The dirty awful truth about abstinence only education is that not only to the students who pledge have sex, but they do it without information, and are more likely to engage in high risk sexual activity like anal sex (because they don't want to get pregnant). So what are you left with? Kids out there with no education, having sex and then being too embarrassed or ashamed to get tested because they have promised everyone they wouldn't have sex. Leaving them more likely to catch STD's and get pregnant.. And probably have really bad sex..Today I taught PE again, as well as health.
I got a chance to paruse the health textbook.
This book is the only source for sex education these students have, and the only opportunity they have for the education.
2 words that don't appear in the glossary or index?
Birth Control
Condom
A whole lesson devoted to abstinence and STDs though...
A copied this from the book:
Practicing abstinence takes planning, preparation and self control. Here are a few steps you can follow to help you practice abstinence:
- Establish Your Priorities in Life: Priorities are those things that are first in importance. To set priorities, give some thought to your plans for the future. Think about the goals you have set for yourself, such as college or pursuing a particular career. Also think about such personal values as respect, honesty, and mortality. Consider the effects of an unplanned pregnancy or an STD on your life and what it might do to your plans.
- Set Personal limists on ways in which you are willing to express affection: Base these limits on your priorities for your life. Make sure you set limits in advance, not when in a situation where your sexual feelings are beginning to build.
- Share your feelings with your boyfriend or girlfriend: Tell your partner about your priorities and what your limits are. Be honest about your feelings and values. If you are unable to talk openly and honestly with your partner you are not in a mature responsible relationship.
- Discuss your feelings and concerns with a trusted adult: Talking with a parent, teacher or trusted adult can be a release value for pentup fears or frustrations you may have. Remember, your parents and other adults have lived through adolscence themselves. They may offer suggestions for demonstrating affection in safe and healthful ways.
So all of them except the one about being able to discuss your feelings with your partner are pretty dumb if not scary...
but it gets worse..
There are consequences to sexual activity...
Loss of Self Respect..Engaging in sexual activity goes against many people's values and religious beliefs. A teen may find himself or herself sneaking around or lying to parents or other adult family mmembers about his or her whereabouts coupled with the constant fear of being caught, such actions and feelings can lead to guilt and regret, which can be emotionally harmful to a teen. Having and following clear values leads teens to healthy feelings of self-respect. You build character and feel good about yourself when you follow your values.
Negative Effects on Social Relationships
Sexually active teens also risk developing a reputation among peers as someone who is "sexually easy" and may find it difficult to build new healthy relationships in the future. Choosing to become sexually active can even complicate the relationship with one's partner. When sexual activity is involved., expectations in relationships often change. Many teen have found that instead of bringing them closer together, sexual activity tears the relationship apart.
It would all be funny if it was so frickin scary...
8 Comments:
This is terrible.
are you allowed to tell them about birth control?
i was a slut when i was 12 and payed dearly for it. i dont wish that i had waitin until i was married to have sex, but at least out of junior high.
You know what? I read this and I wish it was appropriate. I really do. I wish it made sense, and that it could be talked about frankly to children. Children like my 14 year old daughter.
But, obviously, it's a crock. I don't understand where the people who are writing this thing are coming from, but this planet is called Earth.
Brought to you by the Bush family.
Every woman I know who lost her virginity at an early age regrets it. Of course, none of us had any sort of sex-ed at school in those days. I really do believe that abstinence should be taught, but not because of religious reasons. It's the only fool proof way to keep from getting pregnant or infected with and STD. BUT... I think that things like birth control, condoms and safe sex in general should also be taught. I don't think there's anything wrong with scaring them a little... STD's should be frightening... but to preach abstinence because other kids will think you're easy is just stupid and irresponsible. I don't think schools are the places to teach moral and religious values as they pertain to sexuality. They should just present the material in a scientific way. Kids aren't stupid. Give them the facts and let them make the decisions based on the truth. Just my opinion.
I can't even speak about this without getting angry.
First, we tell girls to be ashamed of themselves if they give it up. And if they do, we then castigate them.
But what we don't do is protect them with accurate information.
I guess this goes for boys, too.
My 9th grade health teacher wasn't allowed to teach anything other than abstinence, so she recruited one of the more experienced girls in our class to talk about things in more detail.
There are so many things wrong with that.
I signed an abstinence pledge card in high school, and I managed to wait until I graduated to have sex. Thank God the boy knew how to use a condom and I went to a liberal college with a great healthcare program, so I got condoms for free and birth control for next to nothing.
Kids need all the info. Ignorance is NEVER the answer.
Hey! I put a comment here. Didn't I?
I had health class my sophomore year of high school -- in 1985.
We learned about the various forms of birth control, as well as how the whole system worked. They did mention abstinence, to say it was the one 100% effective birth control method. That's it.
It seems to have worked much better than the current system. Frankly, it did not inspire me to have sex; it made it sound very clinical.
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