Pam Stenzel on Sex, Love and Relationships

Pam Stenzel has an agenda. Using tactics right out of Scared Straight, she wants to impress upon teens that sex outside of marriage is wrong according to God's law. One can't argue with her about the importance of arming teens with the truth about the possible consequences of premarital sex. Unfortunately, she takes the facts and misrepresents them. With the PDR Family Guide to Women's Health and Prescription Drugs in hand, I found most of her statements regarding women's sexual health disturbingly incomplete. Stenzel: 25% of women who contract chlamydia once will become sterile. PDR: 30% will become sterile if the infection is left untreated. Stenzel: Infants that contract herpes through vaginal birth die within days or weeks. PDR: Blindness, brain damage and death are indeed a threat to newborns. Yet, the chance of passing the infection to the baby is low. Stenzel: Genital warts will likely result in "a radical hysterectomy, cervical cancer and possibly death." PDR: Only a few strains of genital warts have been linked with cancer, and the potential for malignancy is low. Teen pregnancy and STDs are scary enough. Isn't the truth sufficient to drive the point home? When we resort to the distortion of facts, it's no wonder teens don't trust adults. Not recommended. (Also available in a 4-tape, 135 minute unabridged curriculum version with print supplements for $49.95.) Aud: H, P. (V. Elliott)