Abstinence, Abortion, and AIDS

To the uninformed, the idea that what is referred to as “comprehensive” sexual education, which gives children as young as ten highly detailed specifics on a widely-ranging variety of sexual behaviors, increases the chances of those children participating in such behaviors at a younger age; and likewise that what is called “abstinence-only education”, which strictly forbids children from engaging in any sexual practices until either adulthood or even marriage, would reduce the odds of those youths becoming sexually active; seems so common sense that it almost doesn’t warrant stating.[10] 
Unfortunately, quite literally nothing could possibly be any further from the truth.[7] As it turns out, what is just as important; in determining which young people become sexually active, when and how; as what comprehensive sex education teaches is what abstinence only “education” doesn’t teach. All evidence shows that teaching abstinence-only “education” does not teach young people not to have sex quite so much as it doesn’t teach them how to have sex safely.[3] Teens who take what are referred to as “Abstinence Pledges” have been shown to have a greater probability of practicing unsafe sexual behaviors.[2] Unsurprisingly, those who take such pledges are at greater risk for sexually transmitted diseases.[1] Indeed, even many of those who report abstinent behavior test positive for STDs.[4] To the point where those claiming to be “abstinent” comprise a statistically substantive proportion of those testing positive for sexually transmitted diseases.[15] Statistically, at least, teaching abstinence quantifiably increases the rate of teenage pregnancy.[12] By contrast comprehensive sexual education has been shown to push back the time at which teens become sexually active.[8] Such sex education is the most effective at preventing sexually transmitted diseases.[25] Comprehensive education also prevents teenage pregnancies.[17][22] 
One thing that contributes to the rarity of protected sex, and thereby the frequency of sexually transmitted diseases, among sexually active young people is the urban legend that only homosexuals contract the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and thereby Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, from homosexual activity with other homosexuals. Once again, nothing could be further from reality.[16] In fact, the overwhelmingly vast majority of HIV/AIDS transmission occurs through heterosexual intercourse.[26] Part of this misunderstanding comes from the popular myth that HIV/AIDS originated in the homosexual community. Again, however, this is entirely fallacious. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus evolved from the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus that infects chimpanzees and Western Lowland Gorillas.[9] The virus transmitted to hunters in equatorial Africa in the late 19th century.[13] However, in spite of all concerns about young people engaging in unprotected and unsafe sex transmitting HIV/AIDS, a substantial portion of the more than a million children infected with HIV are the result of mother-to-baby transmission.[18] 

1. “Many Who Pledge Abstinence At Risk For STDs”. The Associated Press. March 18, 2005. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7232643/print/1/displaymode/1098/ 
2. “Study: Abstinence Pledges May Trigger Risky Sexual Behavior”. The Associated Press. March 18, 2005. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-18-sex-study_x.htm 
3. “Study: Teens who Pledge Abstinence More Likely To Have Unprotected Sex”. HealthDay News. December 29, 2008. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473509,00.html 
4. Bakalar, Nicholas. “Behavior: They Report Abstinence, But S.T.D. Says Otherwise”. The New York Times. January 14, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/health/research/18behavior.html 
5. Carter, David. "Comprehensive Sex Education for Teens Is More Effective than Abstinence". American Journal of Nursing. March 2012. http://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Fulltext/2012/03000/Comprehensive_Sex_Education_for_Teens_Is_More.5.aspx 
6. Cocco, Marie. “Unprotected Sex: Abstinence Education’s Main Accomplishment”. The Washington Post Writers Group. July 1, 2009. http://www.alternet.org/story/141054/unprotected_sex%3A_abstinence_education's_main_accomplishment 
7. Hall, David & Kathrin. "Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S". Public Library of Science. October 14, 2011. http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObjectAttachment.action;jsessionid=E8276354023F305EA8AF19C000A55828?uri=info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024658&representation=PDF 
8. Hughes, Farrah. “Hughes: Comprehensive Sex Education Delays Teen Sex”. The State. March 1, 2013. http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/01/2653755/hughes-comprehensive-sex-education.html 
9. Keele et al. “Chimpanzee Reservoirs Of Pandemic And Nonpandemic HIV-1”. Science. July 28, 2006. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2442710/pdf/nihms55584.pdf 
10. Kirby, Douglas. “Do Abstinence-Only Programs Delay The Initiation Of Sex Among Young People And Reduce Teen Pregnancy?”. National Sexuality Resource Center. September 11, 2003. http://www.nsrc.sfsu.edu/article/abstinence_only_programs_reduce_teen_pregnanc 
11. Kohler, P., Manhart, L., & Lafferty, W. "Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy". Journal of Adolescent Health. April 2008. http://download.journals.elsevierhealth.com/pdfs/journals/1054-139X/PIIS1054139X07004260.pdf 
12. Le Coz, Emily. “Mississippi Schools, With America’s Highest Teen Pregnancy Rate, Largely Adopts Abstinence-Only Education”. Reuters. August 27, 2012.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/feature-mississippi-schoo_n_1831069.html 
13. Macchia, J. & Mullberry, S. “HIV/AIDS and the Dallas Community”. Southern Methodist University Service-Learning Connection. 2007. 
14. Malone, Patrick & Rodriquez, Monica. "Comprehensive Sex Education vs. Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs". American Bar Association. Spring 2011. http://www.americanbar.org/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/human_rights_vol38_2011/human_rights_spring2011/comprehensive_sex_education_vs_abstinence_only_until_marriage_programs.html 
15. Melnick, Meredith. “More Than 10% Of Young Adults With STDs Claim Abstinence”. TIME. January 17, 2011. http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/17/over-10-of-young-adults-with-stds-claim-abstinence/ 
16. Nettleman, Mary. “HIV/AIDS”. WebMD. November 2, 2011. http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hivaids/article_em.htm 
17. Norton, Amy. “Comprehensive Sex Ed May Cut Teen Pregnancies”. Reuters. Monday, March 24, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/03/24/us-teen-pregnancies-idUSTON47250120080324 
18. Pan, E., Wara, D., DeCarlo, P. & Freedman, B. “Is Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Preventable?” University of California San Francisco. April 2002. http://caps.ucsf.edu/factsheets/mother-to-child-transmission-mtct/ 
19. Pappas, Stephanie. “Sex Education Delays Teens’ Sexual Activity, Study Shows”. LiveScience. March 12, 2012. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/09/sex-education-teens_n_1335319.html 
20. Ruehl, Larry. “‘Abstaining’ Teens Still Get STDs”. The Associated Press. February 11, 2009. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-204_162-604877.html 
21. Sharp et al. “The Origins Of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Viruses: Where And When?” The Royal Society. 2001. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11405934 
22. Song, Kyung. “UW Researchers Say Comprehensive Sex Ed Cuts Teen Pregnancies”. The Seattle Times. March 20, 2008. http://seattletimes.com/html/health/2004293974_sexed20m.html 
23. Toledo, Chelsea. “Abstinence-Only Education Does Not Lead To Abstinent Behavior, UGA Researchers Find”. University of Georgia Office of Public Affairs. November 29, 2011. http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/abstinence-only-education-does-not-lead-to-abstinent-behavior/
24. Wetzstein, Cheryl. “‘Abstinent’ Teens Test Positive For STDs”. The Washington Times. Monday, January 3, 2011. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/jan/3/abstinent-teens-test-positive-stds/?page=all 
25. Willenz, Pam. “Based On The Research, Comprehensive Sex Education Is More Effective At Stopping The Spread Of HIV Infection, Says APA Committee.” American Psychological Association. February 23, 2005. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2005/02/sex-education.aspx 
26. Winter, A., Jacobs, L. & Shih, A. “AIDS Epidemic Update: December 1999”. Joint United Nations Programme On HI/AIDS. December 1999. http://biblioteca.hegoa.ehu.es/system/ebooks/8122/original/AIDS_epidemic_update._December_1999.pdf