That's a fair point. What GP said came across a bit wrongly though, almost sounding like a covid denier just for STDs. STDs are a real thing, and they have prof

That's a fair point. What GP said came across a bit wrongly though, almost sounding like a covid denier just for STDs. STDs are a real thing, and they have profoundly negative impacts upon society. As to those teaching practices, they are horrible. Yes, in theory, "in the lab", abstinence does prevent STDs. But this doesn't work in real life. It can't ever inform the STD avoidance strategy taught to pupils, as enough people will have sex no matter what is taught to them. If they don't know how to reduce STDs when having sex, they will spread them more. The reaction should not be to discard STD avoidance though, but to do it properly. Which is sadly tougher in places in which promiscuous behaviour is shamed, as they usually have less availability for STD testing, buying protections, and people might feel ashamed or even be ostracized to seek out such places.