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MCAT Physical Chemistry: Equations and Important Facts

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Abstinence-only vs. Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs
In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed legislation allocating $50 million in federal funds for
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs as a part of the welfare reform. The funding for
abstinence program has increased since then. In the fiscal year 2006, the federal government
provided $178 million for abstinence-only education through Title V, Section 510 of the Social
Security Act in 1996, Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) projects, and the
Adolescent Family Life Act program (Otta & Santelli, 2007). According to the supporters of the
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, condoms and contraception are not perfect in preventing
pregnancy or STIs. The only fully effective method to prevent premarital pregnancy or sexually
transmitted infections STIs is abstinence. They believe that abstinence in teenage years is a good
preparation for fulfilling sex in later life (Stammers & Ingham, 2000), which is as questionable as
the effectiveness of the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs.
It is important to get to the bottom of the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the
abstinence-only-until-marriage programs versus comprehensive sexuality programs because
having ineffective programs in place is equally harmful as not having programs at all. We cannot
afford to let the debate over superiority of the programs linger on, when STDs are claiming lives
and having adverse health impacts. HIV/AIDS epidemic still persists as a serious health concern.
Those who are 1324 years of age are at persistent risk for HIV infection in the United States.
Unprotected sexual activity is responsible for a majority of HIV/AIDS infections in youth. Half
of all new HIV infections and two third of STDs in the U.S occur among young people under the
age of 25. CDC estimates that new HIV infections among young people under 30 (aged 1329)
was greater than any other age group in 2006. These data confirms that HIV is an epidemic
primarily of young people. In 2008, the highest age-specific rates of reported Chlamydia were
among females 15 to 19 years of age and 20 to 24 years of age. Age-specific rates among men,
was highest in the 20 to 24 year old age group. In 2008, gonorrhea rates continued to be highest
among adolescents and young adults. In 2008, the highest rate of gonorrhea was among females
between 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 year old. Among men, the rate was highest in those 20 to 24 years
of age (CDC, 2009).

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The superiority of the aforementioned programs should purely be based on the
effectiveness of these programs. At this point in time, there is very little evidence, if any, that
suggest the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs. For example, Trenholm et al. (2008)
examined the impacts of four abstinence only education programs on adolescent sexual activity
and risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They used the survey data
collected in 2005 and early 2006. More than 2,000 teens were randomly assigned either to a sex
education program or to a control group. The results show that abstinence-only programs do not
have significant impact on teen sexual activity or differences in rates of unprotected sex compared
to comprehensive sexual-education programs.
In addition to the ineffectiveness of the abstinence programs, Santelli et al. (2006) find
them to be: morally, scientifically, and ethically problematic. They argue even though abstinence
is a healthy behavioral option for teens, abstinence-only programs as a sole option for adolescents
is problematic, as such programs threaten fundamental human rights to health, information, and
life. Ethical issues are raised deliberately by withholding or distorting potentially life-saving
information about contraception and STI prevention. Santelli et al. claim about distortion of
potentially life-saving information about contraception and STI prevention have been found to be
true. An investigation by the Committee on Government Reform in the House of Representatives,
in 2004, found that 80% of the curriculum taught in abstinence-only-until marriage programs
contained false information about condoms, abortion, and basic scientific facts. They also blur
religion and science and present gender stereotypes as fact (U.S HRCGR, 2004).
Bruckner et al. (2005) rightly point out the barriers to knowledge and protection for
adolescents created by the abstinence-only programs. They examined the effectiveness of virginity
pledges in reducing STD infection rates among young adults ages 1824 years of ages. In 1995,
the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data, a nationally representative study of
students enrolled in grades 712 was used to analyze the impact of abstinence-only programs. The
follow-up survey was conducted in 20012002, in which, respondents urine samples were tested
for Human Papilloma Virus, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Trichomoniasis. The follow up result
after six years showed that 88% of young adults that reported taking virginity pledges as
adolescents ultimately broke their promise and engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage.

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Abstinence-only vs. Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs In 1996, the U.S. Congress passed legislation allocating $50 million in federal funds for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs as a part of the welfare reform. The funding for abstinence program has increased since then. In the fiscal year 2006, the federal government provided $178 million for abstinence-only education through Title V, Section 510 of the Social Security Act in 1996, Community-Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) projects, and the Adolescent Family Life Act program (Otta & Santelli, 2007). According to the supporters of the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, condoms and contraception are not perfect in preventing pregnancy or STIs. The only fully effective method to prevent premarital pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections STIs is abstinence. They believe that abstinence in teenage years is a good preparation for fulfilling sex in later life (Stammers & Ingham, 2000), which is as questionable as the effectiveness of the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. It is important to get to the bottom of the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of the abstinence-only-until-marriage programs versus comprehensive sexuality programs because having ineffective programs in place is equally harmful as not having programs at all. We cannot afford to let the debate over superiority of the programs linger on, when STDs are claiming lives and having adverse health impacts. HIV/AIDS epidemic ...
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