Abstinance Only Education And Relation To Teen Pregnancy In Us

[Basilisa Marie]

I actually don't agree with abstinence-only education. By abstinence-only, I'm talking about not saying anything about birth control or anything other than "don't have sex." I was raised in a strong Catholic/Lutheran home and went to public school. I think there are definitely ways in which to have a more comprehensive sex education course and still teach kids proper sexual morality.

My parents (mostly my mom) made sure to have "the talk" with me before we covered the subject in school, and then once we started talking about the biology of human reproduction in school, she took me to lots of good chastity and Catholic ethics talks by people like Jason Evert. When I got older and health class started talking about birth control, my youth minister always made sure that there were chastity and sexual morality speakers brought in at the same time of year. The message in high school sex ed was "These are the different kinds of birth control. This is how they work. This is how effective they are. This is why if you want to be sure you won't get pregnant or an STD, you should practice abstinence." The focus was always that abstinence is the only way you can be actually sure that you won't get a disease or pregnant, but sent that message while informing us about different methods of birth control.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I think teaching high school students facts about different kinds of birth control isn't a bad thing, and can even be an effective argument [i]for [/i]abstinence, especially when coupled with parents who are involved in their kids' lives and make sure their kids get lots of theology of the body at the same time. Sex ed in schools should be one part of how parents teach their kids about sex.

I [i]don't [/i] think that "comprehensive" sex education that glorifies masturbation, promotes birth control in lieu of abstinence and desensitizes kids to the seriousness and sanctity of sex is good at all. That kind of sex education is terrible. But I do think there are ways to teach older kids about the realities of birth control that ultimately point them toward a Catholic understanding of the beauty of theology of the body and the like.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Basilisa Marie

[dominicansoul]

in my highschool, planned parenthood swept in every year to teach contraception only....


abstinence was not in their vocabulary

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1322698919' post='2342932']
Well as soon as it starts working, let us know.
[/quote]

It hasn't achieved its goal no. And maybe comprehensive sex ed has achieved ITS goal, however as much as I hate HPV and klamidya (mean girls nod) I don't think that eliminating those diseases should be done at the expense of the soul. That's the real secular/religious clash I think. While there are good arguments to abstain from sex emotionally and psychologically, and even many physical reasons as well, these arguments don't really make sense without a spiritual dimension.

Relegating the responsibility to state run schools is not the answer either way.

[BigJon16]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1322702518' post='2342954']


have you met a lot of parents lately? some of them i wonder if they even know how babies are made.
[/quote]


What does that have to with the validity of the teaching of abstinence?

[BigJon16]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1322700461' post='2342940']

Guards eh? I think I get it. This is what chaperons are for. You know, those pesky old-people-things that would follow young Victorian women to social events to prevent hanky panky. That would be a great thing to re-introduce to society.
[/quote]


Or just a Dad with a shotgun. Who knows how to use it.

[Basilisa Marie]

[quote name='dominicansoul' timestamp='1322705159' post='2342973']
in my highschool, planned parenthood swept in every year to teach contraception only....


abstinence was not in their vocabulary
[/quote]

Sad. I guess I was lucky to live in the only red district in my state.

[MissScripture]

Even at my Catholic school, we glossed over abstinence and moved on to how to use various contraceptives, all topped off with the epic slide show of various STDs. I think they considered the STD slide show part of the "abstinence" stuff.

[BG45]

[quote name='MissScripture' timestamp='1322706614' post='2342992']
Even at my Catholic school, we glossed over abstinence and moved on to how to use various contraceptives, all topped off with the epic slide show of various STDs. I think they considered the STD slide show part of the "abstinence" stuff.
[/quote]

My public school mentioned abstinence on the first day, then spent the next four of our 1-hour per day meetings on various methods. On the last day we did the STD effects slide show directly before lunch. Few people ate that day...

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1322706314' post='2342983']


Or just a Dad with a shotgun. Who knows how to use it.
[/quote]

I have a friend, we'll call her A., who has like 5 brothers and a dad. When she brought her fiancee home as a surprise, she was so excited to be engaged that she forgot it was gun cleaning night. I love her fiancee C to death, but he apparently turned white as a sheet at the sight of six future in laws with weapons.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1322708138' post='2343024']
I have a friend, we'll call her A., who has like 5 brothers and a dad. When she brought her fiancee home as a surprise, she was so excited to be engaged that she forgot it was gun cleaning night. I love her fiancee C to death, but he apparently turned white as a sheet at the sight of six future in laws with weapons.
[/quote]
I like the sound of gun cleaning night. This concept has been noted and filed for future use.

[BigJon16]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1322708138' post='2343024']

I have a friend, we'll call her A., who has like 5 brothers and a dad. When she brought her fiancee home as a surprise, she was so excited to be engaged that she forgot it was gun cleaning night. I love her fiancee C to death, but he apparently turned white as a sheet at the sight of six future in laws with weapons.
[/quote]


hahahahaha.

[BG45]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1322708452' post='2343032']
I like the sound of gun cleaning night. This concept has been noted and filed for future use.
[/quote]

Especially if you and Katy have daughters?
[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1322708483' post='2343033']
hahahahaha.
[/quote]

I laughed too, right in C's face when he told me.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='BG45' timestamp='1322708559' post='2343034']

Especially if you and Katy have daughters?
[/quote]
Absolutely. Although to be honest, I don't feel like I even need an excuse...

[Jesus_lol]

[quote name='ardillacid' timestamp='1322703468' post='2342962']
So logically all kids should have to go through it because some parents are derelict in their duties.
[/quote]

I dont see why not. I recognize that while some parents could feasibly teach their children math and grammar, many are either incapable or over their head past a certain level, or just wont bother to do it. Except the difference between poorly educated and properly educated in math and sex ed is a little more serious, getting pregnant/STD over improperly calculating the tip.

So, kids are defaulted to a standard of learning.

in both cases i believe you can get around that if you either want to homeschool, or teach your children about sex on your own, im pretty sure that happens(though maybe not everywhere)

so what is the problem?

[quote name='BigJon16' timestamp='1322706240' post='2342981']
What does that have to with the validity of the teaching of abstinence?
[/quote]

that post was in response to a question about whether or not parents or teachers should be teaching the kids about sex, not on abstinence.

Edited December 1, 2011 by Jesus_lol

[ardillacid]

[quote name='Jesus_lol' timestamp='1322716131' post='2343091']

I dont see why not. I recognize that while some parents could feasibly teach their children math and grammar, many are either incapable or over their head past a certain level, or just wont bother to do it. Except the difference between poorly educated and properly educated in math and sex ed is a little more serious, getting pregnant/STD over improperly calculating the tip.

So, kids are defaulted to a standard of learning.

in both cases i believe you can get around that if you either want to homeschool, or teach your children about sex on your own, im pretty sure that happens(though maybe not everywhere)

so what is the problem?

[/quote]

My problem is that when parents don't want their kids to be getting the sex ed that some politicians want them to get then they get punished. Not to mention that the logical conclusion of your 'parents are idiots' post is that the state ultimately decides what's best for kids, and you are going to play by their rules whether you like it or not. Is that really a good idea?

[tinytherese]

Abstinence only education tends to focus on how if you have sex you can get a disease or get pregnant, yet ignores other consequences. The very word abstinence has a negative connotation to it. Students need to be told about the beauty of saving themselves for marriage and the benefits that they can receive by practicing chastity. They also need to be taught more than simply not to have sex- but how to avoid temptation, setting boundaries, how to decide if someone is even worth going on a date with, how to stay strong in their choice, things that they can do on a date that are not sexual, etc.

In order for that to happen, there definitely needs to be a cultural revolution and right now our culture thinks that everyone is having sex and anyone who isn't is just putting it off until later in the relationship yet before the wedding. Those who wait for marriage are usually seen as freaks. People don't think that anyone, let alone teenagers are capable of controlling themselves. Our culture has mistaken notions on what love is and what freedom is (doing whatever I want whenever I want.)

By telling the facts about contraception, meaning how there are health risks of using them and how they are nowhere near as affective as we tend to think they are, I don't see how a teacher, nurse, or doctor could honestly call it comprehensive sex ed unless they just plain didn't beleive that the students were capable of self-control. It would have to turn into chastity education or at least "Well if you do it before marriage you're playing with fire. Don't say we didn't warn you."

Even if the sexual education classes are excellent, they're not enough. Kids walk out of school and what do they see and hear in the media in regards to sex? It sure ain't chastity! Also, the friends and aquiantances that the kids have can have a big impact on them in regards to how they behave. Peer pressure is big and pressure can come from who the kids are dating too. That's where (hopefully) their parents come in.

It's a shame how lots of parents today just assume that schools and churches (if they attend of course) will educate their kids for them and raise them. (By churches I mean that merely dropping them off at CCD, PSR, youth group, or sunday school that their kids will automatically take their faith seriously and know it properly.) Parents are supposed to be the primary educators of their children. Is it hard to do? Definitely, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done. If you want your kids to be chaste, then be chaste yourself. The example of parents and guardians sure as anything matters. So does how they raise the kids. They need to be involved in their lives. Know what kind of music they listen to, the books they read, what they watch on t.v. and in movies, who they spend time with, etc.