I consider myself well educated on the topic of sex education. From reading blog after blog of confusion and misunderstandings about the topic, I want to help educate other people. It's obviously not happening in schools or homes, so I might as well do it here.
First of all, I think it's a good idea to break open some myths and find some truth. I think the biggest fear schools and parents have is the most important myth:
1. Talking about sex will make kids want to have sex and/or feel that they have permission to.
You should know better than that. Tell your parents and educators. I think the best thing is to realize that eventually, a person is going to have sex, and it's best to be prepared for the decision with the knowledge to make the right choice for oneself.
2. Everyone's doing it.
This is a myth used by people to coerce someone that may not be ready or to convince oneself that s/he is ready. First of all, it isn't true, and secondly, well, if everyone fell off a bridge, would you? I understand the confusion of peer pressure, especially when it's from people that you really care about. The one thing you need to realize is that you have to put yourself FIRST, what's best for you?
3. Condoms don't work.
Although this is a widely used teaching among the Abstinence-Only sex educators, it is untrue. It is true that condoms are not 100% effective, when used PROPERLY, male latex condoms have a success rate of 98%, but a total rate of 85%. The effectiveness for a female condom is 95% when used properly, but in reality, 79% effective. The discrepancies are in usage. If people aren't taught to use condoms properly, they can only guess.
I will add here that some STDs are not necessarily blocked by proper use of condoms. These would include HPV (the virus that certain strands can causes genital warts or cervical cancer) and genital herpes. It is important that you do have a partner that you are comfortable enough with to ask questions and be willing to get tested.
I think this enough for now, but I will add more about myths throughout this new mission of mine. If you have questions or comments, you can leave them or send me a message.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
This is super important! Good blog.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Completely agreed. Might take a leaf from your book and write a similar series (after, of course, you finish yours, so we aren't giving the same information), I've volunteered for quite a while as a peer counselor, and I'd say questions about sex were the #1 topic.
Yes! This is the kind of stuff that people need to know about! Sex talks are always shied away from, but they really are important.
If a school decides on using abstinence-only sex ed, the teacher will get written up if s/he answers questions about condoms or anything else. The worse that can happen to me is getting banned from this site, but I don't see that happening.
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
I'd be shocked if you even got a slight warning, as this site is about being PROGRESSIVE, and sex education is pretty progressive.
Ah, but abstinence-only sex ed is more sex ed than some schools get.
My son is in High School and one of his friends is pregnant. Her mother caught her with birth control pills and took them away. Guess what? She is pregnant now. We are not telling children it is OK to have sex but educating them on very important aspects that they will wonder or be faced with. I have had to have the talk with my son. I thought it would be really hard for me but I think it was harder on him listening to mom talk about the S word. You are so right about the above myths and only hope that these kids can be more educated before our babies are having babies. Great Post!
I think you should also bring up pregnancy myths, like that you can only get pregnant from vaginal sex (not true), that you can't get pregnant if the guy pulls out (not true),... stuff like that.
I figure I'll have time to do these every day or two. I wanted to start with the absolute basics.
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
To be honest these "Myths" aren't so mythical. Every time I have taken a Sex ed course they tell us these figures.
I had three myths listed- talking about sex makes kids want to do it or feel it's permissible, everybody's doing it, and condoms don't work. I think I explained fairly well why these were myths, using statistics and general information.
-Sonja :)
"Democracy works only when you vote. When you don't take the time to vote for the candidate you find the least offensive, you run the risk of electing the candidate you find the most offensive."
I am looking forward to the rest of this series. I am not a fan of abstinence-only sex education for the reasons you're bringing up. Arizona is an Abstinence-only state and, it might not still be true, but when I did my research paper on this topic, it was number 2 in the nation for teen pregnancies. I'm not too convinced AZ's teaching methods are working out.
good blog. :-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-