In response to Liz Ditlevson’s column, published in the most recent issue of the Cornellian, I’d like to add one very important thing that I find to be wrong with abstinence-only sex education and most “abstinence plus” programs—Liz didn’t have space enough to cover the huge list of problems. Abstinence-only sex education, in many cases, pretends that our nation’s lesbian, gay and bisexual youth will not engage in sexual activity, but in one particularly wide-spread program, it makes a dangerous and close-minded turn for the worse by making loading statements that stand to worsen school climates that are already quite dangerous for many of our youth.
Student handbooks for “Sex Respect,” our nation’s most popular such program, includes the following statement: “Homosexual activity involves an especially high risk for AIDS infection [because] body openings are used in ways for which they are not designed. During such unnatural behaviors, additional damage is done to blood vessels and other body parts.”
Well, not to be a downer for those of you that were cheering on that odd piece of misinformation, but the vagina is just as welcoming a receptor for HIV+ semen as the lower intestine. Also, one does not become infected with AIDS—one becomes infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS (a syndrome, not a virus, as the name would imply).
Also, even if it were true that homosexual activity is a higher risk activity than heterosexual activity, it is worth noting that the passage refers to anal sex, but never specifically calls it out. Now, last time I checked, nothing is stopping heterosexuals from engaging in penile-anal sex in the very same way that homosexual males do—the point here is that because this handbook is so scared of words that give information to our young ones, there’s an incredibly silly lack of information being transmitted through these programs and words. Not only is it blatantly heterocentric, it is also a major disservice to the heterosexual majority.
My question to everyone out there is one that asks if you would like your child to be taught about the Civil War in the same way they are being taught about sex—sure, some kids are made uncomfortable finding out that their ancestors used to own the ancestors of some of the other kids in the room. And yes, the incredible amount of human loss can impact some kids, but they’ve gone to the movies lately--I assure you that they’ll be just fine. Denying them information is not a way to protect them, but it is a way to keep them ignorant of things that can help keep them safe.
by Addy Free, Columnist
The Cornellian vol. 124, issue 11
(text differs slightly from the print copy)
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