Yes, I know that the absolutely only way to guarantee 100% avoidance of an unplanned pregnancy or of catching an STD is not to have sex. But let's face it, people are going to have sex whether others like it or not. It's their choice, their bodies, and hopefully they aren't going into it blindly.
Now, I've been going through much of the state's curriculum for schools over the past few days; there is a lot of sex education in this state starting around the 4th grade and going right up into a highschool health class. But every single one of these classes teach only about abstinence. Of course, the teacher might deviate from the required curriculum here and there, but going by the state approved curriculum - abstinence is the only safe-sex practice allowed to be taught.
Should this be changed? I mean, it's not like a majority of students are practicing abstinence. And what would be wrong with teaching about condoms, birth control pills, diaphrams, etc.?
Ignorance is not the way to protect children. They need to know how to protect themselves and understand the realistic risks and ways to protect themselves. Sex is more than likely going to happen at least once before marriage, and the risk is greatly increased if you don't know what you are doing.
I hate making generalizations about conservatives and liberals, but when it comes to vice it seems like conservatives advocate ignorance and "just say no." They do this with sex and drugs. Instead of advocating responsibility they leave it for children and young adults to grope blindly through. Any information they do give is at best inaccurate. Kids are going to have sex, some of them at least, and being well informed is their best protection.
Res ipsa loquitur.
Memento mori, mahalo.
I agree. Letting kids understand the risks involved, and how to minimize the risks is the best way to go about sex-ed. There should still be some emphasis on abstinence as the only risk free choice... But if kids are going to have sex at least they should be aware.
Simply put. I agree with Dr Gonzo.
Thank you.
Younger and younger boys and girls are beginning to start engaging in sexual intercourse every year. At my high school alone there are 5 pregnant girls in the freshman class (sadly my high school has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the nation averaging about 30 babies a year, we even have on-staff babysitters and a daycare on campus). I think the "abstinence only" route is a definite thing of the past and if anything, we should start teaching student about using birth control devices as young as in Late elementary to Middle School.
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Do what you feel in your heart to be right - for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do, and damned if you don't.
Eleanor Roosevelt
My school is bad too but not they wont offer daycares and stuff they made an alternative school for those students who cant do main stream school. I think that abstinence is rarely going to happen in this day and age, we cant leave students in the dark so that they catch these diseases. A wide variety of sex education should be mandated.
Peace!
Yes, schools should teach about other things than abstinence. Students are going to have sex anyway and if they are going to do it they should know their options. They should, also, teach people how to say "no" to sex. Too many times do young girls (and in some cases, young boys) feel pressured to have sex to fit in or to prove they love someone. They should teach about STDs more often. I, personally, think they should show what STDs look like. I fell that just telling kids about it dilutes the effectiveness of it. However, I am tired of going on to blogs and chat rooms just to see a perpetual wave of, "my girlfriend go pregnant...she's 14", "I'm 16 and I'm pregnant", "How can I tell my parents I'm pregnant? I'm 12, 18, etc." "I think I have an STD." "What does 'STD' mean?" Putting emphasis on abstinence wouldn't be a bad thing as long as they teach other things in sex education.
I heard that one reason why some schools (especially middle schools) teach abstinence only is because parents will complain to the school because their child is learning about things they feel they shouldn’t be learning about until they are 16 years old. 16 is too late to be just learning that “the penis goes in to the vagina”. Heck! By that time, kids would have figured that out by trial and error! There are kids as young as 10 having sex and they don’t even know what a condom is!
I’m all for abstinence, but in the world we live in kids need to know what else goes on.