On Teens Making Wise Decisions About Sex, Part 2

This is family policy matter program is produced by the North Carolina family policy Council of profamily research and education organization dedicated to preserving the family and up in the studio here is John Rustin, Pres. North Carolina family policy Council, thank you for doing this week for family policy matters. It is our pleasure to have Valerie Huber back with us on the program Valerie as president of us soon, formerly known as the national abstinence education Association send is a professional association that represents organizations and individuals who support a priority on sexual risk avoidance through abstinence education. Valerie is back with us to continue a discussion we began last week about the critical role that parents play in helping teens make wise decisions about sex this week will be talking more about the importance of parental involvement in these issues and while abstinence education is the best way to help teens choose wisely when it comes to sexual activity Valerie welcome back to family policy matters. There are some of your listeners who doubt or question the effectiveness of abstinence-based education versus a comprehensive based sex education approach to talk a little bit about that and help them understand the effectiveness of abstinence education programs for helping teens understand the value of delaying sexual activity until marriage to really believe that Wade and Chris back is the ideal choice put a lot of people think well while I wish that were the K not a realistic expectation and so because of that they well clamp down there what they would think that sex education classes should look like because they want to be relevant and realistic. I think that either listeners would be encouraged to know that there are about 15 peer-reviewed studies that show that our programs that focus on sexual risk avoidance, having a really dramatic impact on students and it's not just those who are waiting for, among all experience so among those who haven't had sex yet at length in the time that they remain at their part of the risk avoidance program, we would expect that to be the case if our programs were backed out and not enticingly those results are part of that research. Our detractors will often say well these programs are okay for those students who aren't having we know that a lot of people are having sex and so these are irrelevant.

Well, the research shows just the opposite to be true that our programs really resonate with young people who have already had sex because often times there choosing to have sex looking for something that they think will be satisfied if they have sex and then they find out afterward that it didn't fill that hole leader and so the fact that about two thirds of teens who are sexually active, which they had waited play into the effectiveness of our programs for those students to because we offer healthier choice for them in the future and really address those core issues of the heart. You know you can't just separate reproductive organ from a holistic discussion of the value of the person, the importance of building healthy relationships and and and how to set your own personal boundary (conversations that need to be a very real part of this concussion.

And so as a result, the sexually experienced student are more likely to choose to wait again, or at least reduce their sexual activity, which is a step in the right direction and those who go on to be sexually active, are no less likely to use contraception than than their peers because we talk about contraception in the context that it reduces your risk but it's not going to eliminate risks still remain. We don't demonstrate contraception, we don't packet out and we don't get in the fall. As long as they use a condom or some other kind of contraception are going to be okay, but they do know that it does reduce the risk.

We think this is a win-win for all of the students regardless of their sexual activity and the research shows that, but beyond that the CDC is really some information that also shows that on a broad level, the sexual risk avoidance message is irrelevant today for our team. One of courses. The data that I shared a few minutes ago showing that the percentage of teens who have not had sex is increase over 15% in the last one year.

I think looking at an narrower time. And God is. Let's look at that period of time since Pres. Obama made a huge change in the priority for sex education on a national level. What are we seeing from bacteria time. Are there any changes either positive or negative, and unfortunately will beginning to see negative changes in student behavior is a result of having a priority on normalizing back high schoolers who are sexually active or having more partners. The CDC just a few days ago released sexually transmitted disease rates and among young adults, which are €15-€24 with the highest rate of FPD that we have ever had. I we supply now what you believe the plan delaying our government is using our tax dollars for such education premium to look at what sort of sex education.

Our tax dollars going toward are they as they are right now about 95%.

In fact of our taxpayer dollars devoted to sex education am going to programs that are telling teens to go ahead and experiment. Just be careful that is a message that as a Barna research shows makes teens feel pressured to have sex but even more than that it's really setting a standard that is putting our young people at increased risk and and certainly that is not a wise use, or a healthy years of our taxpayer dollars.

Certainly, the emphasis should be on giving them the information. Building encouragement to wait for sex and if it already been sexually experienced to make it healthier choice in the future we should treat them advice do you have Valerie for the parents of teenagers who were listening to us today, and even fun for teenagers who may be listening to the program today about how parents can use it to better influence their teams and how teams can really embrace this information and say they are facing conflicting messages at school today.

They walk into such education classroom health education class and they are feeling pressured the Mormons to be sexually active, and I don't feel like that's what I want to do even believe that being sexually active outside of a married relationship is is morally wrong, but it also exposes me to risk that.

I just don't want to take what advice do you have for parents of teenagers and for teenagers to really encourage them and to bolster their efforts to make healthy and correct decisions are very conscious of the fact that there is so much what I'll call cultural chatter sending the message, both to clean and apparent that that sector is a patient Norm (thinking to realize that the majority of of their peers. Pain haven't had sex and vacuuming a game changer because cultural chatter is saying just the opposite way. Parents really need to step up even though it's an uncomfortable conversation. Even though they may have made.

Looking back some chilled personal choices themselves when they were teens that they're not especially happy about now their children can learn through their mistakes rather than having to repeat them themselves and after all this is a critical time for both parents to parent on young people who are feeling that pressure I get that. I mean, certainly from all five there receiving that message that really makes sexual activity almost in the part of the team experience but was something through through the CDC data that show that more teens are waiting that I think it bears more research and and I just wonder if young people are looking at how this has impacted their peers. They are recognizing that the potential for negative consequences. An essay because rather focus on my future right now and I'm in a wait for that. And yet the reinforcement from adults in their lives whether it be teacher educators, parents are even the faith community aren't embracing nearly to the degree that they should this healthy decision.

Think of how those numbers and those decisions might change even more positively that there could be a core amplification of that healthy messaging and encouraging. I believe that you can do that if the help. Yes. And if you've made unhealthy choices in the past.

I'm here to help heal make healthier ones in the future reinforce messages between your hearing home and hopefully the church and at school course in the media as a whole. To the degree that we can influence those different arenas that ultimately influence our children, the more these numbers to move in a positive direction were so grateful for Valerie for you and for sending all the great work that you're doing before we close our topper this week. I do want to give you an opportunity to let our listeners know where they can go to learn more about the sound of the great work that you doing well. We are in the mix of the Rio Grande and so we have a holding page for the new website that is being created as we speak, they can go to we and.org and it will for right now. Take taking back to the NAPA national absent education station website, but very soon on we will have a brand-new website with new data, new lock and much more easy to navigate, or parent policymakers and concerned citizens website. Again, we assumed.org again we send.org and spelling is correct. That's WEA dose CEN do you.org click you so much for your time today for being with us on family policy matters and for your really important work promoting sexual risk avoidance and abstinence education nationwide. This is such a critically important issue for our teams and it's so important that parents are involved to the such an impactful thing for the future of four or teenagers.

So parents please be involved in this area in your teams laws talk to them about it and recognize what is Valerie, his son will good our children are facing challenges on lots of different frauds and hearing messages that say look, it's the norm to be sexually active and for teams who, for a variety of reasons believe that's not in their best interest about the direction that they want to go when we need to be doing all we can to reinforce them with positive messages and encouragement of the, the best decision for them is to delay sexual activity until they are in a committed lifelong marriage relationship well and thank you John for supporting this important agenda for our young people and we really appreciate your partnership with you so much Valerie and folded us in dollars. Thanks much for being with us today.

All the best for the future. My pleasure will fully closer like to invite you to follow the North Carolina family policy Council on Facebook. Just login and find us@ncfamily.org again@intofamily.org. Be sure to like us when you visit. In addition, for instant updates on profamily news of interest.

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