'Abstinence only education' clearly doesn't work.

Why do we bother telling kids to stop smoking? We know they are going to smoke. Might as well make it safer and make sure they have access to the best filtered cigarettes.

^Whenever people rail against abstinence sex education, this is what I hear.^

Don't get me wrong - I'm not advocating abstinence-only education. "Don't have sex" doesn't cut the mustard. There should be a good mix of discussion about STD's and birth defects - including graphic pictures. There should be single moms brought in who regret having abortions, and/or got pregnant despite using birth control properly *and* improperly. There should be men brought in who are massively in debt for alimony payments. There should be orphans brought in who were abandoned to child services.

I do not agree that schools should be teaching sexual positions and orientations, nor that they should be allowed to hand out condoms to kids. "Kids are going to do it anyway" simply then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we can reduce smoking in our society with a concerted effort from multiple fronts (family, school, media, culture), we can do the same with casual sex.

a reply to: Teikiatsu

there should be married women brought in with their 8 kids, there should be kids brought in who just can't understand why their mommy chose death over abortion, daddies should be brought in to gripe how taking the time off work to talk to them is going to blow their budgets or that they have to make it quick to they can make it to their second job......

hey if we want to scare the crap out of the kids, why not go all the way?

a reply to: Teikiatsu

Why do we bother telling kids to stop smoking? We know they are going to smoke. Might as well make it safer and make sure they have access to the best filtered cigarettes.

^Whenever people rail against abstinence sex education, this is what I hear.^

This here is based on your assumption that the point of sex education is to promote teens, young adults, to 'have at it' because there are safe methods. That's not the point.

I do not agree that schools should be teaching sexual positions and orientations,

Are you arguing that this is what sex education does? Teaches kids 'sex positions'?? Where on earth did you source this? The point of sex education is to teach kids the dangers of STIs, unwanted pregnancies, and the birth control methods out there (and their rate of effectiveness).

When I was in highschool where we had a sex ed class, we were taught about what STIs were out there, birth control methods, how effective different birth control methods were and facts about unwanted pregnancies (how the 'pull out' method is ineffective, risks etc.). We also had abit of anatomy filled into the mix. We were NEVER taught about 'sex positions'.

"Kids are going to do it anyway" simply then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I'm sorry but it's a fact of reality that kids are going to do it regardless. You can try and protect your kids as much as you want, in the end they will inevitably be exposed to it over time and most will make the decision to do it. You claim it's a 'self fulfilling prophecy, the fact of the matter is, well before sex ed became apart of some schools curriculum teens pregnancies were still happening (in fact at high rates during the 40s, 50s).

It's already been demonstrated in the OP that states where abstinence only education is taught and promoted, the rate of unwanted pregnancies are the highest. So, explain to us how it;s a 'self fulfilling prophecy' again?

If we can reduce smoking in our society with a concerted effort from multiple fronts (family, school, media, culture), we can do the same with casual sex.

By doing what? You're comparing smoking to sex. Apples and oranges. We tell kids not to smoke because of the dangers and long term effects. So what? You want to teach kids not to have sex? Which means abstinence only? Which you just admitted isn't effective.

We're talking about kids and young adults here

a reply to: Southern Guardian

Exactly.

Normal kids should not be having sex until they are old enough to responsibly handle it.

Instead what we have is a society that profits by promoting sex without consequences.

You know what else works for society? People not committing crimes. So lets just tell people not to commit crimes anymore and get rid of our police force and then the issue will go away.

People need to learn self control, that's just how it is.

Some families and communities actually accept and even promote lawlessness.

We tell people to not commit crime, but if we turn around and teach people how not to get caught when committing a crime, I think that would give the impression that committing crimes is inevitable. Some could be left with the idea that, "you cannot control yourself".

"Hey kid's, be sure to wear gloves when you are breaking and entering", don't leave any pesky fingerprints behind.

We all have to learn self control one way or another. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way.


Kids are going to be dishonest, and bully other kids also. So maybe we should teach them how to lessen the consequences of those actions, that we know, they will take anyway.


Sex is great, I highly recommend it, under controlled parameters.

Children having sex, is usually caused by selfishness or a lack of self esteem.

Which is a familial and societal problem.

a reply to: dusty1

Normal kids should not be having sex until they are old enough to responsibly handle it.

But they are doing it anyway. Your belief on what these kids, teens, should not be doing makes absolutely no difference to the fact they're doing it anyway.

People need to learn self control, that's just how it is.

Teens are having sex regardless of whether you agree they should be. That's just the way it is. This is something you can't seem to understand nor comprehend.

What you're talking about, people learning 'self control' is exactly the purpose of abstinence education. It hasn't worked at all. Mississippi is leading the nation for unwanted pregnancies. The ignorance among the youth about birth control is staggering. But you continue to insist on keeping these kids in the dark and continuing on the cycle? More unwanted pregnancies. More mouths to feed, more neglected kids, more abortions.

We tell people to not commit crime, but if we turn around and teach people how not to get caught when committing a crime,

This is again an incorrect assumption that sex ed teaches kids that it's perfectly fine to have sex at a young age. It doesn't, it merely teaches kids the dangers and issues as the result of unprotected sex. Birth control is taught, but not as a way to promote kids doing it. Only to teach them how the risk of unwanted pregnancies, STIs, are minimized.

I get it. You don't like the idea of kids doing it. I think the vast majority of us here would agree. But the fact of the matter is, unwanted pregnancies and abortions rates are still an issue in States, towns, where abstinence or as you call it 'self control' is taught in schools. It's not working. Kids continue to do it. In many cases kids seem ignorant or clueless by the least about birth control and the risk of STIs. It's time to do away with it because it's clearly not making a difference.

Children having sex, is usually caused by selfishness or a lack of self esteem. Which is a familial and societal problem.

That sounds just crazy like a wombat.

Have you ever been in love!

What's love got to do with it?

So let's forbid children from love.

These children have just as many rights as you do. Perhaps you should consider their rights.

P

a reply to: Southern Guardian
Thank you for another reason to hate Mississippi!

a reply to: pheonix358


I think pedophiles are bad people.

Just sayin'.

a reply to: Southern Guardian

I get it. You don't like the idea of kids doing it. I think the vast majority of us here would agree. But the fact of the matter is, unwanted pregnancies and abortions rates are still an issue in States, towns, where abstinence or as you call it 'self control' is taught in schools.

I hear you.

But in 25 years with or without sex ed we are still going to be talking about the same problems.

Western culture bombards kids with hypersexual messages in TV movies and music.

In some segments of the population HIV is on the rise. Some people even have HIV parties and choose to contract it on purpose. I think there has been a lot of education on that topic.

My old man (a very religious man) sat me down when I was 12 years old and explained how it all worked. I was allowed to ask anything I wanted. I also had sex ed class in high school in the '80's.

I'm all for education. These days kid's have the internet, so there is no excuse to not to know what's up.

I believe these problems go deeper when most of these pregnancies are in Latino and Black communities.

Education is a good thing.

But how it is actually perceived and absorbed makes a big difference.

I think you want what is best for people.

I do to.

But as I get older, I have realized people are stupid, and they do stupid things, because they are more influenced by the friends they choose, than by what is good for them, and society as a whole.