Teach sex safety in school, go to jail.

[Lucavi]

I thought it was the catholics and baptists. Damn.

[Pirian]

Can anyone give me an example where abstinence teachings have actually worked?

[Flatliner]

War and slavery are bad, ban history from schools!

[Gulkeeva]

Humanity going for a new low

[Lucavi]

Well, not really going for a new low - humanity has hit this low countless times, they just keep wanting to wallow in the pile of mud that's conveniently at their feet.

[Jaybar]

Can anyone give me an example where abstinence teachings have actually worked?

Probably not on a large scale. I think the only reason abstinence rhetoric is still running around is because it's the only means to prevent everything that is a consequence of a sexual encounter. There is no perfect protection, but damn we are close to it.

[Pirian]

Probably not on a large scale. I think the only reason abstinence rhetoric is still running around is because it's the only means to prevent everything that is a consequence of a sexual encounter. There is no perfect protection, but damn we are close to it.

Sorry, I didn't mean just sexual abstinence -- I meant abstinence in general. Has forced abstinence of anything worked?

[Lucavi]

Forced abstinence works if you can literally force someone not to do something. I can force you to abstain from sex if I'm physically secluding you from everyone else.

Forced abstinence simply by rule of mouth or fear has decidedly less results. Sure some people can be scared (by religion, false information, or simply of the fear of having a kid early) into abstinence, but the best result IMO is simply to get out all the gory details of what sex is, involves, and can lead to, and have the kid decide for himself.

I abstained for a few years simply because my dad gave me the talk: told me simply that if I got a girl pregnant while I was still in high school, I'd essentially be cut off from any college fund and kicked out of the house, and would have to work to pay rent. "If you want to have sex like a man, be prepared to live on your own like one," he said. As to whether he was joking or not, it didn't matter - his logic made perfect sense to me.

Not every person will make the same decisions, but informing people and allowing them to pass or fail on their own terms is as much a part of freedom as everything else "true Americans" spout off about at tea party and religious meetings.

[Ivve]

I just don't get it. Do they really think that kids are making the decision to have sex because they were informed in their health class that condoms can reduce the risk of STDs and pregnancy? Do they think that their disapproval is enough to keep kids from having sex?

[Blubbartron]

The locals hold the law. its not retarded.
It's aligned with the regions culture too. that what makes Wisconsin unique; the purpose is to enhance the trade ties, the economy in general and also focus on tourism. at the same time, sustain the culture of the region. the idea is beautiful in my opinion; by no means we have invited liberals, progressive to our state to help us change our culture, its all business.

I c wut u did thar. So, how many wives do you have Correction?

[archibaldcrane]

I just think the argument is funny that making teachers teach things that reduce teen pregnancy and STDs contributes to the delinquency of minors.

When I think "delinquent minor", pregnant and disease-ridden sounds pretty spot on.

[Ivve]

Yeah but the diseases and pregnancy are how you know they're delinquents. The teachers are helping them commit smarter crimes. DON'T YOU SEE?

[tornfleshofsoul]

I get headaches reading about these things in the states. I live in Canada (inb4 lolcanuck) and this never comes up to my knowledge. We have ultra-religious people here too who disapprove of Sex ed etc etc, but what happened in my school was those kids just left the class during sex-ed and came back when it was done. Out of 30 kids in a class, 2 get taught by their parents, simple as that. Why is it such an issue in the states?

It also seems like the parents crying because their child is being taught sex ed are the same parents who never end up doing it themselves and now your daughter is 14 and pregnant. Way to go, that'll show them.

In all seriousness I'm confused. Is this typically backed by religious beliefs, or is it more of a cultural thing? Like I mean in this case it doesn't appear to have crazy Christians protesting in the streets, it just seems like "This is the way it is and we likes it this way"

From all the articles I've read and stats I've seen (Not that I'm well-read in the subject) it's very clear that Children/Teens etc are wayyy less likely to get STDs or babies when they're taught proper sex-ed. I have no problem with teaching children that abstinence is the best solution, it is, no arguement. The reporter on the Fox video seemed to get pissed off when she was like "So abstinence is just a footnote then?" Get over yourself, it's taught, be happy, but kids are going to have sex anyways, so show them how to not screw their lives up.

[Ivve]

kids are going to have sex anyways

From the way some of them talk, I don't think they're ready to accept this yet.

[Benevolentone]

This is the problem with Americans. It seems like our number 1 goal in life is to be as fucking hypocritical as possible. Trying to blame teen sexuality on proper education is the dumbest fucking thing ever. That is like someone saying that the reason teens in our country commit suicide so much is because of the music they listen to. Teens have hormones. They want to fuck. With or without your condoms and sex education.

This whole thing reminds me of how lately Conservatives are freaking out over the idea of universal health care because it is "Socialist" while their children go to public school on their public roads then go to visit their parents who have Medicare. This is just one of the last things that Conservatives can cling to to preserve their 'Merican way of life so they are not gonna let it go without a fight.

[tornfleshofsoul]

Universal healthcare is the devil!!! Can you even imagine a world where if you cut off your finger it doesn't cost thousands to use a needle and thread to put it back on? Ridiculous I tell you.. Oh wait, I have that, wicked.

[Kaludneisucks]

War and slavery are bad, ban history from schools!

^ p.s. hi flatliner

[Andarvi]

Just because you do it, doesn't mean everyone is going to do it.

Thats besides the point. The whole goal of sexual starts and ends before the actual act of copulation even takes places. Its intended so that if someone so chooses to have sex, they at least have some idea what sex actually is its consequences.

Another problem is people view educating sexual education as a way, way too personal and subjective practice. Approach it as objectively as possible, as if you are describing the way intercourse works and its implications in the realm of another organism. Do not teach it like "if YOU have sex YOU can do this and that," but rather "sexual intercourse is this, this is physiological component of the act, these are diseases that are potentially transmittable by said act and there are ways to considerably reduce the possibility of transmission, at this age it possible to conceive a child as the result of this act, there are ways to considerably reduce the possibility of conception, etc..." Treat it like a science course instead of a CCD course. I don't see how an education system that presented the facts outright could be held responsible the way an individual chooses to listen and/or implicate them. When someone grows up an turns out to be a neo-nazi, you don't see fingers pointed their high school teacher for talking about WWII do you?

It just baffles me that opponents to non abstinence only sex-ed in schools NEVER offer ANY other alternative than one that has failed so miserably.

[Corrderio]

So bringing this in an entirely new different direction... why not scare them out of sex showing pics of people with STDs? That seems more effective than what they're trying to do.

[isladar]

Anything that comes out of a "kids these days" statement makes me laugh. Hint: the only thing that has changed is the capacity to produce statistics.