Three Things About Abstinence-Only Sex Ed You Need to Know Now

John Oliver's brilliant piece did a marvelous job laying out many of the problems in the abstinence-only approach, from its emphasis on shame and ineffectiveness in preventing unplanned pregnancy or STIs to its harmful neglect of the needs of LGBTQ teens.
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Sunday night, John Oliver effectively blew up the internet -- and delighted sexuality education advocates -- by taking on the Kafka-esque absurdity that is America's ongoing love affair with abstinence-only until marriage, or AOUM, sex education (a chaste, no touching below the neck love affair, of course).

Oliver's brilliant piece did a marvelous job laying out many of the problems inherent in the abstinence-only approach, from its emphasis on shame and statistical ineffectiveness in preventing unplanned pregnancy or sexually-transmitted infections (STI) to its harmful neglect of the needs of LGBTQ teens. These are things you need to know. But for the full story, here are three more things about abstinence-only sexual education and how lawmakers are attempting to limit a more comprehensive approach to sex ed.

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