The shootings at Virginia Tech just more than a week ago shocked the entire nation, but sadly, buried in the news that day was a report that could affect many more people. Since 1998, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. has been conducting a study for the U.S Department of Health and Human Services on the effects of abstinence education in schools. The results are shocking.

Abstinence education has no real effect on students’ sexual habits, according to the study. Students were only 1 percent more likely to remain abstinent 12 months after taking abstinence-only classes, and they were just as likely to have a baby. Abstinence-only classes also were found to have no effect on the age when students would start having sex.

State and federal governments pay about $87.5 million per year to fund abstinence classes, according to the study. That means the classes have cost tax payers $787.5 million since 1998. It is not worth almost $800 million to keep one more percent of kids from having sex.

There are schools that are literally falling down in this state, and the money spent on abstinence-education would have been much better spent to try to help students get a better all-around education.

The study shows that kids are going to have sex regardless of what they are taught. These classes are a complete waste of the students’ time and of tax money. If kids are going to have sex anyway, wouldn’t we be better off providing education on how to have safe sex? Abstinence education is like ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room. Eventually these kids will have sex, and they should be armed with the knowledge to be as safe as possible.

These programs are not especially liberal or conservative. The program funding abstinence education classes was implemented under the Clinton administration — that’s a little ironic isn’t it? But President Bush has supported the programs, too. According the Guardian newspaper, Bush said, “Abstinence hasn’t been given a very good chance, but it’s worked when it’s tried. That’s for certain.” According to this study, President Bush is plainly wrong.

Kids aren’t taught more about protection because sex has always been a taboo in this country. CBS News reported in 2004 that pornography is a $10 billion a year industry, but most people will deny they have ever seen pornography. We’re hurting the nation’s young people by not admitting that there are alternatives to abstinence.

It’s necessary to teach kids about their reproductive health, but it would be nice if we had a program that actually worked. Wasting nearly $800 million on an ineffective program is absurd, but I have an idea that would use this money in a better way.

A study by the Census Bureau in 2004 shows that as income increases, women are less likely to have children. By spending more of the $87.5 million on general education, we could increase incomes. Instead of having a completely ineffective program that teaches kids not to have sex, America would have more college graduates and fewer children.

Don’t believe me? You can search “Impacts of Abstinence Education Report” on Google, and the full report will be the first link.