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Abstinence Only Education, Teen Pregnancy, and HIV/AIDS

The greatest victim of George Bush's abstinence only education program are the children that he claims to be protecting. Teen pregnancy is the highest in the western world with 53 pregnancies in every 1000 girls aged 15-19. That's a little over 1 in every 20 girls. The number of teen pregnancies in the United States is almost three times that of Canada, England and France (about 20 in a 1000 or 1 in 50) and 17 times that of the Netherlands (3 in a 1000 or 1 in 333). All are western nations and all except the United States provide comprehensive sex education in public schools.

Now let's move on.

One half of all new STD cases are in people between the ages of 15-24. HIV leads all other STDs in % increase between 2000 and 2004 at 42% amongst teens. It, unlike many other STDs, becomes almost immediately re-transmittable and yet can show no symptoms for years. It may not even show up on blood tests for six months or more. It is transmittable and affects people of all races, all colors, all creeds, all relations, all ages, in all types of sex, at any point during sex, and the odds of getting it from a carrier remains the same regardless whether you have sex with them once or a hundred thousand times.

If you take condoms out of the hands of our young people, this is what happens. Through almost no fault of their own they will die. They may, and very likely will, infect others causing them to DIE. The spread of HIV is COMPLETELY stoppable. Condoms are cheap and 100% effective in this if used properly.

The Bush Administration has taken comprehensive birth control out of high school health class. It has taken condoms out of public schools. It has contributed to the stigma held by many teens about acquiring birth control. And silence only makes it worse.

Just imagine that a piece of latex about a millimeter thick can save your life.

I'll leave you with this to chew on...

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