Sarah Palin and the Failure of Abstinence-only Education

There has been a lot of talk in the news and the blogosphere about the pregnancy of Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter, Bristol.

While it is inappropriate to attack or attempt to smear Palin for her daughter's life decisions, or to stigmatize Bristol for her decision to become sexually active, the release of this information does bring up the issue of Palin's stated views on sex education.

There is already plenty of evidence that abstinence-only sex education doesn't work, and that comprehensive sex ed. does.

If a teenager raised in a family where both parents oppose pre-marital sex and believe that parents, not schools, should be responsible for sex education can still decide to become sexually active outside of marriage, doesn't that demonstrate the failings of the abstinence-only parent-taught method?

If Sarah Palin can't manage to convince her daughter not to have sex, what makes her think that any other parent can rein in teenaged hormones better than she can? And if abstinence-only rhetoric clearly doesn't work, shouldn't someone at least be teaching teens how to have sex responsibly and safely?

The discussion around this from conservatives reminds me of the language around McCain's statement that if his daughter were to become pregnant, it would be a "family decision." Apparently it's OK to be a mother with a career if you're sufficiently conservative, it's OK for the teen daughter of a conservative politician to become pregnant, and it's OK for conservative families to make decisions about abortion on their own. It's just not OK for all the rest of us.

Comments

[Zrusilla]

I am very strongly against the slut-shaming spectacle to which Sarah and Bristol Palin have been subjected. This continues the disturbing virulent misogyny directed at Hillary Clinton. No woman should be a target for this kind of bigotry and hatred.

[Beau Guss]

...doesn't that demonstrate the failings of the abstinence-only parent-taught method?

No, it doesn't. Not any more than a single pregnant teenager whose parents are for comprehensive sex-ed demonstrates the failings of comprehensive sex ed.

Studies have shown that abstinence-only education results in more unwanted pregnancies than comprehensive sex-ed. That's the argument that you should be making. Leave Palin's daughter out of it.

[tiggrrl]

The bigger issue is that Palin opposed funding programs for teen moms, *and* opposed the comprehensive sex ed that would help teens not become unintentionally pregnant. Story is here: http://www.feministing.com/archives/010815.html

So the point is that she opposes abortion, but she's not willing to help teens not get pregnant, nor is she willing to help them once they are.