More Harmful effects of Abstinence Only Educationi.

Elizabeth Smart, who made national headlines when she was kidnapped from her home at the age of fourteen and found alive nine months later, Now in her mid-twenties, Smart runs a foundation to help educate children about sexual crimes. She now believes that children should grow up learning that “you will always have value and nothing can change that.” recently spoke at John's Hopkins University and said that Abstinence only education teaches rape victims that they are "dirty, filthy, and worthless."  A horrible message to be sending young women.

From the article,  "Smart said she “felt so dirty and so filthy” after she was raped by her captor, and she understands why someone wouldn’t run “because of that alone.”

Smart spoke at a Johns Hopkins human trafficking forum, saying she was raised in a religious household and recalled a school teacher who spoke once about abstinence and compared sex to chewing gum.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m that chewed up piece of gum, nobody re-chews a piece of gum, you throw it away.’ And that’s how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value,” Smart said. “Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even make a difference if you are rescued? Your life still has no value.”  

Full article here  

Abstinence only education clearly does not work and is dangerous.  It needs to be stopped and actual sex education needs to take place.


It is also interesting that the states that push abstinence only education have the highest rates of teen pregnancy and the highest ratees of secually transmitted diseases