Bush has dumped millions of dollars into Abstinence only sex education programs with no real proof of the "so-called" results of lower teen pregnancy rates or STD's in teens. I personally believe that abstinence should be taught...however, kids at that age are very independent and want to show it...so, why is it so wrong to give them all of the facts about why abstinence is right, but this is how you protect yourself and be responsible if you decide to have sex. What are some other peoples opinions on this?
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I believe that knowledge is always better than ignorance. Sex ed should start with abstinence, but not end there. The goal should be a decrease in teen mothers and STD's.
Some folks seem to feel that if we don't tell our young about sex, they will not figure it out. I guess rabbits get sex ed early on but abstinence must not be tought.
At some point we have to trust the voters.
"Just say NO!" doesn't work about drugs, nor abstinence.
To me, many of the same people that are against abortion - well, let me rephrase that, I'm against abortion, but I don't think it should be illegal - are opposed to sex education. I feel denial of a problem doesn't help to address the problem. I think sex education should also talk about abortion - that it is NOT a good thing, but let's face it, there are over 6 billion people in the world, and they weren't all planned.
There IS sex education, of the wrong kind - advertising, news, the internet - it needs to be presented factually in school, with the pitfalls of unprotected sex - disease, pregnancy.
US Marine vet Vietnam 4/68 - 8/69
As one of the younger members of this new movement to a better government, I remember when I was in the 8th grade at a Connecticut public school and I was taught everything and I was given all of the percentages of efficency of condoms, vaginal rings, vasectomies, and of course abstinence. Of course, our teacher stressed the importance of abstinence until marriage, but that all people have urges and there for, she taught us about everything and gave us the percentages of all the methods of birth control and without using birth control. In addition, we were taught about the main STD's and there effects on the human body. Why has Bush decided to take this out of the cirriculum because it was very effective for me about 8 years ago.
No one is "taught" abstinence ("Really? You mean I don't HAVE to have sex with everyone I date?"). They're simply told not to follow their instincts. I don't know about you, but when I was a teenager, "don't do it" all by its lonesome was never an effective teaching strategy.
Teenagers aren't stupid but they are absolutely brimming with hormones. If you tell them not to have sex they'll have sex anyway--the statistics prove this. If you tell them how to use a condom (as in, "Trust me, you don't want it to slip off or break!"), however, they tend to listen and follow directions.
We must remember that the point of sex education isn't to get kids to stop having sex (as much as people would love to believe that). It is to get kids to stop spreading diseases and giving birth as teenagers. Reality trumps altruism.
-Riskable
"If you elect leaders that act irresponsibly toward nature you'll find that irresponsibility is the nature of our leaders."
The fact is, teaching kids how to have safe sex works. It is the approach I took with my teenage sons. The first time I let my oldest boy go away with friends, (16) I gave him a talking to, told him that sex was a big step and I thought he was too young, but, if he decided he was going to have it, (I handed him condoms and went through the directions, did not show) then do it the smart way. He did not have sex that weekend. In fact, before he and his long time girlfriend had sex, he talked to me first.
Betty
Betty327@ptd.net
I think sex-ed as it is is not good enough. In my state all they really go over is organs and disease and abstinence, but not enough.
During a sex-ed movie my friend turned to me and said as my eyes were glazed over in boredom: "Gee, didnt we learn how STDs spread last week in biology?"
My response: "Yea, but they think if they give it to us twice within a month it will actually stick."
The problem is there is no fear, you want teenagers to obey, you make them fear what ever it is you are trying to talk about. Fear has been proven to keep a society in check more than simple: "Dont do that, bad things can happen."
So what im trying to say is that if you want the teens to pay attention to the sex-ed videos and classes than you need to make them fear the diseases and viruses that can spread from it.
AKA: Concerned student
Again Micky, teaching them that sex is a scary thing will not help, it will only give them hang ups about sex later in life. Give them the facts, show them what can happen, make sure they know they have a choice, teach them alternatives, let them know that sex is more then an act, there are emotions involved, this is the way to make a differences. It's the way I approached sex education with my sons,two nephews and a niece since I helped to raise them. It works, not a one had a child in there teens and each one of them came to me before they decided to have sex. All have happy marriages and children today, except my youngest son who has learning disabilities and still struggles with life in this society, it is something he will live with for the rest of his life. The system is stacked against him as it is many.
You probably think the homeless are just worthless people when in fact, many, about 80% of them have mental illness. These illness can be treated if we as a society cared enough to give them the treatment then need. However the bottom line gets in the way and we closed most mental health facilities in the 1980's.
Betty McLeod
PA 06
Betty327@ptd.net
Im not saying that teens should fear sex, im saying that they should fear the diseases that they can spread from not practicing safe sex or abstaining.
I believe that the homeless should be given more facilities and i do believe that probably a large portion of americans are basicly living on their last paycheck as if it were there last.
AKA: Concerned student
Sorry, I must have taken you post wrong. You are right about being scared of the diseases that are spread through sex and should be taught and shown. Let them see someone who is dieing from aids, it will make them think twice.
You remark about paychecks. Maybe I am not understanding what you are saying. I think you are saying that people are spending money for unnecessary items. If that is the case, then I must say that I disagree. There are some who do spend like crazy but for the most part people cannot live on what they are payed and live from paycheck to paycheck. They don't make enough to save and often must choose between, say eating or heating their home, or buying medicine or paying the electric bill, etc.
If you are a single person and making $8 an hour and work 40 hours a week you are making $320.00 a week before taxes. Minus 20% for taxes and that leaves $255 a week. OK, now you have about $1020.00 a month.
Sounds like a lot don't it. Well, let's see, your rent is say $500 dollars a month, utilities are $200, and transportation is $240,(this is not unreasonable even if you take public transportation), now you have $80 a month to eat and you pray you don't get sick or need medication. You are probably living on the cheapest food you can find and eat, if your lucky, 1 to 2 times a day although that may be impossible because I don't know anywhere you can eat on $20 a week. Not sure how your going to buy clothes. And remember, this is a single person. They make too much to get help. This is the reason why so many collect welfare instead of working. It's not that their unwilling to work, they just can't find a job that pays much.
The low wages are affecting college grads as well, they may get, if their lucky, a job making $12 an hour but they are so far in debt that there no better off then someone making $8 a hour who has no educational debt.
Betty McLeod
PA 06
Betty327@ptd.net
What i mean to say regarding the homeless is that many people are one paycheck away from being homeless.
I believe that in the end of things, schools should provide plenty of information on sex and the possible diseases that could be spread through it. I think they should stear kids away from having sex at a younger age, but still remember that kids make their own choices regardless of the influence parents and teachers try to have on them. And if something is forced on a child, in most cases they will probably repel it. However, whatever the sex education corriculum is in a school, it needs to be covered. In my school, there was maybe about ten minutes of sex education in my 8th grade health class. The rest of the year was spent on improving communication skills. As a freshman this past schoolyear, four girls in my class got pregnant. Whats most disturbing about this is that I live in a suburb. This wouldn't have happened if we had any sex education what so ever.
Abstinence would be an idea of forced opinion on the minds of our students. It's teaching Christian-based morals and supposed "logic" into what should be purely biological. Though we do have laws, there isn't much we can do about two minors having sex with each other. So the "moral" aspect behind abstinence is the only reason people wish it to be taught in schools-- because it's very approach is NOT the safest.
If you tell a kid NOT to do something, they're going to want to do it. Especially if you don't tell them why. Most abstinence-based teachings involve, "you will get pregnant and die," or something unreasonable to that respect, that threatens the child but does not explain why or how, necessarily. The abstinence approach often ignores birth control methods, which puts children at more risk. We tell them NOT to have sex, so they go have sex, WITHOUT PROTECTION, causing more teen pregnancies and the spread of STDS.
Sex-ed should not encourage students to have sex, but it should not necessarily discourage them, either. Most of the adults here know-- most of you probably lost your virginity earlier than you should have-- and was it because no one told you not to? NO! Everyone was telling you not to. Having sex isn't a matter of what everyone else is telling you to do. It's a personal choice someone makes and they believe it is their choice alone. So rather than telling them something that they won't listen to, we should further educate them in the use of birth control products and sex-safety.
Kids are going to have sex no matter how much we tell them not to-- there will ALWAYS be kids making that choice. The ages are getting younger and younger, so we need to do something to protect them, rather than just telling them not to do it-- assuming that there will always be those who will (you must remember for the bright crayons in the box there are also those who are not so bright). Therefore, it should be priority to teach our students in sex-ed of the safety precautions they should take, and of course, it should promote abstinence as well, but that SHOULD NOT be the POINT of sex-ed.
The point of sex-ed is sexual awareness, not sexual morals, though they may be included. Sex-ed must provide our children with the tools they need to remain safe, no matter their choice. Pregnancy and disease is never a form of "punishment" or "learning," it will only harm them, so we should try our best to prevent such from occurring.
I, as a high schooler agree that current sex ed is a joke. Most kids take naps in health.
High school students have sex. They will if you teach abstinence, they will no matter what you say, not all- but some.
My suggestion is this:
In both the male and female restrooms sell condoms for 25 cents like they do at the mall and movie theaters.
Have a Planned Parenthood representative or fliers available at the school like they do for the Army.
If they are going to have sex, make safe measures available to them.
If they are going to have sex, make safe measures available to them.
i agree.
I believe the pressures on the young (peer pressures) are very intense these days and
what we choose to view as entertainment opens many varied/new doors to the world;
many doors we may not have seen/experienced first hand.
Smart kid, but there are always those who would rather bury their heads in the sand and pretend what they are doing works.
Betty McLeod
PA 06
Betty327@ptd.net
SEX ED should be taught in schools starting in the 6th grade (around the time puberty starts), High Schools most of all. Why, well shouldn't they should know as much as possibly since it is an issue that will be with them untill the die.
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