In preparation for Halloween, some friends and I watched a not-so-recent movie on Netflix — “Teeth” — this past weekend. It tells the story of a girl who pledges to wait to have sex until after marriage and then, through a series of terrible events, realizes that a lack of knowledge about sexuality and her own body is physically harmful to herself and others. Going by the title of the film, I’m betting you can guess how.
The decision to wait to have sex for however long one feels appropriate is a decision that everyone should make for themselves. Some people don’t want to wait, and some people don’t want to have sex at all. Anywhere on the scale is fine. The problem arises when people aren’t given the proper education and are therefore unable to make an educated decision. In Indiana, the law pushes an emphasis on abstinence as the best way to avoid pregnancy and STDs.
According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Congress has spent more than $1.5 billion in the last 25 years promoting abstinence-only programs. Considering every study done on the subject has proven abstinence-only programs have no effect on the sexual activity of those participating in this type of education, this money could have been put to better use.
A study conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that abstinence programs did not decrease the rate of sexual activity at all in regions where these programs were mandated. The danger here lies in the responsibilities that come with having an active sex life that abstinence education leaves out. By denying the possibility of sex, students are left more vulnerable to situations when sex isn’t exactly planned. For example, these students are unfamiliar with contraceptives and consent when they do suddenly decide to have sex.
Studies have proven that people are going to have sex whether you tell them to or not. The danger is not sexuality but what happens when people aren’t educated enough to make responsible decisions about their sexuality. That leads to STDs, unwanted pregnancies and myth speculation. It can also factor into the rape culture prevalent in today’s society.
During this month, California became the first state to require high school health education classes cover affirmative consent as a part of their sex education programs.
Affirmative consent means verbal and consistent consent from both parties during sex.
The main takeaway from the students seemed to be the confusion and complications affirmative consent would bring to simple hookups. iscussion will lead to a greater understanding of what consent is and when and where it is necessary — not just by students but by society as a whole.
The only way to answer these complex questions is to talk about them. Everyone that is sexually active needs to be aware of the possible situations a sexually active lifestyle can present.
That is why abstinence-only education leads to more confusion. Pretending these problems aren’t there just keeps teens ignorant about sexuality and their own bodies, a consequence that carries its own set of teeth.
jordrile@indiana.edu
@riledupids
