I was in shock. My 50-year-old high school gym teacher was holding up a banana and putting a condom on it.

As uncomfortable as this demonstration made me at the time, I find myself feeling sorry for the kids who haven't experienced this, and for those who never will.

The day I graduated from high school, I remember thinking: "Thank God I don't have to think about this stuff anymore." But now I'm wondering if some aspects of high school are worth fighting for.

As college students, we have the advantage of hindsight when we think back to the good ol' days of homeroom and lockers. We can see how far we've come, what we've forgotten, and what we wished we would have known.

When I read about President George W. Bush's sex education policy, I think back to health class. And then I think about what I learned in high school that I actually needed in real life. And then I get upset.

In 2005, the Bush administration planned on spending $170 million of Americans' taxes on abstinence-only sex education, which is twice as much as what they spent in 2001. It's a tragic waste of government funds. Why fund ignorance when you could fund education?

Imagine walking into a health classroom and only learning about the dangers of sex, and not learning about pregnancy if you do, God forbid, choose to have sex. Negative consequences are stressed, and disease and pregnancy prevention are ignored. Not glossed over - ignored.

A typical Friday night in Beaver Canyon shows us that we live in a confusing time when it comes to sex: Weekends are dedicated to looking good and hooking up, but the "walk of shame" remains shameful.

Popular culture parades sexual imagery while the president talks about values. Virginity is a valued commodity, but prudish behavior is decried. In such a culture, isn't it important to educate American students about how they can keep themselves safe if they do choose to have sex?

I have even heard abstinence-only education compared to a driver's education course that shows students graphic photos of traffic accidents, but doesn't tell them to stop at red lights or to wear seatbelts.

Seems logical, right?

What's often worse is that the proponents of abstinence-only education use their idea of morality to support their arguments. They want to take their morals, which are often religious, and project them onto American students.

Knowledge is power, and they don't want American high school students to have either.

I suppose that we could justify abstinence-only programs if they worked; if they prevented teenage pregnancies or reduced STD transmission, I'd consider jumping off of my soapbox and averting my eyes.

The facts are that abstinence-only education is no more effective than comprehensive sex education in preventing pregnancy or reducing the spread of diseases. Not only is it no better, the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies concluded young people who receive abstinence-only education in schools won't have the tools to protect themselves in sexual situations.

And, worse than being ineffective, worse than being ideological, abstinence-only education has been proven to be full of lies. A congressional analysis done by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Ca., has found that about 80 percent of abstinence-only curricula contain false or distorted information about reproductive health. This information is not just slightly off -- high school students are being told lies.

And in an ironic twist, the same ideology that opposes sex education opposes abortion, metaphorically leaving sexually active teenagers up a stream without a paddle. Anti-abortion zealots fight sex education programs despite the fact that the best way to avoid abortion is to increase the availability of comprehensive sex education and contraceptives.

We live in a time of rapid technological advancements, and contraceptives and birth control are no exception. There is no reason modern young people should have to endure unwanted pregnancies or deadly diseases.

While it is too late for us to do something about our high school sex education experience, it isn't too late for us to make a difference. From our university, fraternity party, "Girls of Happy Valley" perspective, we can definitely see how important comprehensive sex education is. From our university, classes, library-all-night-long perspective, we have the tools needed to incite change. Before our younger siblings go through high school health, we have a responsibility to show up at a school board meeting or talk to an administrator. This is that important.

With all that stuff I learned in high school that I never really needed to know, you'd think they could teach this one, very important, potentially life-saving lesson.