maymay: A reminder from your friendly...

Feb 24

A reminder from your friendly neighborhood comprehensive sex education advocates:

Why We Need Sex Ed Now!

Pregnancy:

Among developed nations, the US ranks 1st in teen pregnancy and STDs.

Every 2 minutes, 2 U.S. teens get pregnant. Of these, more than 80% are unintended.

50% of pregnant teens graduate high school vs. 90% of their peers.

STDs:

1 in 4 sexually active teens will contract an S.T.D. this year.

Though young people only account for ¼ of our sexually active population, they contract ½ of that population’s S.T.D.’s.

Chlamydia among U.S. teens has nearly doubled since 2000.

Abstinence-only education is failing:

Abstinence only states have the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the nation, but comprehensive sex-ed states have the lowest rates, yet abstinence still reigns supreme in American schools.

In 2010, Texas rejected $4.4 million of federal funding for comprehensive sex ed programs.

More than 96% of Texas school districts teach abstinence only.

Gov. Rick Perry: “Abstinence works…it is the best form to teach our children.”

Texas has the highest teen birth-rate in the nation. Out of every 1,000 teen girls, 62 give birth to a child.

Abstinence doesn’t work. Comprehensive sex-ed does.

Teens who receive comprehensive sex-ed are 50% less likely to get pregnant than teens who receive abstinence-only.

Teen pregnancy dropped 40% between 1990 and 2005. 80% of this drop was due to increased contraceptive usage. Just 14% was due to decreased sexual activity.

Parents believe in sex-ed, too:

91% of parents of high schoolers believe sex-ed in school is important.

93% think birth control is an appropriate topic for sex-ed to cover.

Sources:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024658

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/adol.htm

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-Teen-Sex-Ed.html

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3324401.html

http://www.futureofsexed.org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/23/rick-perry-struggles-to-a_n_934172.html

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License: CC-BY-NC-ND.

(via Why We Need Reproductive Education | Public Health Degree)