I blame the weather.
I've had the "Summer Nights" song from the movie Grease stuck in my head for the past week. Given the most recent forecast of 80 degree afternoons, it seems like I won't be forgetting Danny, Sandy and company any time soon.
Thinking about it more though, I realized - for a film that is considered enough of a "classic" to be aired endlessly on ABC Family, Grease actually confronts some heavy issues. What is even more ironic is that the problems of teens and young adults in the 1950s are not so different from those of today. Sure, we may have cell phones and Facebook.com, but we still struggle with the pressures of sex, contraceptives and unplanned pregnancies - things that no amount of texts, tweets or friend requests can fix.
What will help? The truth. According to the Guttmacher Institute, seven out of 10 teens have had sex by the time they turn 19. We need to stop regarding sex as a taboo subject and start treating it as a major component of youth culture. That means halting government-funded, abstinence-only sex education and instead channeling our resources into programs that advocate sexual awareness and responsibility.
I understand the idealism behind abstinence education. However, it is unrealistic to think the cautionary words of a teacher, politician or pastor will really stop two teenagers from getting hot and heavy in the backseat. When it comes down to hormones versus pamphlets, my vote will definitely be going with science - nature over nurture, kids. Need numerical evidence? When George W. Bush was governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000, he spent more than $10 million on abstinence-only education. Despite this, Texas ranked last in the nation in the decline of 15 to 17-year-old teenage pregnancies for that time period. Additionally, Texas had the fifth highest teen pregnancy rate in the country. These statistics represent only a modicum of research, all of which indicate abstinence-only programs do little to dissuade teens from having sex before marriage.
Luckily, President Barack Obama and Congress support more realistic and more effective approaches to sex education. Last month, Congress passed the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) act, which authorizes more federal funding for "medically accurate, age appropriate" information to be offered to students. The programs funded by REAL acknowledge abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, but they also provide resources that allow teens to make safe decisions if they choose to have sex.
The other added benefit of REAL? It allows information about safe sex to be given to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens, who were essentially excluded from the "wait until marriage" talk because same-sex marriage is still prohibited in many states. Now, young adults in the LGBT community have the same access to comprehensive sex education as their peers.
In addition to REAL, the government has also lowered the age limit for the purchase of morning-after contraceptive pills from 18 to 17. However, it takes more than availability of a drug to make it effective. If we truly want to use contraceptives to prevent unplanned pregnancies and abortions, we need to make their presence not only known but also accepted. By removing the stigma surrounding birth control, condoms, Plan B and the myriad of other safe sex techniques, we can empower young adults to make healthy decisions. Once our attitudes about teens and sex change, the statistics will as well.
Enjoy your summer lovin'!
Jensen Henry henryjk@muohio.edu
