Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — Data from the Knox County Health Department show there were 52 teen mother births in 2007; in 2006, that number was 22. As of February 2008, there were six babies born to teen mothers so far this year.

Tes Kinsey, who heads the Graduation, Reality and Dual-role Skills program based at the Knox County Career Center, works with expectant teens and teen parents. She believes abstinence before marriage should be taught, and is the best policy, but should be included in comprehensive sex education program.

“I think that kids need to be taught everything, not just abstinence,” she said. “We as a society should re-evaluate what is considered to be age-appropriate information. I’m just seeing too many young teenagers become pregnant. When I ask students how can we prevent [teen pregnancy] from happening, they tell me, ‘You can’t. We see it everywhere. We see sex everywhere. We see it on TV, we hear it in songs, we see it on computers. It’s everywhere. Everything we do has something to do with sex.’”

Kinsey said her sources have said that even junior high kids are sexually active.

“That is very disappointing to me, but it is reality, too. I think we can’t hide from the problem anymore,” she said.

Some people disagree with Kinsey. According to the April 4 edition of Focus Education, 35 Republican members from the Ohio House and Senate sent a letter to Gov. Ted Strickland earlier this week, urging him to reconsider his rejection of Title V federal funding for abstinence education in Ohio. The federal government spends about $176 million annually on abstinence-until-marriage education.

“It is important to our young people that this funding reaches them, so that this invaluable education is taught,” Rep. William Batchelder said.

“This funding has been an ongoing bipartisan effort for several years now, and for the sake of our children, we sincerely hope the governor will reconsider his decision,” said Rep. Lynn Wachtmann. “The funding received from this federal grant is the only guaranteed funds schools would have to continue teaching abstinence education.”

In an e-mail, press secretary Keith Dailey of the governor’s office said the governor did not “reject” federal funding. In fact, Dailey said, the administration requested the Title V funds to be used as part of the state’s comprehensive approach, which would include abstinence education, but the federal government rejected Ohio’s request because of the overly narrow requirements for expenditure of Title V funds. To receive Title V funds, states must adhere to certain requirements, including barring teachers from discussing contraception and requiring them to say that sex within marriage is “the expected standard of sexual activity.”

Strickland supports abstinence education as part of a comprehensive approach, but does not support abstinence only.

“The governor does not support abstinence-only education programs,” Dailey explained, “because there is no conclusive evidence that they work — and there is conclusive evidence they don’t work. Available evidence demonstrates that utilizing an approach that includes abstinence education and vital health information will serve to better protect the health and well-being of our youth.”

Joann Kerr of the Knox County Health Department was an official abstinence educator until Title V grant funds ran out.

“The culture is telling kids sex outside of marriage is OK,” she said. “They have seen this as being normal. ... I see kids wanting to know about the possibility of just saying ‘no,’ and it was great to help them know there’s another way [to prevent teen pregnancy].”

Kelly Baldwin has worked with Kno-Ho-Co Health Services since 1984. She said abstinence is the No. 1 choice to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

“For the most part, here at family planning,” she said, “abstinence is the No. 1 method of birth control. And it is a part of the language that we use.”

Baldwin does, however, support a comprehensive sex education policy.

“Media does play a role in teen sexuality. We try to curb that by giving them the facts; what happens when you do get involved, especially with multiple partners. A recent CDC report said one in four teenage girls has an STI.”

“The research says we need a comprehensive approach that includes abstinence education,” Focus Education reported the governor as saying. “Age-appropriate information certainly doesn’t encourage inappropriate behavior.”

“We’ve been saying that all along,” said Baldwin. “The opponents of comprehensive sex ed feel that the more information you give these kids is more ammunition for them to go out and experiment and explore and engage in sexual activity at a much younger age and more frequently. ... Research says it’s the opposite.

“Information is power. It gives you choices. We have drug education, substance abuse education, DARE, all these programs, to try and steer kids away from getting involved in those activities, but when it comes to comprehensive sex education people just stand back and don’t want to admit that it is a problem. ... According to survey information, teens are having intercourse years or months before they step through our door, many as young as 14. These girls don’t come here and we give them the information about birth control and the methods to prevent pregnancy and then they leave here and go out exploring and doing. They’re coming here, already sexually active, not using protection. Their initial visit to us is often due to the fear of being pregnant or having a sexually transmitted infection.”

“For school districts inclined to continue the abstinence-only approach,” wrote Dailey, “funding remains available from the federal government through the Community-Based Abstinence Education grants.”