Preventing pregnancy
By BARBARA MUSSO
A CARING PREGNANCY CENTER
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
June 20, 2009
I have been on staff at A Caring Pregnancy Center for 13 years and have consulted with literally thousands of young people who have come in for services…My position has given me a unique perspective to observe what pregnant young women have actually learned from their sex ed classes.
These teens tell me that abstinence is mentioned but that “most of the class time is used discussing condoms.” They come away with the feeling that they can have sex safely as long as they use a condom. Yet, we know that those who choose to use condoms have higher failure rates at preventing pregnancy than those who choose to abstain. The comprehensive condom-centered sex ed program in the Pueblo City Schools has been a significant contributing factor to the high teen pregnancy rate in this city…True abstinence is not being taught.
The young women we see at A Caring Pregnancy Center are routinely asked if they have been using anything to prevent pregnancy – and if not, why not? I have never had a young woman tell me she did not know how to prevent pregnancy. They have consistently said one of the following:
•They were already on some type of birth control pill.
•They used a condom but it broke or fell off.
•They chose not to use a condom because they were “with” the same boy for a while.
•They “didn’t want to.”
•All these kids knew where and how to find birth control…
One of my greatest concerns is that the leadership in this community has lowered the bar to such an extent that our youth are behaving as expected – early onset of sexual activity with the natural outcome. Sexual activity (often with numerous partners) leads to pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, depression and wounded lives. Later, marriages are broken due to lack of bonding with the marriage partner as a consequence of numerous sexual partners prior to marriage; thus the breakdown of the family.
We must change the message from “abstain until you are ready to have sex, then use contraception” to the healthier alternative. Abstinence until marriage says, “We believe in you! You can use your own personal power, self-regulation, to wait until you have achieved important goals and are ready to choose a life mate. Then you’ll enjoy the best sex for the rest of your life!”
It deeply concerns me that we expect our children to behave as rutting animals unable to resist their basal urges when we know it is highly possible to resist and should be expected. We have been teaching to the lowest common denominator and we need to raise the bar for the sake of this generation and the next….Click here to read entire article
Barbara Musso is executive director of A Caring Pregnancy Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
