FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
CONTACT: |
Bill Barker |
Thursday, September 15, 2005 |
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(202) 419-3420 |
New CDC Data on Teens and Oral Sex
Statement from James Wagoner, President, Advocates for Youth
"Today, the National Center for Health Statistics released a report  showing nearly one in four teen virgins have had oral sex. From a public health perspective, these data cause concern because young people may contract many of the same STDs from oral sex that they can get during vaginal intercourse.
Young people have the ability to make responsible decisions about their sexual health. And adults have the responsibility to arm youth with the resources and information they need to make safe and informed decisions.
The government, instead, chooses to bury its head in the sand, turning to abstinence-only-until-marriage programs that simply tell youth to 'Just say no,' and only tell them about contraception's failure rates.
The finding that a quarter of all virgins are having oral sex means that the law of unintended consequences is coming home to roost for the abstinence-only movement. The billion dollars put into abstinence-only programs is reinforcing a generation's perspective that oral sex isn't sex. After all, it 'technically' preserves virginity.
The emphasis on abstinence-only precludes discussion about safer sex practices, putting all young people at risk—especially those who are 'technical virgins,' and who, while trying to keep their virginity intact, engage in other risky sexual behavior.
When society locks down discussion about sex, the drive doesn't go away. It just surfaces somewhere else. We cannot improve things by promoting fear and ignorance.
We need honest, accurate sex education. We also need an open and frank discussion about the disconnect that seems to be occurring in our culture between intimate sexual behavior, like oral sex, and emotional connection in a relationship. But if all we do is keep promoting a failed abstinence-only ideology, we'll never be able to get to where we want—a place where youth are safe and healthy."
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Advocates for Youth is an national, nonprofit organization that creates programs and supports policies that help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.
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