Your Political Affiliation

[DallasDonna]

"Teen sex is a problem? I disagree with that. It's no more a problem than teen driving is, or teen dancing, or teens falling in love. Who the fuck are you to decide what birthday makes them old enough to fuck?

Abstinence Only teens who do engage in sex are far more likely to do so without protection. The pregnancy rate soars, as does HIV and other STDs.

Informational programs keep kids safer from STDs, and from unwanted pregnancy.

I've always thought there should be informational programs with a strong message of positive self esteem, understanding abstinence is the safest path, and should be widely respected by others.

(You do know that's a six year old post, right?)

 

[njlauren]

Frankly, I have to admit that I'm mystified as to precisely HOW abstinence-based sex ed programs achieve such effectiveness. When I was a teenager, my likely response to someone suggesting, "just abstain", would have been a puzzled expression that roughly translated as, "You're kidding, right?".
But apparently they say SOMEthing in those classes that has a significant effect on the behavior of significant numbers of teens.

I realize this an old post, but the only effect of abstinence only sex ed, by any legitimate studies not done by a church group, is that it delays the start of sexual activity by about a year and a half, compared to kids who haven't had sex ed or who have comprehensive sex ed. The downside? Kids who do abstinence only are only 40% as likely to use protection as kids who had sex ed, and also who often will do anal sex or oral sex, claiming that is okay because it leaves the partners virgins, since they haven't had vaginal sex.....while it might not lead to pregnancy, it is sex, with all the emotional power that goes with that, and it also can lead to possible STD infections. One of the worse parts about Abstinence only sex ed is they lie to the kids, they teach stupid things like condoms don't protect against STD's at all (which isn't true), they make claims that birth control pills make you sterile, that they can increase your chances of getting sick, they claim that having sex as a teenage will end up the person more likely to end up being sexually promiscuous, it is hellfire and damnation theology packaged as fact.

 

[njlauren]

I've always thought there should be informational programs with a strong message of positive self esteem, understanding abstinence is the safest path, and should be widely respected by others.

(You do know that's a six year old post, right?)

What you are describing is Abstinence plus, that combines comprehensive, fact based sex ed with a message of the very real issues of having sex, the emotional turmoil and in encouraging them to wait until they feel they are ready for it. Abstinence only on the other hand is full of half truths and propoganda to scare kids, and is basically the religious based message of 'sex only in marriage', which given modern society (90% of people are not virgins when they wed), is frankly stupid. I don't have a problem telling kids to wait for the right time, when they are ready, not to be pressured into having it because everyone else does, and find someone you care about to have sex with, make sex both positive and also something that should be special to them and respect someone's decision to have or not have sex. I have no problem with someone choosing to remain a virgin until they are married, I have a problem when others want to force that belief on everyone else, or teach it as if it is gospel truth.

 

[Primalex]

Kids who do abstinence only are only 40% as likely to use protection as kids who had sex ed

"But he told me, he would pull out!"


I think it doesn't matter at all what kind of sex ed you have in school. I think it's rather amusing when people can't make up their mind and decide whether they want to treat kids as responsible little adults or as stupid, hormone-driven projectiles.


If they are responsible little adults, they don't need much more information than "sex makes you pregnant" and they figure out all the rest anyway. If they are stupid, hormone-driven projectiles, it really, really, really doesn't matter what the fuck the teacher is babbling in front of the class.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I've always thought there should be informational programs with a strong message of positive self esteem, understanding abstinence is the safest path, and should be widely respected by others.

(You do know that's a six year old post, right?)

haha no, I missed that!

I can tell you that anyone preaching abstinence to me as a teen would have been tuned right out of my life. I wanted to fuck. I intended to fuck. there was no emotional turmoil, it had very little to do with love, I was all about those pretty, pretty, teenaged boys and their pretty, pretty dicks. We fucked like weasels. Although I knew all about birthcontrol and was on the pill, nobody was talking about safe sex yet, and we spread herpes around like whoah. Luckily this was before HIV, and nothing was actually life threatening.

Abstinence would have been a wasted effort. Better information would have been better.

 

[SquidProQuo]

I voted "I'm a sub and (mostly) politically liberal" but I'm really a moderate left to center with slightly libertarian leanings.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

Someone dug this out of the archives again? Already replied on page 1 or 2.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Someone dug this out of the archives again? Already replied on page 1 or 2.

Some threads are like crab grass-- just can't be killed off for good.

 

[Ahlam]

I read "crab grass" as "grab ass" and got all excited...