Pittsburgh Public Schools Consider "Abstinence-Plus"

Pittsburgh Public schools have proposed amending their "abstinence-only" program, changing it to something called "abstinence-plus." They'll continue to stress abstinence as the only way to avoid STIs and pregnancy, and although they'll be included in the curriculum, contraceptives still won't be distributed.

When I was in high school, in rural Pennsylvania, I ran for class president on a platform of bringing free condoms to the nurse's office. I had no idea that many considered this a radical idea, and that among those was my school's principal. After handing in my speech for approval, I was immediately called to the principal's office. She said that I knew what I did wrong. I had no idea what I'd done wrong. This dialogue ate up the next five minutes. I was then given a pen and paper and asked to rewrite my speech. She laughed when I brought up the First Amendment. The principal left the room, only to come back every half hour to check if I'd changed the speech.

I was outraged, of course, like any liberal high school kid who just figured out his political ideology in a mostly conservative school. I was stubborn, and sat in the office for hours, missing class, until it was time to go home.  Later that night the principal called my house. She told my parents what I was trying to do; I'd struck on something personal, apparently. My parents' response was a variation of "So what?" You could hear her grinding her teeth on the other end of the line.

I ended up losing the election, and it still baffles me that giving out contraceptives at schools is a controversy. It's common sense. The objections of critics - that comprehensive sex-ed will cause irresponsible behaviors or contraceptives will encourage sex are flat out wrong. It also seems that abstinence pledges don't work and result in unsafe behavior. Teens are having sex, and rates of sexual activity among teens aren't likely to fall any farther. If teens have difficulty obtaining contraceptives - either out of embarrassment because of the lax sex education programs that make them think sex should be hidden and shameful, or because of lack of access, they resort to dangerous sexual behaviors.

The best option is giving out contraceptives in our schools. If the political dialogue concerning abortion is going to shift towards reducing the number of abortions, it seems like a no-brainer that we change our schools' backward sex-ed policies.