Abstinence vs. Abstinence Education

Abstinence is the most effective contraceptive method to prevent teenage pregnancy. More effective than pills, condoms, and even the most elite pullout game. But what do you think happens when you tell horny teenagers not to have sex? According to one study on PubMed, 88% of young adults who reported taking virginity pledges as adolescents had initiated vaginal intercourse before marriage; and the prevalence of STIs was similar among those who pledged and non-pledgers.

… while abstinence is theoretically 100% effective, in typical use, the effectiveness of abstinence [education] may approach zero

If it works in theory, then it must work in real life, right? Evidence suggests otherwiise. When we look to aloof teenagers, it’s obvious that it’ll never work. But grown-ups are not immune to this line of thinking, either. When confronted with an obese patient, doctors prescribe diet and exercise. Only if the patients listened, they would stop getting heart attacks! It’s the patient’s fault. It’s not unlike tellint a smoker to simply stop smoking.

The same abstraction applies to us working at the office, or as parents at home. Only if my boss allowed for more autonomy, stuff would get done faster, so that’s what I’ll tell him. Only if my kids listened to me more carefully, they would stay out of trouble, so I’ll tell them to listen to me. Only if I started working out, I’d look and feel better.

Substantive change doesn’t appear from a thin idea in vacuum. Behind every change needs a gust of motivation tied to a feeling: fear, greed, challenge, growth. We need to look layers deeper than just “I told you so”.