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Chattanooga:The abstinence debate

By: Emily Bregel
(Contact)

Included in this article

Lesley Scearce
Mark Huffman

News of the pregnancy of the unwed teenage daughter of Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has fueled critics of the abstinence-only education programs she espouses.

But local proponents of abstinence education say the added attention to the issue presents an important teaching opportunity.

“It’s actually been a real positive thing to bring the debate to the forefront,” said Lesley Scearce, executive director for Chattanooga-based Why Know Abstinence Education. “It’s cause for a lot of discussion and cause for a lot of parents to call and ask what Why Know is doing for their kids.”

A number of studies have called into question the effectiveness of abstinence-only education programs and 25 states have declined funding for federal Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage grants in recent years, said Martha Kempner, spokeswoman for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, which supports comprehensive sex education for young people.

Some states could not afford the matching funds required, but many declined money because they believed the programs were not effective and failed to address the reality of teen sexuality, she said.

“We know 63 percent of high school seniors are having sex. We can’t just bury our head in the sand and say, ‘Well, we wish they weren’t, so we’re not going to tell them about condoms,’” Ms. Kempner said.

Georgia still receives the funding, but Tennessee did not receive it last year, Ms. Scearce said. The decision was based on administrative problems and had nothing to do with perceived ineffectiveness of the programs, she said.

Educators at Why Know Abstinence Education, which has programs in 57 schools in five counties in Chattanooga and North Georgia, say their program, which also offers weekly support groups that focus on decision making, critical thinking and leadership skills, is “highly effective” in delaying sexual activity.

DIFFERENT APPROACHES, SAME GOAL

Anna Stroud, 17, an active member of Why Know’s teen board and a Chattanooga Christian School junior, said her decision to remain abstinent until marriage is based on her concerns about sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and what she says are the emotional consequences of sex: guilt, regret and a proclivity to give in to temptation.

“Once you let yourself fall into temptation in one area, it’s much easier to fall into temptation in other areas,” she said.

Why Know presentations mention contraception but only in terms of condoms’ failure rates.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, latex condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy if used correctly.

Students who have been through abstinence-only programs often come away with serious misconceptions about condoms, resulting in more unsafe sex practices, said Mark Huffman, vice president of education and training at Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee.

“The message that condoms don’t work has not affected (the teenagers’) decision to have sex. It’s just affected their decision to use condoms, which means that many of these teens may be using nothing at all,” he said.

The local health department holds that abstinence education, information on condom use and life-skills training all are critical when teaching young people about sexual health.

“Teen pregnancy prevention has to be a multi-pronged approach, because you’re dealing with human nature and because you’re dealing with adolescents who aren’t fully developed,” said Diana Kreider, manager of maternal health programs for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department.

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