and ain't i a woman?: Bush attacks young people's sexual freedom
Young people have sex — it's a social reality. Greater sexual freedom is a good thing, so long as it's based on free choice, without the moral pressure to have or not to have sex.
Any government or society which chooses to ignore this reality, and in so doing denies young people important information, is playing a very dangerous game. It's a game that US President George Bush intends to get very good at.
Bush is seeking a 33% increase to abstinence-only education programs in schools for 2002-03, despite a complete lack of evidence to support their effectiveness.
There are many US organisations that defend young people's right to obtain adequate sexual education which includes information about contraception, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and abortion. Jody Ratner, an attorney who focuses on minors' rights, is a spokesperson for one of those, the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy (CRLP). She believes that Bush's abstinence-only programs "harm teenagers by denying them critical, potentially life-saving information about contraception, safer sex practises and sexuality".
Abstinence-only programs focus solely on abstaining from sexual activity. They prohibit discussion of birth control, condoms, how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy.
The abstinence-only approach places many teenagers in jeopardy of contracting diseases and/or getting pregnant. Through such programs, students are told any sexual act is forbidden until marriage, which places an air of shame on those who do have sex. This stigma causes a number of psychological and social problems.
According to 1999 figures from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, four out of five US young people have sex as teenagers. This indicates how important it is for young people to get reliable and realistic advice on sexual activity.
Teenage sexual activity is not a bad thing. It is perfectly ordinary for teenagers to explore their sexuality as they enter puberty. However, in a society that regards it as "deviant", the issue is not given the attention it needs. So you have teenagers having uniformed sex, having no support system to offer them advice on essential issues and perhaps getting themselves into situations where they have no idea what to do, for example, when they get pregnant.
Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has been declining, it remains the highest in the developed world. Approximately 97 out of every 1000 women aged 15 to 19 — one million American teenagers — become pregnant each year. The majority of these pregnancies — 78% — are unintended.
Not all sexual activity among teenagers is based on consent. The unequal power relationship between men and women, compounded by the forbidden nature of teenage sex, results in many young women being coerced into sex. If there were more avenues for young people to openly discuss all aspects of sexuality, there would be opportunities to discuss consent and the importance of developing young women's confidence and assertiveness to say no.
Female teenagers are a consistent target for winding back women's reproductive rights. Abortion for young women is increasingly difficult to access. There have been dramatic measures to restrict the ability of young women to obtain abortion services.
Currently more than half the states in the US have implemented laws that mean that a person under 18 can only receive an abortion if she has the written consent or notification from one or both parents. There are also laws against minors travelling across state lines to access abortion, imposing huge penalties. Proposals to introduce parental consent for contraceptives are also increasing. This would include the requirement for parental consent to seek birth control from clinics and condoms from pharmacies. Even in emergency situations, parental consent would still be required.
Parental consent will discourage young women from seeking contraception, even though they may already be sexually active. Placing barriers on access to contraception and abortion doesn't stop teen sex. It simply increases the risk of unplanned pregnancies.
The way to reduce unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is not through restrictive measures, but through increased access to information and education about family planning services, as well as life skills training that includes information on contraception, abortion and child care as well as on the right to say no.
Bush's attempt to turn the clock back to 1950s-style sexual morality is an attack on young people's right to sexual freedom. It is also an attack on women's rights, because it strips women of the vital information they need to have full control of their bodies.
BY TERRICA STRUDWICK
[The author is a member of the socialist youth organisation, Resistance]
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 20, 2002.
Visit the