'Abstinence Programs': Ineffectual, Homophobic?

GLBT Blogger Wayne Besen, in an editorial published Apr. 3, says that so-called "abstinence only" sex education programs don't just let straight kids down by failing to prevent teen pregnancy and the spread of STDs; they are homophobic, to boot.

In an editorial that appeared in the Falls Church News Press Besen, who is the founder of Truth Wins Out, an organization dedicated to countering so-called "Ex-Gay" groups, slammed the Bush Administration for throwing "hundreds of millions of dollars" into education programs that promote virginity until marriage--and, its critics say, spread disinformation about the need for, and effectiveness of, methods of contraception and means of avoiding STDs, like condoms.

Saying that "abstinence-only" sex-ed "offer[s] a warped view of sexuality," Besen charged that such programs are "steeped in religious extremism" and "are fear-based, anti-science and prone to great exaggerations."

Besen repeated some points that have been made by critics of such programs, citing the 2004 report from Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA). That report, Besen wrote, showed that out of 13 abstinence-only sex-ed curricula used in schools, 11 were riddled with misinformation on the science relating to birth control, STDs, and sex.

Besen also cited a study that showed that while students who had been exposed to such curricula refrained from sex longer (though by only a year and a half), they were less likely to use contraceptives and means to avoid STD transmission than students who had received scientifically accurate and comprehensive sex ed. Moreover, during the time they were not engaging in intercourse, the teens who embraced "abstinence" were far more active--up to six times more than other teens--when it came to oral sex.

The same report showed that though rates of STD transmission were equal between the groups, the so-called "Values Virgins" were less likely to be tested for STDs. That makes them less likely to receive treatment, putting both themselves and others at far greater health risk.

The new prevalence of "abstinence-only" groups at Ivy League and other top-tier colleges and universities was cited in a report in the New York Times Magazine. "As usual, they rely on breathless, overblown tales of breaking condoms, saying, 'safe sex is not safe,'" Besen wrote. "Well, actually, condoms are pretty effective for those of us who had comprehensive sex education and know how to use them."

One "Bible-waving fanatic who can show me an HIV epidemic that broke out among people consistently wearing condoms" is impossible to find, he added, noting that Harvard's "abstinence-only" club, which calls itself True Love Revolution, claims that abstinence before marriage will guarantee "better sex in your future marriage. To buy this theory, one must conclude that sex is the singular activity where practice erodes performance."

One of the heads of True Love Revolution, Janie Fredell, claimed that sex leads to the release of oxytocin in the brain and lead to a "palpable sense of loss, betrayed trust and unwelcome memories" as the result of sex outside of marriage.

Besen contrasted this claim to one made by Fredell's male counterpart, TLR co-director Leo Keliher, who referred to his own sexual impulses as an "untamed beast" that caused thoughts that seem like "pornography in my head... like a fly buzzing around."

Riffing on Fredell's claims, Besen noted, "It is clear that celibacy is causing a great deal of stress in Keliher's life--which can release the deadly hormone cortisol."

Instead, Besen suggested a course of therapeutic sex to address the problem: "Obviously, it is really easy to use cut and paste psychiatry to support one's ideological agenda," before going on to discuss a similar group at Princeton, The Anscombe Society, which not only condemns sex outside of marriage but also promotes the view that gays and lesbians ought not to have access to marriage equality.

This is a standard set of conservative mores, but as Besen pointed out, the two beliefs in conjunction "leav[e] gay students no option but lifelong celibacy."

Continued the Truth Wins Out founder, "What they are really doing is setting some members up for failed marriages to so-called 'ex-gays.'"

Explained Besen in his editorial, "Closeted homosexuals with religious hang-ups are drawn to these groups because it absolves them of having to explain why they aren't sexually active."

Quoting claims by such organizations, Besen noted that "abstinence-only" groups have a tendency to depict sexual expression outside of marriage as a threat to "human dignity" that leads to "personal unhappiness and social harm."

Said Besen, "While this can sometimes be true, casual sex can also be fun and harmless--which these groups deny."

Said Besen, "People can and do find a tremendous amount of satisfaction hooking up with people where there is no lasting spiritual connection," and the blogger then noted, "The all-or-nothing approach pushed by these dishonest groups is a deep distortion of reality, uses sexual desperation to create marriages that are likely to fail, and [is] unrealistic in a nation where the average marriage age is twenty-six."

Besen said that "No one should be pressured into sex," but expressed concern that pressuring young people out of sexual contact with others would "create more sin, as the 'virgins' often bare all, and then bear false witness to cover-up their hypocrisy."