Ted Strickland, the new Governor of Ohio, has proposed to stop funding abstinence only education. As someone who went through a health class that was abstinence only, I can say that this is a great idea.
Sure, abstinence is an important topic when discussing sex in health classes. On the other side, however, many kids are going to have sex regardless of what their health teacher says. Abstinence programs may help some, but many kids don't even pay attention because they've heard don't have sex before.
Instead of preaching to kids, schools need to listen to Strickland's recommendations and consider teaching the consequences of sex and ways to stay safe. Encouraging abstinence is good, but it can't be the only thing said in health classes.
Some people may be outraged at the idea of actually teaching sex education rather than abstinence, but it is needed. Sex is everywhere in the world today and abstinence education ignores this.
Ohio may lead the U.S. with abstinence only education, but we all need to get our ignorant heads out of the sand and help combat the spread of HIV and STDs with actual education.
To read the article about Ted Strickland and sex education funding in Ohio: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16959043.htm
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Not all kids share the sme religion. Not all kids want to wait to get married to have sex. Kids will have sex out of wedlock. (Even the puritans did it!!!) They should at least knwo how to protect themselves...to teach them anything but would be a great disservice.
Hail The PitGodess!
It is unfortunate that schools, rather than parents, are teaching sex education these days. One objection I'd raise to a lot of the public school sex education classes I've seen is that the instructors often throw in their own brand of libertine morality.
On the other hand, there are parents who won't teach kids about sex either because they are embarrassed or don't want to or are afraid that if kids learn about sex they will run and have sex....
Hail The PitGodess!