Abstaining From Common Sense

Approximately 750,000 American teens become parents each year. This is, incidentally, the highest rate among Westernized nations. America’s secret? Abstinence-only education.

Manufactured by right-wing publishers, these programs come under scrutiny for outdated and blatantly inaccurate content. They erroneously insist that women will always seek a relationship for financial support. Men supposedly reject a too-intelligent partner. It all blatantly contradicts the professional research issued by the American Psychiatric and American Medical Associations.

They join a very long list of professionals who support comprehensive sexuality education. A teen with inaccurate or incomplete sexuality information likely does not understand the hard work regularly involved in successful parenting. They are actually less likely to delay intercourse than students who do receive comprehensive information.

When we were in high school, a friend excitedly told me that she was pregnant. Raised in a large family, she wanted to start her own. While I privately disagreed with her plan, I still did not begrudge her; we had both enjoyed a comfortable upbringing and adequate resources. I just wanted to make sure that my own kids received similar comforts. Meeting the basic needs of children, let alone having the money for ‘extras’, is difficult on minimum wage.

The prospective father quickly split. He wasn’t going to propose and they weren’t going to live happily ever after. Scraping by on a tight budget was her post-graduation reality. Attempting to collect child support provided another difficult learning experience.

And a former boyfriend became a father. He worked long hours at a local restaurant to follow through on obligations to the kid. Though he was emotionally involved in his child’s life, I knew that he also hadn’t been prepared for the realities of parenthood.

Teen parenting programs are an improvement from previous eras. Previously, a pregnant teen found herself pushed outside the schoolhouse doors. These days, you need at least a high school education — if not more — to obtain a good job. And it is long past time to acknowledge that all the babies and toddlers being enrolled in public school daycare don’t solely come from the district faculty and staff.