'Abstinence only' scares me

As I was returning to Bloomington from my winter break, my mind was slowly returning to college mode. However, amid all the preparations around my return, I saw something that seemed decidedly out of place in any college town. A billboard that read the following: "SEX: It can wait!"\nNow, two things were very odd about this billboard. One, the models picked for said billboard appeared to be the most melancholy teenagers alive, almost as if they were resigned to a sexless existence. Two, I never knew there was a movement among teenagers in which "no sex" seemed to be a popular choice. To my surprise, the "abstinence movement" is more popular than many would suspect. \nAbstinence among teens and college students just didn't seem to fit right in the common view of teenagers. It seems strange that so many students are willingly thrusting celibacy upon themselves. Not only is abstinence becoming popular among individuals, but it's also becoming very popular in school sex-education classes.\nIn 2001, a federal report by the Center for Disease Control stated that only 46 percent of all teenagers have had sex. The percentage of virgins in this country rose 16 percent in the last decade. Teens who decide to refrain from sex congregate together in both religious and non-religious groups that promote the "abstinence is good" idea. www.lovematters.com is a Web site that promotes chastity until marriage, as well as offering support for those who decide to wait. There are even celebrity endorsements for abstinence. Everyone from Kirk Cameron ("Sex within marriage is the only kind that is truly fun and exciting") to Jessica Simpson espouse the joys of celibacy until marriage. If you wait to procreate, you won't be alone. What one does in the confines of one's bedroom or between one's legs is private business. However, there's a difference between practicing it yourself and forcing others to practice it.\nAbstinence-only sex education is becoming more and more popular among parents and school systems. The belief that "kids shouldn't be having sex," makes many schools focus only on the failure rates of contraceptives and the perils of teenage sexuality. To be sexually active is to be held in the dark. Abstinence is treated as the only "safe" way of making it through your teen years and beyond without becoming infected by some horrifying disease. Never mind those hormonal urges or showing your love for your partner physically, sex is being taught as wrong no matter what.\nThis line of thought leads to problems. Teenagers, by instinct, don't do what they are told. So when they disobey the "no sex" rule, they don't know what to do. According to Reuters News Service, a Texas school district faced a problem on how to give answers to those who were sexually active. Students in Leander, Texas were curious about the consequences of participating in anal and oral sex. Asking these questions anonymously, they were interested in the problems facing them if or when they decided to have sex. However, according to the school district's sex education policy, health teachers were not allowed to answer the students' questions. Parents and school officials are planning a new curriculum to deal with the discussion. But, some members of the committee and town refuse to have teachers use the words "oral" or "anal" when referring to sex.\nKids are going to have sex. During the teenage years, hormones run high and there is natural curiosity. Abstinence is fine if that's your decision, but to prevent others from learning other options is foolish. Only teaching abstinence and purposefully ignoring teenage sexuality is dangerous. Putting your head in the sand won't do any good. Without proper knowledge, teenagers will be having sex dangerously and will be unprepared for what happens next.