Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 1, 1993 TAG: 9306010216
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: AUSTIN SPRUILL
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Since the early 1970s, our government has spent more than $2 billion to fund programs to promote contraceptives and "safe sex" among our teen-agers. What we have to show for this expenditure is an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases. Each year more than 20 different such diseases infect 3 million teen-agers. Syphilis cases are at the highest level in 40 years. Of sexually active teens, 20 percent to 40 percent are infected with chlamydia, and 30 percent to 50 percent are infected with human papilloma virus that can cause genital warts and cancer. Add to this other problems associated with sexual promiscuity - abortions, infertility and infected newborns.
The cost of this epidemic is immeasurable, both in terms of human suffering and economic impact. This disaster has developed while billions have been spent on comprehensive values - free sex education. Unless we come to terms with the magnitude and consequences of this epidemic, sexual promiscuity will continue unabated, and millions of teens, thinking they are "safe," will suffer for the rest of their lives. Many will die of AIDS.
The only way to practice "safe sex" is to abstain from sexual intercourse until marriage and then have a monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner. Only an abstinence-based approach to the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases will work. To depend on condoms to stem this epidemic is problematic for the following reasons:
The reported failure rate for condoms in preventing pregnancy is 15 percent to 20 percent. This is due to slippage, breakage or improper use. Given that the ability to contract a disease during "protected" intercourse is not limited to a few days during each menstrual cycle, the failure rate in preventing sexually transmitted diseases is even higher.
A sperm is 500 times larger than the AIDS virus. It has been reported that the intrinsic voids (i.e., holes) in latex condoms are 5 microns. The AIDS virus is only 0.1 micron. AIDS cases among 14- to 23-year-olds have gone up 72 percent in the past two years. Given these alarming findings, how can we ask our youth to trust his or her life to a piece of latex? Truly, the "safe sex" message is a disaster in the making.
Some say that an abstinence-based approach is unrealistic and unworkable. However, these programs have been successful because they show how detrimental it can be - physically and emotionally - to engage in premarital sex. Not all teens will adopt this approach, but it must be encouraged because it is the best solution to this pervasive problem. For those teens who insist on engaging in premarital sex, it is imperative that they be given accurate information about their risks so that they are making a truly informed decision.
Despite a 20-year effort to educate our youth about responsible sexual behavior and "safe sex," pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted diseases among our teens have increased significantly. Distributing condoms will not solve these problems, and will only lead to a false sense of security. For the sake of our children, as well as future generations, we must support abstinence-based programs. They teach young people to act responsibly and to show respect for one another, and we should encourage their use.
Austin Spruill, M.D., of Roanoke is a pediatrician.
by CNB