Who's to Blame for Teen 'Oral Sex' Crisis?
9/19/2005 9:07:00 AM
By Libby Gray Macke, Project Reality
 | The national sex-ed group SIECUS wants to teach 5-year-olds about masturbation. |  |  | Bill Clinton's legacy lives on. |
We bring you two important press releases from our good friends at the pro-abstinence group Project Reality, and Family Research Council, on two important topics: 1) a new report confirming that the number of teenagers engaging in oral sex has increased dramatically in recent years; and, 2) the thoroughly misguided idea of creating an .XXX web domain for pornographers.
On the first item, we remind readers of the influence that former President Bill Clinton had in encouraging this unfortunate trend among young people--showing once again that "private morality" (or immorality, in his case) can have profound public consequences:
Project Reality: Teen Oral Sex--Who's Really to Blame?
An analysis of data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth has caused a resurgence in the media of the discussion about the unsettling prevalence of teen oral sex. One of the most important questions that should be raised in this discussion is: Exactly where did this behavior originate?
For many years, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) has been distributing sex education guidelines and programs to teach our nation's adolescents about the so-called "complete range of sexual behaviors." In the September/October 1988 SIECUS Report, Debra Haffner, then president of SIECUS, authored an article "Safe Sex and Teens" in which she posited, "We should teach teens about oral sex and mutual masturbation in order to help them delay the onset of sexual intercourse and its resulting consequences."
Recent SIECUS guidelines for school-based sex education include:--Beginning at age 5, teaching that masturbation feels good;
--Starting at age 9, teaching there are many ways to give and receive sexual pleasure without having intercourse;
--At age 12, more on the joys of masturbation alone or with a partner as an alternative to intercourse;
--At age 16, common sexual behaviors including use of pornography, bathing/showering together, and oral, vaginal or anal intercourse In addition, Planned Parenthood has an "award-winning" website specifically for teens (www.teenwire.com) containing an abundance of "how to" materials promoting, among other things, "outercourse" and alternative sexual activity.
Both SIECUS and Planned Parenthood are championing so- called "comprehensive" sex ed as the answer to the disturbing trend in teen oral sex despite the fact that they promote alternatives to sexual intercourse that are dangerous and put teens at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
However, a recent analysis by the Heritage Foundation of the content of the most widely used "comprehensive" sex ed programs promoted on Planned Parenthood and SIECUS's websites reveal that these programs contribute to the problem of teen oral sex by actually encouraging teen sexual activity. A mere 4.7 percent of these programs contain any reference at all to abstinence. (For more details on the content of these programs, visit Project Reality's website.) In addition, an analysis of federal funding finds that contraception promotion programs receive $12 for every $1 given to promote abstinence.
Authentic abstinence programs clearly define abstinence as "avoiding all genital contact and sexual stimulation, including, but not limited to, sexual intercourse" (Game Plan and Navigator programs, Project Reality). Abstinence programs also give teens clear advice and skills on how to abstain from all sexual activity, set boundaries and practice self-control. Abstinence programs such as Project Reality's have also been shown to be effective by researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
Contrary to what will be portrayed in the media, abstinence programs are the solution, not the contributor to the problem of teen sexual activity, including oral sex. In fact, in the state of Illinois, where Project Reality is based, teen birth rates are at their lowest in 40 years, a decline that has been attributed in part to abstinence education programs. During the 2004-05 school year alone, Project Reality's programs reached more than 102,000 Illinois teens with the message of abstinence in approximately 525 schools. A continuation and increase in the number of young people being taught about the benefits of choosing abstinence from all sexual activity until marriage is the only way to see the teen oral sex numbers decline. Our teens deserve to hear the best message. Their lives and futures are at stake.
--Libby Gray Macke, Director, Project Reality
About Project Reality
Project Reality, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, has been a pioneer in the national field of adolescent health education since 1985 specializing in the development, teaching and evaluation of abstinence programs in the public schools. Project Reality serves middle and high school students, youth groups and parents with abstinence and character education programs such as Game Plan, Navigator, I Can Do That! and Parent Power. For more information, visit www.projectreality.org.
For more information on abstinence programs:
"Adolescent Virginity Pledges, Condom Use, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Young Adult" (Heritage Foundation)
Debunking the Siren Song of "Safe Sex" (Rebecca Hagelin, Heritage Foundation; more great links in this article!)
Abstinence Clearinghouse
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