Politics
Friday December 15, 2000
MASSIVE INCREASE IN STD'S FORCES ABSTINENCE PUSH FOR TEENS
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M.D. Blasts Sex Ed and Contraceptive Programs
LONDON, Dec 15, 2000 (LSN.ca) - A massive increase in sexually transmitted diseases, reported by the British Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS), has prompted calls for doctors to persuade teens to abstain from sex. The BBC reports that PHLS figures show that since 1995, diagnoses of genital chlamydia have risen by 77%, gonorrhoea by 57%, syphilis by 56% and genital warts by 22%. Writing in the current issue of the British Medical Journal, Dr. Trevor Stammers, a professor in general practice and commentator on sexual health, notes that "in England alone, almost 90 000 teenagers became pregnant in 1997. Slightly fewer than 7700 of these girls were less than 16 years old, and about half had abortions."
Stammers also cites studies indicating that "early intercourse often leads to subsequent regret" and that "sexually active teenagers are more likely to be emotionally hurt and have an increased risk of depression and suicide."
Stammers writes "These indices reflect the outcome of years of unprecedented availability of contraception among young people and increasing sex education in schools. Contraception as the cornerstone of sexual health promotion for adolescents has manifestly failed. In almost 15 years of general practice I have never seen a single case of unplanned pregnancy resulting from ignorance about or unavailability of contraception." He cites studies indicating that "up to 80% of unplanned pregnancies result from failed contraception" and "data from 1975-91 show a positive correlation between increasing rates of use of condoms at first intercourse and higher rates of teenage conceptions." He warns that "oral contraceptives, while providing the greatest protection from unplanned pregnancy, offer no protection against sexually transmitted diseases and may actually increase the risk of cervicitis."
He cites American studies proving that abstinence education works.
For the BMJ article including all the studies cited see:
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/321/7275/1520
See the BBC coverage at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/health/newsid_1070000/1070235.stm
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