Anyone see CNN last night?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The problem with teaching abstinence as a form of sex-ed is that MANY of the supporters want abstinence ONLY. That's not even practical. Kids are gonna have sex. Sure not all of them but they will. And if you refuse to teach them how to do it safely or how to act in a different scenarios, they're going to do dumb stuff. Because they're kids and they're not know for their decision making skills. And while most kids do know how babies happen, they're not so educated on the disease aspects of sex. Many feel that ####### and oral are ok without condoms cause there's no way to get pregnant from that. And that's not even getting into the countless number of 'old wives tales' that many children believe (you can't get pregnant if you've never had a period).

Yeah abstinence-only is pretty terrible. Essentially its trying to educate people through ignorance - the idea being that if they don't know about it, they won't do it.

Essentially - its the dichotomy between those who insist on treating their kids with a degree of respect and those who insist on dumbing down and condescending.

[chri'stina 190]

I won't disagree with you both about that...I think there should be teaching about the reproductive body and how people get pregnant and how not to get pregnant, but that the best way not to get pregnant is abstinence. I have heard of many people on the pill that got pregnant anyway and after using other forms too. So as long as kids know there isn't a 100% guarantee of not getting pregnant unless they abstain...same for married couples and anyone, I think talking about the other stuff is fine. I think some people feel how not to get pregnant is focused on so much that people are shocked when they get pregnant after trying those ways, because they think the protection is fool proof.

eat: I think critical thinking skills classes would be possibly even more important b/c even with the knowledge people don't follow what to do in certain situations.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Parivar CSK

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I won't disagree with you both about that...I think there should be teaching about the reproductive body and how people get pregnant and how not to get pregnant, but that the best way not to get pregnant is abstinence. I have heard of many people on the pill that got pregnant anyway and after using other forms too. So as long as kids know there isn't a 100% guarantee of not getting pregnant unless they abstain...same for married couples and anyone, I think talking about the other stuff is fine. I think some people feel how not to get pregnant is focused on so much that people are shocked when they get pregnant after trying those ways, because they think the protection is fool proof.

Abstinence is certainly a viable option - but it isn't the be-all and end-all of the conversation.

Something that disturbs me is how a certain percentage (30% I think) of the US foreign aid package for HIV/AIDS relief in Africa is dedicated explicitly to abstinence-only programs. Its been noted by an number of groups, including the World Health Organization that this approach has been used to gradually squeeze out comprehensive sex-ed and that this is having a detrimental effect on the pregnancy rate and the incidence of STDs (including HIV/AIDS).

One reason for this (and I'm not sure if this is intentional) is that conventional sex-ed has been villified -in part by missionary workers who have burned safe sex literature (there was a piece on this a few years ago) and via the Catholic Church's position that condoms are not sanctioned by the Catholic Church.

[natty bumppo 297]

I could care less as well however you cannot talk abstinence as the education of choice for teens when your own teen is pregnant, its kinda like "where were you while your teen was sleeping around?" Its kinda hypicritical if you ask me. I mean ppl are going to question what morals she has taught her own kids.

are you inferring the daughter had multiple partners ?

[MichelleN 0]

It also doesn't help that the Catholic Church has now officially added 'birth control' to the list of mortal sins.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It also doesn't help that the Catholic Church has now officially added 'birth control' to the list of mortal sins.

Yeah - their approach does seem to be contributing to one of the biggest tragedies of our times.

The Catholic Church has largely given up on trying to promote its message in the developed world - so now they're targetting Africa - which I believe makes up its biggest growing congregation.

[MichelleN 0]

What I don't understand is....how is it better to allow a child to be conceived and then born into poverty or into an environment where they die before their first birthday? That seems just cruel to me.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

What I don't understand is....how is it better to allow a child to be conceived and then born into poverty or into an environment where they die before their first birthday? That seems just cruel to me.

It is cruel sister Michelle. Cruel indeed. And then you get people talking about the sanctity of life.... but how about it when the child will indeed die a horrible death from starvation before becoming 1 year old, surrounded by flies in his little eyes, a distended and painful belly. Where are their pleas for sanctity of life then I wonder????

[MichelleN 0]

What I don't understand is....how is it better to allow a child to be conceived and then born into poverty or into an environment where they die before their first birthday? That seems just cruel to me.

It is cruel sister Michelle. Cruel indeed. And then you get people talking about the sanctity of life.... but how about it when the child will indeed die a horrible death from starvation before becoming 1 year old, surrounded by flies in his little eyes, a distended and painful belly. Where are their pleas for sanctity of life then I wonder????

Well a lot of the time it seems people are more concerned about a child being conceived/born than about what happens to them after that.

[HAL 9000 96]

What I don't understand is....how is it better to allow a child to be conceived and then born into poverty or into an environment where they die before their first birthday? That seems just cruel to me.

It is cruel sister Michelle. Cruel indeed. And then you get people talking about the sanctity of life.... but how about it when the child will indeed die a horrible death from starvation before becoming 1 year old, surrounded by flies in his little eyes, a distended and painful belly. Where are their pleas for sanctity of life then I wonder????

Perhaps some of them may be too busy supplying arms to those poor kids' countries armies so that the endless cycle of poverty and warfare continue to wreak havoc on so many societies around the globe.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My sister was 17 when she became pregnant with my niece - she was raised in Catholic home but had access to sex education and my mother had discussed birth control, even though it is against her core beliefs. She was an honor student and a star althlete. She became pregnant anyway. This is what happens when you are young and stupid (but think you know everything) and full of horomones. It's called being a teenager. She was offered an abortion (even though my parent's beliefs) but made her choice to carry the child to term and keep the baby.

I honestly can't believe my eyes and ears with some of the bull$hit that has been said and written over the past few days about teenaged pregancy. It's an issue that affects a lot of undecided voters. People to listen to Obama and stop politicizing this girl's pregnancy - she's 17 years old ferchrrisake.

[symbiosis 0]

What I don't understand is....how is it better to allow a child to be conceived and then born into poverty or into an environment where they die before their first birthday? That seems just cruel to me.

It is cruel sister Michelle. Cruel indeed. And then you get people talking about the sanctity of life.... but how about it when the child will indeed die a horrible death from starvation before becoming 1 year old, surrounded by flies in his little eyes, a distended and painful belly. Where are their pleas for sanctity of life then I wonder????

Well a lot of the time it seems people are more concerned about a child being conceived/born than about what happens to them after that.

I call that pro-birth. It's a more accurate description of what most conservatives believe.

[HAL 9000 96]

Besides, its choice, and 17 is nearly an adult. As stated ad nauseam, this is a non-issue. What media outlets are making a big fuss about it?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Besides, its choice, and 17 is nearly an adult. As stated ad nauseam, this is a non-issue. What media outlets are making a big fuss about it?

All of them.

Let's just say I'm having a hard time reading the Daily Kos and Huff Post without my blood pressure going up.

I would also add Andrew Sullivan to the list of people who are making political hay out of this.

Edited September 2, 2008 by rkl57

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Besides, its choice, and 17 is nearly an adult. As stated ad nauseam, this is a non-issue. What media outlets are making a big fuss about it?

Because a contrast between the home circumstances of a politician and the conduct of their family smacks of "do as I say, not as I do". Its an instant headline grabber in other words. Social issues always make headlines - simply because stories about a politicians accomplishments don't sell.