April 7, 2004
For Immediate Release
Contact:

Maryam Kubasek
Director of Communications
513/521-6227, ext. 111

Cincinnati—A recent article from the Christian Broadcasting Network sheds light on the troubling nature of many comprehensive sex education programs. The National Coalition has mentioned this problem in earlier E-Briefs but we consider it a timely topic for parents who don't want their teens to get the wrong messages about sex.

According to CBN News, many sex education programs fly under the radar with parents because they use names like "abstinence based" or "abstinence plus." In truth, the programs are more about learning sexual techniques and less about self-control.

"Since the establishment of the Sexuality Information & Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) in 1964, public education has been led down the road of sex education that is oriented toward recreation and not procreation," noted Michael Craven, vice president for Religious and Cultural Affairs at the National Coalition. "This philosophical divergence has radically altered young peoples' perceptions of sex by separating it from its life-creating potential reserved for the safety of marriage and family. Despite four decades of so-called sex education, which its proponents argue is for the protection of children, America leads the world in unplanned, out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancies."

Advocates of "safe-sex" education argue that abstinence until marriage is unrealistic. The National Coalition vehemently disagrees. It would appear that so-called "safe sex" is not only unrealistic but also has actually made the problem significantly worse. In addition to unwanted teen births, America leads the industrialized world in sexually transmitted disease with the highest at risk group being under age 25.

"Recent history has shown us that you cannot attempt to separate sex from intimacy, commitment, and procreation without experiencing devastating social consequences," Craven said. "There is one single truth in the matter of sexuality to which we must return for the sake of our children. Sex is made for marriage and marriage is made for sex. Any departure from this fact only produces harm to the individual and society."

So what's the bottom line? Teens need to learn biblical sexual values in the home. It's no longer about having "The Talk," but rather about engaging in a series of conversations that impart values and convictions.