs with a different message from the abstinence-only message American teens have shoved down their throats. "Safe sex or no sex" is the slogan plastered around schools, on buses and in advertisements. British teens are taught how to correctly use contraception, and contraception is widely available to teens confidentially. They also learn the effects, good and bad, of having sex. Teenagers are like adult apprentices. Every action we make is a step toward understanding the world and the consequences of our actions. Teens develop at drastically different rates, and when some girls don't need a bra, others may be ready for sex. As mini-adults, teens should be given the information to make smart choices for their lives. The idea of abstinence until marriage may work for some people, but others may be ready to take that big step in their lives. Some teens have set ideal goals about when they want to have sex. Maybe their goal is after they graduate from high school, maybe on prom night, maybe the next time their parents aren't home, or maybe just with the right person. Teens who can think wisely and understand what they're diving into should not be judged or deprived of information and education because of their decision. Responsible teens nationwide are disrespected by the ridiculous abstinence-only campaigns we are taught in school. While the abstinence message includes good things for responsible teens to read and understand, the developers of abstinence-only campaigns will never be able to stop teen sex. The Colorado Department of Public Health should step back and look at teenage pregnancies and STDs and realize that campaigns for teens in America should be more like the "safe sex or no sex" ideas used in Europe. To improve the "public health" of Colorado, responsible teens should stop being disrespected and should be given information to help them make their own smart choices. To read more about BVSD's sexual-education program, go to, www.bvsd.k12.us. Respond to: letters@boulderweekly.com.
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