Beth Richardson

All young people in South Carolina need medically accurate, age-appropriate, abstinence-first sex education.  It is easy to agree that the healthiest sexual choice for teens is to abstain from sexual contact. Most medical experts agree that practicing abstinence keeps teenagers healthy by preventing unintended pregnancies and STIs.  However, most teenagers in the United States are not abstinent, and the typical time of experimentation within a sexual field is puberty, or the teen years.

The largest misperception surrounding sex education in schools is that if we limit sexual health education to an “abstinence-only” curriculum, sexual activity and any corresponding number of unintended teen pregnancies or STIs will drop.  Peer-reviewed, scientifically sound studies, however, have shown just the opposite.  Students who participate in abstinence only-until-marriage programs have the same rates of sexual activity as other teens, and they experiment without the advantage of pregnancy and STI prevention strategies.  

We need to equip our young people with the knowledge they need to make the best sexual choices for themselves.  With a full understanding of all the risks of sexual activity, however, we can better trust teens to make healthy sexual choices for themselves during some very vulnerable years.

Tell Them is proud to introduce Beth Richardson of Columbia, SC. Beth is a former Associate at Nelson, Mullins, Riley & Scarborough, and is currently a member of the South Carolinia Coalition for Healthly Families. Beth is also a mother to 3 children: Jed, James and Raye.

Beth is a terrific advocate for women and children’s reproductive rights. Watch her speak about the importance of frank and open discussions between families and the importance of comprehensive sex education.