English Composition 1

        Abstinence-only programs also promote a distorted and biased view of sexuality. To receive funding, schools must follow the rules in the law for teaching abstinence-only programs. One of the rules is that students must be taught that the "expected standard of sexual activity" is a "monogamous relationship in the context of marriage" ("Impacts"). An estimated 88 to 99 percent of Americans have sex outside of marriage ("Many Who Pledge"), yet students must be taught that having sex only within marriage is "the expected standard." The rules also require that students be taught that having sex outside of marriage "is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects" ("Impacts"). Approximately nine out of ten Americans have sexual relations outside of marriage. Do most of them suffer "harmful psychological and physical effects," as the government has determined that students must be taught? The law presents a distorted view of sexuality, along with a biased view. In 2006, the government updated the funding guidelines to state that, in abstinence-only programs, marriage is defined as a legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife, "which advocates worry will further alienate gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adolescents and shape an education program that dismisses the sexual health concerns of those teens" ("New Abstinence-Only Guidelines"). All students should benefit from sex education programs. Student Hunter Kincaid suggests how abstinence-only programs discriminate against gays and lesbians: "'As a gay student, I thought [the abstinence-only class] was ridiculous,' he says. 'Abstinence until marriage for people who can’t even get married'" (Kelly). A sex-education program should help all students make good decisions about sexual activity. It should not promote an unrealistic standard of behavior, should not promote a particular definition of marriage, and should not discriminate against some students.