Has US abstinence policy failed?

GarzaUK · 04-26-08, 05:46 AM

Finally, common sense has finally prevailed! I really hope the US government really cuts funding to this nonsense that only makes things worse!!!

Quote:

US lawmakers are investigating whether to cut government funding for health education programmes that promote sexual abstinence until marriage.

The move follows a report earlier this year from America's leading health agency, the Center for Disease Control, which revealed one in four teenage girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

Opponents of abstinence education say the approach ignores the fact that teenagers are sexually active and fails to give them accurate medical information or advice on safer sex.

"We get sex-ed classes in school and that should be where teens get the right information - but that isn't happening," says 15-year-old Mildred, from Arizona, who volunteers as a peer educator with the pro-choice organisation Planned Parenthood.

"They don't touch on subjects like sexuality, STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), birth control - it's not allowed because of abstinence-only education. It leaves you on a cliff-hanger - and a lot of teenagers become sexually active in their middle school years."

"Teens are curious and they want to experiment and if they know what's out there and they have the correct information, they're going to know how to protect themselves and prevent an unwanted pregnancy and an STD," adds Maryland high school student Melissa.

"Putting up a wall and saying 'don't have sex' makes them more curious and wanting to know what it is. But if you tell them the straight facts they're going to know how to protect themselves. It's about taking care of yourself."

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Has US abstinence policy failed?

Arcana XV · 04-26-08, 09:12 AM

Yeah, it's about time they realize how ineffective this abstinence only method is. Not to mention completely unnatural.

Teens are having sex. They have since the beginning Accepting this simple fact of life is the first step. Yes, your teens too!

Our role as adults, parents, educators is to teach them about the responsibility that comes with it.

By being sexually active they run the risk of contracting STD's and/or getting pregnant. Instead of telling them not to have sex, we should be telling them about all the risks involved and how to effectively protect themselves from them.

Sex ed in schools is one way to go about it, but the most important role falls on the parents. We have to talk to our kids about sex and its consequences as early and as openly as possible. Not only about the obvious, like pregnancy and disease, but about the emotional consequences as well.

Of course none of this is any guarantee that some kids won't end up having unprotected sex, but it definitely helps lower the number of kids that will.

aegyptos · 04-26-08, 09:15 AM

Why do two people in Europe care so much what happens with internal matters in the US? Americans spend no time worrying about how Europeans handle these things. What is the reason for this difference?

tecoyah · 04-26-08, 09:43 AM

Well then...as an American, I am thrilled to see the abstinence mindset being recognized as a futile, and misdirected approach to sex. Anyone who honestly thinks this has a basis in reality, simply does not understand human nature....or really needs to get laid.

Arcana XV · 04-26-08, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegyptos

Why do two people in Europe care so much what happens with internal matters in the US? Americans spend no time worrying about how Europeans handle these things. What is the reason for this difference?

We have this really annoying habit of not only keeping informed on what happens in our countries, but also on what happens in the rest of the world as well. I guess we're just odd like that.

aegyptos · 04-26-08, 10:25 AM

Yes, but why do you care? Why is what happens on this topic in a foreign country of importance to you?

Arcana XV · 04-26-08, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegyptos

Yes, but why do you care? Why is what happens on this topic in a foreign country of importance to you?

1. Because I happen to have very close emotional ties with the United States.

And 2. Because I'm extremely curious by nature.

And 3. Why is this so perplexing to you, anyway?

aegyptos · 04-26-08, 11:11 AM

Emotional ties? I have no idea what that means. Can you be a little more specific?

Why do I ask?

I notice this interest on the part of Europeans on a whole range of American topics that have no possible bearing on their lives. Its actually a negative critique. It seems very strange to me that Europeans would care about a minor American domestic subject that can have no possible effect on their existence. I sometimes suspect that this is a device by which Europeans attempt to validate the social choices they have made without reference to any evidence pro or con.

Arcana XV · 04-26-08, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegyptos

Emotional ties? I have no idea what that means. Can you be a little more specific?

Why do I ask?

I notice this interest on the part of Europeans on a whole range of American topics that have no possible bearing on their lives. Its actually a negative critique. It seems very strange to me that Europeans would care about a minor American domestic subject that can have no possible effect on their existence. I sometimes suspect that this is a device by which Europeans attempt to validate the social choices they have made without reference to any evidence pro or con.

Meaning someone I love with all my heart is American.

Maybe you should stop second-guessing people's motives all the time, huh? I may live in Western Europe, but that's just geography and not an indication of anything much when it comes to my political ideologies.

So, are you gonna actually comment on the actual subject of this thread or are you going to keep throwing jabs at the Yurpeans?

mikhail · 04-26-08, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegyptos

Emotional ties? I have no idea what that means. Can you be a little more specific?

Why do I ask?

I notice this interest on the part of Europeans on a whole range of American topics that have no possible bearing on their lives. Its actually a negative critique. It seems very strange to me that Europeans would care about a minor American domestic subject that can have no possible effect on their existence. I sometimes suspect that this is a device by which Europeans attempt to validate the social choices they have made without reference to any evidence pro or con.

You could say the same about famine in africa.People should care about peoples wellbeing even if they are not in their own country.

Its also inaccurate to say it can have no possible effect in other countries the same groups that push absitinance work with groups in europe including funding when its international religious groups.Proving it doesent work in America is evidence to show it wont work in europe.