Anglican Mainstream

[...]  Irrespective of any religious beliefs someone may have about teenage sex, I find it very hard to see how anyone can argue against giving girls the chance to consider the benefits of holding back from sexual activity at a young age. Any sexual engagement for young people obviously carries the risks of pregnancy, subsequent abortion and the contraction of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The number of reported STIs by sexual health clinics in the UK is increasing rapidly year on year with 482,900 recorded in 2009. Two thirds of these cases were females aged 15 to 24. Many studies have shown that young adults are more likely to have unsafe sex and that they often lack the skills and confidence to negotiate safer methods. There have been conflicting studies about whether early sexual activity causes long term mental health issues, but surely there is less chance of this in any form, if a young person is abstaining from rather than having sex. The UK has the second highest teenage pregnancy rate in the world behind the US and the highest teenage abortion rate in western Europe. This strongly suggests that the current sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools is not particularly effective. More focus by educators towards young people thinking carefully about the implications of engaging in sexual activity has to be of value.

 

Not entirely surprisingly, the National Secular Society is opposing this bill. In fact, they will be supporting a demonstration outside Parliament on the 20th to protest against it. You can read their objections here. Something has fundamentally shifted in our society’s moral values (and not for the better) over the last few decades. For centuries abstinence was seen as the norm outside of marriage, but now in some circles any form of abstinence is seen as totally outdated and something even to be fought against. When did we decide that ideology was more important than the well being of our children?

 

 

Read also:  MPs to debate sexual abstinence lessons bill by Jessica Shepherd, Guardian