"Children Having Children" Diablog Discussion

"Children Having Children": Race, Innocence, and Sexuality Education, Jessica Fields examined a community while they come to a decision about what kind of sex education to make available in their public school system. The community was predominantly African American, with higher rates of teen pregnancy than their surrounding counties. The decision makers were split between those advocating abstinence-only and those advocating abstinence-plus education. Two critical issues were addressed by Fields' study: gender and race in the context of sex-ed.
The decision by the board members had very little to do with sexual education; It was more concerned with assumptions made about, and attitudes toward, the "at risk" teens. "At risk" meant, by both sides, to be young African American girls. These girls were going to make dangerous, irresponsible mothers, and were raised by dangerous, irresponsible mothers. The rhetoric on either side differed on whether these girls were "salvageable" or not. Were these girls innocent, disadvantaged children deserving of compassion, or were they villainous, irresponsible sex fiends? Was the sexual education for them, or was it for the impressionable other percent of students who would be swayed and corrupted by these girls? They were never viewed as sexual beings, neither innocent nor guilty, neither in need nor fully capable.
Nowhere in the discussion did fathers or discussion of boys' health and education come up. Men were only discussed in the context of those who corrupt the young girls, whether they be male African American peers, or men that their mothers allow into their lives. Throughout the rhetoric women (mostly Euro-American) made up the majority of the school board committee, and women (African American) were simultaneously seen as the guilty party for the state of the African American girls. The decision to adopt an abstinence-plus curriculum was one based on the disadvantages of race and gender in our society.
1. Why is the curriculum abstinence based? In both options being discussed abstinence was the main idea being taught. Is there another option?
2. The article brought up one example of a child having an opinion about her own education, but she was being used as a pawn. What about asking the "children" what kind of education they want? Why is there an age binary? Adult or child? In reality there is a range and no assumptions made about either an adult or a child apply to the teen category. What does this say about the way we view growing up?