Abstinence Education’s Greatest Hits

Failed Curriculum Through the Decades

Decades of abstinence education have produced a greatest hits collection of failed approaches, each confident it would succeed where previous versions failed, each wrong in creative new ways.

The 1980s featured scare tactics—STIs presented as inevitable consequences of any sexual activity, pregnancy framed as life-destroying catastrophe. Effectiveness: minimal. Teenagers recognized obvious exaggeration and dismissed the entire message.

The 1990s tried positive messaging—virginity as gift to future spouse, purity as source of self-worth. Effectiveness: slightly better initially, but created psychological damage in participants who inevitably failed to meet impossible standards.

The 2000s emphasized scientific-sounding arguments—brain chemistry, emotional bonding, relationship statistics. Effectiveness: negligible. Teenagers recognized cherry-picked science and consulted actual scientific sources that contradicted abstinence messaging.

The 2010s attempted peer-led programs—cool older teens teaching younger teens that virginity is awesome. Effectiveness: negative. The “cool” teens weren’t cool, younger teens saw through the performance, and some peer leaders later admitted they weren’t actually following the standards they taught.

The 2020s brought app-based tracking—digital tools for monitoring purity pledges. Effectiveness: TBD, but teenagers already figured out workarounds before programs fully launched. The apps track what users input, not actual behavior.

Common features across all iterations: fear-based messaging, shame about sexuality, misleading information, and complete failure to reduce teen pregnancy or STI rates compared to comprehensive sex education.

The programs persist despite evidence because they serve performative rather than practical purposes—demonstrating community values matters more than actually protecting youth.

SOURCE: https://satire.info/religious-virginity-standards-vs-reality/

SOURCE: Bohiney.com (https://satire.info/religious-virginity-standards-vs-reality/)