Chris Hanzek believes I have a distorted view of the facts, yet there is nothing he has provided that refutes reality and the claims that have been made counter to his ideological viewpoint.
As Mr. Hanzek claims and I have never once denied, those who actually become abstinent do not become pregnant. My claim has been that abstinence-only education does not a single thing to increase the number of abstinent teens, and in fact only leads to those teens who do have sex to not know how to protect themselves. This is a claim that is substantiated by hundreds of studies, some of which I have referenced previously, and reality.
Abstinence-only education causes youth to not know how to protect themselves if they find themselves in a sexual situation. This is a fact.
It is a fact that Mr. Hanzek seems to take offence with and ignore, but it is still a fact that has been proven in study after study.
Mr. Hanzek has stated that it is not the fault of abstinence-only education, but "because the students didn't follow it." This seems somewhat at odds with his other statement, in that he has more faith in our youth to listen and do the right thing. Clearly, the statistics show that youth do in fact have sexual relations, contrary to the faith being put on display. As has been noted regularly, these youth do not have the information to know how to make informed, safe decisions, which is causing an increase in teenage pregnancy and STI transmission rates. Perhaps Mr. Hanzek would like to explain how he can simultaneously believe that our youth will avoid sexual situations, while still accepting that even within societies with abstinence-only education, pregnancy rates and STI transmission rates still are increasing.
Clearly, one of the two is failing. It is the "education" being provided that is at fault, not the youth for engaging in exploration.
It is also an unbelievable shame that Mr. Hanzek takes such a dim view towards comprehensive sexual education. He derides it as throwing our arms up in the air and telling children to do what they want, and how to do it. Perhaps if Mr. Hanzek had taken a sex education course recently, he would know that this is not what is done in our schools.
As a recent high school graduate, I can tell the readers that our schools teach us how to properly use condoms, why they are necessary and what some of the consequences of unprotected sex can be.
There is no "how-to guide" for procreation in the public school system; it is a discussion of how to keep each other safe.
That is what Mr. Hanzek seems to take issue with—an education plan that has trained professionals teaching our children how to stay healthy.
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