What color glasses are these people wearing?



The front page of the Opelika-Auburn News March 12 had an article about a "shocking" study that one fourth of all teenage girls have sexually transmitted disease. Shocking? Not really, when we read the rest of the article. One physician blamed "abstinence only" education. Another said that "sex is a taboo topic" in our society. The article repeats the tired mantra that we must teach kids how to do it safely.

What? Are they nuts? The cause of sexually transmitted disease is most certainly not abstinence. The ridiculous claim that sex is a "taboo topic" denies that sex is a constant part of conversation. Consider: long ago, Lady and the Tramp were embarrassed to touch noses while eating spaghetti. The entertainment industry today treats sexual conduct as no more consequential than a plate of spaghetti. (When's the last time you saw a movie where someone got herpes, HPV, Chlamydia, etc., after a "loving" moment between two consenting teenagers?) Some so-called "progressive" educators tell teens to have sex when they think they're ready, completely ignoring the ongoing development of the adolescent brain and it's ability to weigh actions and consequences.  With 25% of the US female population infected, "doing it safely" sounds much like Russian roulette.

In short, there seem to be standards that require discussion of sexuality to be limited to self-expression and autonomy, free from outside interference or consequences. On the other hand, when discussing sexually transmitted diseases we must blame anything but the actual cause, right there in the name: they are sexually transmitted. The problem and the solution are each hidden in plain sight, where no one will notice.

Posted: Wed - March 12, 2008 at 09:41 AM           | |

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