HeatherN hopes the new Tennessee law isn’t as disastrous as research suggests it may be.
I will be totally honest and say that I absolutely think that abstinence only education should be done away with completely. I am of the rather cliché opinion that knowledge is power, that the more knowledge people have, the better. More importantly, though, is the fact that multiple studies have shown that abstinence only sex education doesn’t work.
Apparently dismissing this fact, Tennessee not only has an abstinence only program, but also no longer allows teachers to promote or condone “gateway sexual activity.” The bill is extremely vague and doesn’t really define what exactly a “gateway sexual activity” is. That in itself is perhaps the most worrying aspect of this. Vague policy regarding what teachers can and can’t say about sex can have tragic consequences. Here’s hoping the Tennessee law isn’t as disastrous.
Photo of condom on banana courtesy of Shutterstock.