Just Saying No to Abstinence Ed

There's nothing wrong with abstinence education...it's perfectly fine for kids to choose to delay their involvement with sexual activity until marriage. It's the "only" part of the equation that doesn't work. Supporting abstinence as the only tool for a "healthy" life is like giving someone a hammer and asking him to build a house without using a saw. We need all the tools in the tool box.

Abstinence is not just a religious platform. Abstinence is protection from unwanted pregnancy, STD's emotional problems and so much more. I work in reproductive health, at a charity clinic, and I am a former Health teacher for high school students. Some students take heed to the cautionary points. Some desire to pursue life time goals and pursuits. Some boys (young men) think ahead about their future spouse and understand that there is no test for HPV for men. Meaning that they could carry this STD into a marriage without knowing it, and this very disease could kill their wife. You might say but now we have gardasil. Yes thankfully we do. But there are over 30 types of genital HPV and only four types are covered in this vaccination. Teen pregnancy is a reality that does crush dreams and it puts life pursuits on hold for many young women, and abortion is not the answer. You can sit in my office and talk to women dealing with guilt or shame about previous abortions. Their pregnancy was never forgotten, and they struggle with their decision to this day. I am an abstinence education supporter. I understand not all teens will listen or heed the message but at least they would have heard the only 100% effective way to avoid STD's and unwanted pregnancy. I would also like to comment on someone's declaration that unmarried sex can't hurt responsible, consenting adults. Sadly you are mistaken. Consenting responsible adults are affected when they engage in risky sexual relationships. Some have long lasting consequences. Even contraception (barrier methods) and birth control do not protect all responsible adults. Sex is risky. Today more than ever before. HPV kills as many women every year as HIV. Sterility due to STD's is a problem for many women. Herpes is being spread rapidly. Many of these STD's are spread when using a condom or barrier method. There are many reasons to tell teens to wait. May I also state that Separation of Church and State is to protect people - so that they can worship as they desire. To use this argument with the abstinence message is a cop out. Abstinence is not just a religious issue - it is however a moral issue and a health issue. Since when does our government not allow us to teach healthy lifestyles? Isn't that why we have a Department of Public Health and Human Services. The FDA is there to help regulate medicine to protect our health. Abstinence education is promoting a healthy lifestyle. Encouraging teens to wait is sending a health message. I taught abstinence in my classroom as a teacher. It was not a religious platform but rather an encouragement for teens to think about health goals and how decisions we make can affect our life long health. Federal funds should be allotted for abstinence education under Health agencies that will share with teens how their health can be affected. If we desire as a nation to promote healthy lifestyles we will be remiss if we leave out abstinence.

I am currently a young woman in her sophomore year of college and am still a virgin. Although I sometimes get awkward looks from people who find this out upon meeting me, especially fellow students at my university, I happily remind them that there are many reasons being abstinent is a good decision. Besides sex going against my Christian religion, that facts are far and wide: over 50% divorice rate (that could possibly be due to not only pre-marital sex but living together before marriage), the high rates of STDs, and unplanned pregnancy. Of course the reason that abstinence education is not going to "get the job done" is directly related to the media's portrayal of sexuality that seems to be geared more and more towards young Americans. Television shows and movies such as "Grey's Antatomy", "Sex and the City" and "Juno" seem to make sex just a casual thing. If the nation is so concerned with educationg the youth about sex they should display consequences rather than pleasure as a result of sexual intercourse through media. I think that the former Miss Texas, April Ford was very correct in her observation of mainstream culture when she said that "You're going up against a lot of pop culture telling you sex is soemthing you can throw away."

There is no way in hell I would ever consider marrying a virgin. First of all, I always try on a pair of shoes before I buy them. Secondly, sexual compatability is very important for a successful marriage. I truly believe that couples should know each other inside and out before pulling the trigger on marriage. Finding out after the fact that there are sexual preference differances would seriously be detrimental to a happy marriage. Additionally, after finally having sex, and discovering it's pleasures, there would always be that curiosity of what sex would have been like with other partners which I think could lead to infidelity. Waiting for marriage is a bad idea. Being educated about sex, and disease prevention is the key.

What gets me about western culture how sex is so frowned upon, yet violence is glorified. Any given Sunday a fight might break out during an NFL Football game, and it's showed over and over again in slow motion, and people eat it up. Flash a nipple pasty during the superbowl and the world is coming to an end.

With the exception of conservative Christians and other similar groups, in the past three decades our culture has promoted sex like never before. Don't worry about evidence for this because it is literally everywhere, we are awash in sexual exploitation, pornography and media that swiftly has turned south.
This is why the age of matrimony has steadily climbed. Premarital sex has been normalized, so why get married? If the tools of the culture are in support of abstinennce, then it will become the norm and we will see a reduction and realignment in the activity of children.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6927733.stm
An article from the BBC detailing an extensive Oxford University study showing that Abstinence Ed. is complete and utter nonsense. It is utterly contemptible that we have permitted in this country something that is nothing more than Fundamentalist "Christian" propaganda funded by the state.

Look, those of you who don't want anything more than abstinence only, that's great. However, the rest of us live in the real world, and we'd prefer not to have teenagers getting pregnant because you pushed your religious beliefs on us.

As far as abstinence only working? Two words: Bristol Palin.

The government South Africa has pretended that HIV does not exist, and has refused to test it's people for the virus. Independent health organizations who do test people in S. Africa estimate that at least 25% of the population is infected. Thousands of people in S. Africa die from AIDS every month. Yet the official policy of the government is that HIV does not exist. Obviously, there people are operating in an intentional fantasy world.

Young teenagers are having sex in communities all across America. Rich or poor, black or white, from good homes and broken homes, teens are experimenting with sex. For us to close our eyes to that fact is idiotic. And to think that telling some kid about the virtues of abstinence will stop them from consumating when their hormones are raging is beyond naive.

As a doctor, I stopped being shocked when 13 year old girls came in pregnant. It happens all too often. And it happens because the children are ignorant about their bodies and hungry for love. Maybe the schools can't provide love, but they certainly exist to provide knowledge. Not teaching about birth control and STDs is sticking our head in the sand, like the government of S. Africa. Yes, we should teach abstinence too, and teach it for what it is: not some religious edict, but a way of establishing emotional ties with a partner before moving into intimacy. These kids want love, we need to talk to them about how to really find it. If we don't, we are failing them as parents and teachers.

Were any teenage boys pictured in the billboards? Probably not. As the mother of both daughters and sons I am always stunned by the cavalier attitudes of parents of just boys. Their son's girlfriend "got pregnant" as if by magic, or "my son is a good kid but she's a bad girl." We need to teach our sons about birth control, self control, and respect. Abstinance ALWAYS puts the burden on the girl. Sex and contraceptive education in schools and at home are the only way to reduce STDs and unwanted prgnancy.

I'm amazed at how many people are so quick to yell that absitnence doesn't work...just because they don't know very many people who weren't having sex as kids. People--broaden your horizons. Social science research shows us that people with things in common tend to stick together. If you were having sex as a teenager, it makes sense that you would be more familiar with other kids who were as well.

I practiced abstinence before marriage. I wasn't forced, wasn't made to feel guilty...I was well educated and made a decision for my life. I am now a graduate student, happily married, and headed towards a career. I personally know hundreds (yes, hundreds) of people who have done and are doing the same. We are well educated people with bright futures....college graduates....engineers, social workers, counselors, businesspeople, educators, doctors, scientists, journalists, politicians....the list goes on. We all abstained. And we are all reaping the benefits of less emotional baggage than most of our peers.

Just because sex sells doesn't mean we have to buy into it. Teens have the right to know what they're getting into...physiologically and emotionally...when they choose to have sex at a young age.

Abstinence (outside the realm of religious or moral dogma) is a choice. You can offer the choice, but it is up to the young person to take it. Sex is NORMAL. Sexual desires are NORMAL. It's how youth deals with it that is the issue. Given western culture is so hung up on sex (let's face it, it's everywhere...just watch TV), abstinence faces a losing battle.