What screams abstinence-based sexual education more than teen pregnancy? Oh wait, you probably were not taught that either.
According to Indiana Codes 20-30-5-12 and 20-34-3-17, the only sexual health information that is required to be taught in accredited Indiana high schools is about AIDS. However, this education is rooted in abstaining from sex until outside a monogamous relationship. Not only is it unrealistic as 20.8% of teens in an Indiana high school survey noted that they had sex within the previous three months of the survey, but this abstinence-based sexual education is a disservice to teens and college students across the nation.
Abstinence-based sexual education, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, teaches that abstinence from sex is the only morally acceptable option for youth, and the only safe and effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs. This education often excludes information about condoms, birth control or other contraceptives. Additionally, after stricter policies on abortion were passed in Indiana since 2021 especially, finding accurate information is more difficult, according to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. It does not improve when a bill passes like HB 1577, requiring information to be shared with the mother seeking an abortion that will guilt her and is meant to be “objectively fact” yet clearly biased.
Abstinence is required to be taught in 37 states if sex education is even offered in classrooms, according to KFF, including Indiana. It is no secret that college students have sex. According to the American College Health Association, the average number of sexual partners for college-aged men and women in the U.S. were two and 1.7, respectively. Additionally, when the survey was taken for the 2023-24 school year, those who reported having sex within the last 30 days were asked if they used a condom or protective barrier when engaging in oral, vaginal or anal sex most of the time or always. Of those asked, less than 50% said yes for both men and women.
This is staggering when, according to SIECUS, 55% of Americans claim to have never had “the sex talk” with their parents, leaving sexual education up to friends, the internet or schools. No matter how students learn about sex, it needs to be factual.
After leaving high school and venturing out into the world, teenagers are often left with a childlike wonder when it comes to embracing their new-found freedom. Growing up, my parents were not strict, but even I found myself feeling overwhelmed with the amount of freedom college provided me. This freedom allows students to explore their sexuality and desires, but it could lead to irreversible consequences without proper education.
Unsafe sex, or sex without contraceptives, can lead to pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Without accurate sex education of how to have it safely, how are teens supposed to navigate this? I suppose Indiana’s answer is, “Not at all.” In 2020, 158,043 of nationwide births were from teen mothers, and 15% of those were not the firstborn child, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. With only a few options when it comes to situations such as unplanned pregnancy — one being abortion, there is very little information in regards to pregnancy health. With Indiana being an anti-abortion state as of August 2023, that option is no longer available to teens who experience unplanned pregnancies. This lack of care for proper education can not only increase the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy but also result in the search for an unsafe abortion.
The idea of abstinence-based sexual education is a disservice to teens. Teaching sexual education, including the uncomfortable parts, is essential to keeping teens in America healthy.
