THE SEX-ED FALLACY
"When the Dr. Anne Halten Heard that New York City has mandated that sexual education be taught in all middle schools and high schools, she appreciate the motivation behind the mandate. Teen sexual behavior and risk-taking is a serious problem with serious consequences.
But when she saw that the content involves a token nod to abstinence and an emphasis on “safer sex” practices, she reminded of a saying made popular by AA: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.”
Graphic sex education inside and outside of the schools, which teaches kids about the risks of early sexual behavior and provides detailed information about how to decrease those risks, has been stirring controversy for more than 30 years — but has little significant effect on outcomes.
If we really cared about protecting teens, medical professionals, educators, parents, etc would step back and admit that something is just not working.
Anne said: “I’ll never forget a patient that I cared for during my residency training 17 or 18 years old and pregnant for the first time, in the first trimester, we treated her for chlamydia; in the second, for genital warts, in the third trimester, she had planned suicide after being notified that the painful blisters on her private parts were incurable herpes. She told me: “How could this happen to me?!” she said. “We used a condom almost every time!” Dealing with pregnant teens and sexually transmitted diseases was part of my daily routine as medical resident. Most of my fellow residents exerted every effort to educate them about “safer sex” and ensure that they didn’t leave the hospital after delivering them contraceptive shot, pills or condoms. Even so, a big numbe of these girls returned to our clinic within six months, pregnant with their second or third child.”
"All those advertisments that tell teens to use contraceptive shots, pills or condoms to garantize that they won't suffer a disease or won't get pregnant, are just fallacies, it's not always 100% garantized!"
BY: STEPHANIA DIAZ