Abstinence-only sex-ed doesn’t work

Re: “Teach abstinence instead of giving vaccines,” Letters, May 30.

Here we go again with the cries for abstinence-only sex ed.

Studies have shown that there is no evidence that they work and common sense would dictate the same. Rather than create a bubble for our children to live in and hope they listen to your every word, one might find it helpful to fully educate teens so they can make an informed decision for themselves. How many parents have only had one sexual partner and waited until marriage? Open your eyes; that is no longer the norm in society.

Abstinence-only programs only help to cause ethical confusion for teens. This viewpoint almost verges on religious meddling in secular education. Abstinence-only programs often provide misinformation about sexual health and tend to force-feed students religious ideology that condemns homosexuality, masturbation, abortion, and contraception: in doing so, they endanger students’ sexual health.

The only person who will support this viewpoint is sure to be Heather Stilwell.

One has to question where Stilwell received her medical degree from?

A vaccine which can help save lives is being offered to these students and it runs into opposition once again.

Sure, Stilwell backs her reasoning for not wanting these vaccines in the school system: lack of testing, long-term impacts, there were even a few complications in the clinical trials.

What Stilwell fails to comment on, however, is the fact that every other vaccine provided by the school district comes with it own set of risks and complications. The hepatitis B vaccine has anecdotal evidence linking it to an increased risk for multiple sclerosis, and the chickenpox vaccine has an increased risk for shingles.

The people of Surrey have long sat by and watched as Stilwell manipulated her position to promote her conservative views to the detriment of the students of Surrey.

The basis of her argument is the fact that it may open the school district up for a lawsuit and suggests that a handful of parents are concerned their children will be used as guinea pigs.

To those parents opposed, might I point out that the HPV program is voluntary and information will be sent home with students so parents can decide whether to participate. The school district may want to include a waiver form to protect itself from the possibility of a lawsuit.

This is not a mandatory inoculation but one of choice. There will be those who oppose it based on personal biases; however, Stilwell should not be preventing something approved by medical professionals. Leave this decision to the parents.

Dan Eldridge