All About Abstinence
by Sharyll Martin, SRA Director
Unfortunately, many people believe that Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) is superior to abstinence-only programs. While CSE can include abstinence-only information, it also includes information on “safe sex” practices, which is a form of risk reduction, not the risk prevention found in abstinence-only based curriculum like that of the Creating Positive Relationships (CPR) offered by First Choice for Women.
As a Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) program, CPR covers a multitude of topics, including:· Healthy communication with parents and peers
Setting goals and creating a plan to accomplish those goals
How peer pressure impacts decision-making,
The signs and symptoms of STI’s (sexually transmitted infections), and knowing what infections are curable and incurable, and how those infections are transmitted.
How to have a healthy relationship
Just as education regarding alcohol, drugs and tobacco use emphasizes avoiding the risks of those types of behaviors; CPR also educates and recommends avoiding the risky behaviors associated with sexual activity. Even though it is a fact that some teens will use alcohol, drugs and tobacco, there is no real way to engage these activities “safely.”
Assuming all teens will engage in any risky behavior is selling them short. The CPR message is a clear one: in order to avoid the risks associated with sexual activity, waiting for an established long-term relationship, like marriage, is the healthiest choice.
CPR Meets Indiana Academic Standards
Creating Positive Relationships meets state requirements for health and wellness and includes:
Concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health
An influence analysis of family, peers, culture, media, technology and other factors on health behaviors
Instruction on how to access accurate and factual information on products and services to enhance health
How to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks;
Instruction that demonstrates the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health
Instruction that demonstrates the ability to use goal-setting skills to enhance health
What teachers say about CPR
One high school teacher always tells her students that CPR is “the only relationship-based program they are likely to encounter while in school.” She also stated, that it would be great if seniors were required to take the class before graduation, given their increased maturing levels; noting that “it works for every relationship regardless of whether it is a romantic relationship or a platonic one.”
Another teacher stated that, “the instruction and content of CPR are exceedingly important to our students. We truly appreciate all that you do.”
What Students Say
“I have realized some of my mistakes from my past and how I can move forward in my life and how I can make better choices…”
“…I learned that I should wait to be sexually active until marriage. There are more diseases I am at risk of [getting] than I knew about, so that’s a great motivator to wait.”
“I learned that a healthy relationship has to start out with you knowing, trusting, relying and committing first. In any good relationship, communication is a big key part. Waiting until marriage is good.”
“I learned that you can get STD’s or STI’s from other ways [not just through intercourse] but other types of physical contact. And some of them you can never get rid of!”
“I did not know that condoms aren’t 100% effective!”
“I learned about having a positive relationship and the steps I can take to do that. This impacted my life because I have made mistakes and have had bad relationships and now I’m choosing to be a better me and respect myself and not always worry about what others want from me.”
