Drum: Some kids like sex

I'm writing in response to Nick Piersimoni's Sept. 16 ("Bush promotes abstinence") letter about pro-lifers' sexual policy, and his contention that "abstinence's failure rate is zero percent."

It is true that many abstinence programs have produced young people with a substantially lower rate of pregnancy or STDs than their peers. What proponents of abstinence ignore, however, is that these success stories almost invariably come from voluntary programs in high schools or "abstinence pledges" on university campuses. So basically, all they have proven is that yes, students who are already inclined to be abstinent are, in fact, having less sex than those who choose not to do so.

Also, many students in these programs - the ones that are conveniently ignored by Heritage Foundation studies and other abstinence-friendly statistics - do one of two things: a) drop out, or b) engage in oral sex and/or anal sex because, astonishingly, a lot of these kids rather enjoy gettin' busy. Advocating a world without contraceptives exposes these kids - the majority - to serious risks that can change their lives forever, not to mention the life of the unwanted, unprevented child that comes along when they can't get parental permission for a safe abortion.

The fact is, 70 percent of American kids will have sex before they turn 18.

Let's stop over-protecting our kids to their own detriment. Give them the facts, give them a chance to act responsibly on their own, and give them some protection as they head out into the bedrooms and back seats of American adulthood.