I teach “Abstinence Only” and NFP, which are very healthy for individuals and for the broader society. Perhaps you could explain the social costs to the nation due to “Comprehensive Sex Ed” classes and recreational sex. – Sandy Pickert

Dear Sandy, 

Recently I attended a PowerPoint presentation on Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Abstinence in the 21st Century, that was given by the public health officer and medical director of Sedgwick County, KS. It provides good answers to your question.

What have we learned in public health about STDs?

o 65 million Americans live with a STD
o 15 million new STD cases per year
o $17 billion per year in USA in public/private costs
o The Sexual Revolution is over, but not for everybody
o Antibiotic resistance by STD bacteria and viruses is increasing
o Costs for treatment have increased and will continue to increase
o Non-financial costs (death, infertility) will likely increase
o No consensus exists about public health control of STDs


Conflicting views of sexual behavior and public policy exist. One view is that sex should be a process of risk-free recreation, personal growth and discovery. This group holds that adolescents should be able to make sexual behavior and future choices without being limited in any way by disease or unintended pregnancy.

The other view is held by NFP providers, like the American Academy of Fertility Care Providers, the Medical Institute for Sexual Health and Abstinence Only Programs. This view of sex sees it in terms of personal responsibility and character, to be chosen in reciprocal monogamous relationships.

The Catholic sexual ethic calls for total abstinence before marriage, and total fidelity within marriage remaining open to the gift of life.

There are 35 types of STDs today that are widespread throughout the population. We shall focus only on HIV/AIDS in the USA.

o 497,000 persons live with HIV (2005).
o Over 1 Million persons have died in USA since 1980.
o Primarily a disease of high-risk sexual activity.
o Vaccines have been tried – but none have been successful.
o HIV strains rapidly develop resistance to anti-viral medicines.
o Average cost per HIV patient a year is $30,000.
o Tens of billions of dollars have been spent on treatment of AIDS victims in the US.



The solution to AIDS and STDs endorsed by public health policy is “Comprehensive Sex Education” which was first funded in the 1980s. HIV Prevention Programs receive major funding ($817 Million in 2006) and emphasize condoms. They do not endorse limits on the number of sexual partners, or sexual preference. To date, there is no efficacy or effectiveness shown as a result of these programs.

Abstinence Only programs and NFP are different. They offer a solution that creates a reliable, mutually monogamous relationship. They are conceivably 100% effective in preventing HIV/AIDS and STDs. These programs are very inexpensive, but like all community-based projects difficult to evaluate. Early researchers, who tried to evaluate them as brief, isolated, stand-alone interventions without considering the complex forces that shape sexual behavior, concluded they were ineffective. But increasing evidence points to their high level of effectiveness. Community Based Abstinence Programs received only $87 Million in 2007. They build character and strong marriages. NFP can be used to either have or to avoid pregnancy.

In conclusion, the STD problems remain. There are disagreements in public policy over models of sexuality. There are fights over money: CBAE for abstinence only programs ($87M) vs. Comprehensive Sex Ed Courses for HIV prevention ($817M). There are rising Health Care Costs ($2 Trillion direct health care costs, or $6,697 per person in 2005).

All of this indicates that American taxpayers should take a hard look at the sexual health of the country, and how their tax dollars are being spent to prevent the spread of STDs, and most especially the spread of AIDS. At the present time, Congress is uncertain about the future funding of CBAE abstinence only programs.

Cordially yours,

Fr. Matthew Habiger OSB

mhabiger@kansasmonks.org
 

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