Abstinance Education v. Safe Sex Education

Originally posted by KneverKnight
er, "The State" is not teaching sex per se here, rather advising people how to avoid disease.
It's a public health issue.

What is teaching safe sex, is it telling them how to do it and be
somewhat safe?
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
What is teaching safe sex, is it telling them how to do it and be
somewhat safe?
Kelly

You really think that teenagers have to be taught how to have sex??

Originally posted by mokko
I'm just curious KellyJay, with your position on sex and religion, how do you feel about the government implementing no spanking laws? Do you feel that also infringes on the authority of parents? And what about the law in some places that if your child skips school the parent goes to jail? I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the subject.

I believe in spanking, but like a lot of things I believe in they can
be abused. I don't have an issue with anyone having a drink, it is
relaxing. Yet, saying that does not mean that drinking till one cannot
drive or walk is something I approve of. I do not think the state is
an evil force out to get us, it is simply people we have either elected
or those that have jobs in the government. The lines on what
should be and should not be done by the state and parents can get
blurred sometimes.
Jailing parents for the actions of the kids seems odd to me, throw the
kids in some form of detention since it was them that did the deed.
Kelly

Originally posted by no1marauder
You really think that teenagers have to be taught how to have sex??

They have getting it right for thousands of years, doing it isn't the
issue I have as much as with when, with whom, under what conditions.
Again, I think it is the parents job to attempt to lay a good foundation
for their own kids, not the state's job.
Kelly

Originally posted by ianpickering
Some research evidence - www.choosingthebest.org/research_results/index.html

Not sure it's reliable and is possibly 'biased'.

Some research that suggests the combination of teaching 'abstinance' and contraceptive use is much more effective - www.aclu.org/ReproductiveRights/ReproductiveRights.cfm?ID=17029&c=147

I am a British teacher who te ...[text shortened]... seven births per 1000 teenagers.

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/324/7350/1354

Do we know what year the governments started taking it upon
themselves to teach our kids about sex? I wonder if there was
a rise in STD and teenage pregnacies since then?
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
They have getting it right for thousands of years, doing it isn't the
issue I have as much as with when, with whom, under what conditions.
Again, I think it is the parents job to attempt to lay a good foundation
for their own kids, not the state's job.
Kelly

You think that the State is teaching teenagers "when, with whom, under what conditions" to have sex by simply giving them information how to avoid STD's? That's pretty ridiculous.

Originally posted by no1marauder
You think that the State is teaching teenagers "when, with whom, under what conditions" to have sex by simply giving them information how to avoid STD's? That's pretty ridiculous.

As I have said before like religion, sex should be taught to kids at
home. You think that prayer leads to taking a stance, in my opinion
so does telling kids about doing sex correctly to be safe. We both
agree the kids require this information to be well informed, and my
view is that it should be given by parents in the settings they see
fit to give it in.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
As I have said before like religion, sex should be taught to kids at
home. You think that prayer leads to taking a stance, in my opinion
so does telling kids about doing sex correctly to be safe. We both
agree the kids require this information to be well informed, and my
view is that it should be given by parents in the settings they see
fit to give it in.
Kelly

And if certain parents are unable or unwilling to give their kids factual information which would reduce the kids' chances of getting a fatal disease, that's the kid's problem. Thanks for clearing that up.

Originally posted by socialist1917
A couple of months ago, I went through this abstinance program at my high school. I signed an abstinance pledge (not because I wanted to, but because I would never hear the end of it if I didn't). I do realize that the only safe way not to transmit STDs is abstinance, but preaching about the evils of condom use isn't helping anything. The fact is, ...[text shortened]... nse. Why is the method above not taught? I go to school to learn about facts, not about myths.

I think there is a religious component to what is behind True Love Waits and other abstinence programs. There was a recent study by The National Institute for Health (NIH) and what they found was that teenagers who participated in one of these abstinence programs were more likely to delay sexual activity, but were also more likely to contract STD's.

I courious for those who have attended these programs if there was any mention of masturbation. What news coverage I have seen of these programs is that they have very attractive young women telling about the virtues of this lifetyle. I would like to attend one of these and just pointedly, but politely ask the people leading it what it was like for them when they were teenagers. What did they do with their sexual frustrations?

Some of the highest divorce rates are among evangelical Christians who abstain from sex prior to marriage, but feel rushed to get married because it is better "to marry than to burn." Are these statistics ever talked about at these seminars?

Originally posted by KellyJay
As I have said before like religion, sex should be taught to kids at
home. You think that prayer leads to taking a stance, in my opinion
so does telling kids about doing sex correctly to be safe. We both
agree the kids require this information to be well informed, and my
view is that it should be given by parents in the settings they see
fit to give it in.
Kelly

Once again, teaching kids how to avoid disease is a health issue. Kids should be aware of ways to avoid any and all disease, STDs included.
Why some people insist on clouding the issue with false concerns of morality is beyond me.

Originally posted by KneverKnight
Once again, teaching kids how to avoid disease is a health issue. Kids should be aware of ways to avoid any and all disease, STDs included.
Why some people insist on clouding the issue with false concerns of morality is beyond me.

I'm sorry, where have I said that I didn't want to avoid disease?
I never said that, I said the source for the information should be
the families, not that the information should be denied. If you
think people's concerns are false, then I hope you don't work for
the state.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
I'm sorry, where have I said that I didn't want to avoid disease?
I never said that, I said the source for the information should be
the families, not that the information should be denied. If you
think people's concerns are false, then I hope you don't work for
the state.
Kelly

Sorry, but I disagree. The public schools are there for the education of the public's children and this includes information about health I, for one, want my kids fully informed.
Morality has nothing to do with it.

EDIT: Especially someone else's morality getting in the way of information that is potentially life-saving. I'm glad you don't run the schools KJ

Originally posted by KneverKnight
Sorry, but I disagree. The public schools are there for the education of the public's children and this includes information about health I, for one, want my kids fully informed.
Morality has nothing to do with it.

But the schools are leaving out the emotional aspects of "health" I don't mind the teaching of sex education when combined with parental guidence. I am opposed to the methods used in the schools often leaving the impression that sex is a mechanical function and not an emotional investment. Morality has everything to do with it. There's more to sex education than teaching our kids the technical terms of body parts and the various diseases that can be aquired from unprotected sex. There is an epidemic now of young teenagers viewing oral sex as a completely approriate outlet which enables you to keep your virginity and avoid pregnancy and disease. And it's young girls who are being pressured and manipulated into performing these acts. Young boys are walking away with the knowlege to convince young girls this is healthy, normal and acceptable. The girls are left feeling used, confused and sexually indifferent. The current system is seriously flawed and parents need to take a greater role in the setting the standard and quality of what is being taught.

Originally posted by KellyJay
I believe in spanking, but like a lot of things I believe in they can
be abused. I don't have an issue with anyone having a drink, it is
relaxing. Yet, saying that does not mean that drinking till one cannot
drive or walk is something I approve of. I do not think the state is
an evil force out to get us, it is simply people we have either elected
or t ...[text shortened]... d to me, throw the
kids in some form of detention since it was them that did the deed.
Kelly

Thanks, I was just wondering as I too feel government has oversteped alot of parental/family boundaries. They teach children here in the schools that if your parents dicipline you to call a kids hotline and report it as abuse. I feel this greatly underminds what true child abuse is. As the law states right now you are permitted to spank your child on the bum a total of three times, anything more than that is considered to be out of anger and not disipline. But there is a big outcry to make any form of spanking illegal. I know it's a bit off topic, sorry for the interuption.