Sarah Palin's support for abstinence-only education is out of touch with young people in general and her children in particular. Especially now that her own 17-year-old daughter is pregnant, you would think that she would realize how dangerous an abstinence-only education can be to young people. Unfortunately, her daughters experience seems not to have given her any new perspective on her advocacy for abstinence-only sex education.
Bristol Palin's experience is not unique. Every year girls whose only education on sex included only "Don't do it" did it anyway - leading to unexpected surprises. This shouldn't be surprising, given the quality of abstinence-only education. Experience with abstinence-only sex-ed shows that it usually involves a quick plea from an authority figure to stay pure and wait for marriage, followed by a few minutes of awkward confessions about their own dealings with "lust" before it finally ends, leaving a classroom full of baffled and curious children.
Full sex education, complete with techniques to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, leaves children with a better understanding of a very confusing topic. Most importantly, it takes into account the impulsive and uncontrollable nature of pubescent teens. Rather than pretend parents and schools can beat the "lust" out of kids, schools need to prepare them for the worst and hope they make the right choices. Surely some will make the right choice - some will not.
In today's world where sex sells everything from underwear to shampoo and television trivializes its real impact, it is especially important that teens learn about the consequences of sex. If teens should find themselves in a compromising situation, it is important that both partners know about all the consequences of their actions. Optimally, the parents should teach their children this lesson. Kids will understand a sticky subject better when they hear about it from someone they respect and love. But the government cannot institutionalize parental techniques. More often than not, parents won't teach their children what they need to know. This is an instance when the government needs to step in and teach children one of the most important lessons of their still young lives. More importantly, this is an instance when Palin does not represent young people or her gender well.
