Sex
education approaches aren't mutually exclusive
I am extremely disappointed with the commentary on abstinence programs
by Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education
Association ("Abstinence works," Opposing view, Sex education
debate, July 30).
Huber grossly misrepresents the "holistic" abstinence-only-until-marriage
programs when she writes that "information about contraception
is provided, but always within the context of abstinence as the healthiest
choice."
In Texas, a state with one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in
the USA, abstinence-only programs could not be further from the "holistic"
approach. The health textbooks my students use make no mention of condoms
or contraception, not even in regard to failure rates. The textbook
does, however, suggest rather interesting methods of teen pregnancy
prevention, such as teens getting enough sleep so they can make good
choices.
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