Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

[Faisal]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@underthedome

No they are being pushed by The Christian right nut balls and fund this program to appease them.

Quite true. But I am pretty sure, they have studies to back up their position, however, un-credible or incredible those studies may sound to you.

Bottom line. Parents should get involved in teaching their kids about abstinence or safe-sex or whatever they want their kids to do. I am sure very few parents want their 15 year old girl to become a mother, or their 17 year old son to become a father. Leaving it all up to the school system, is really bad parenting.

[underthedome]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

True Fasial, unfortunately there are a lot of ****tty parents out there.

[myvoice]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

Part of the problem the schools have is that there is no general societal consensus on the morailty of pre-marital sex. There is probably a consensus that 8 year olds shouldn't have sex. 9 year olds too. When you get up to 16 years old, I think you start losing some of your consensus. At 18, forgetaboutit.

When do schools start teaching about sexual awareness? I wouldn't want a school teaching a 10 year old of mine about condoms and how to use them. If schools even addressed the issue, I wouldn't want my 12 year old to be instructed in how to engage in safe sex. At younger ages, if you're teaching anything about sexual awareness, I think you have to teach abstinence.

But when is the "right" age to start teaching about safe sex in schools? I can understand how responsible, conservative, religious parents who teach their 15-17 year olds that abstinence before marriage is the only appropriate course might get upset that their kids are being schooled in how to engage in "safe sex" by their teachers. Teaching "safe sex" implies that "safe sex" is an acceptable alternative to abstinence. Should public schools be permitted to undermine parental and/or religious teachings on issues of morality? I'm pretty sure that the answer to that question is not as cut and dried as some suggest.

The only reason we face this issue to begin with is the dereliction of parents in discharging parental duties. So, in using public schools to try to remedy parental failure of some, we undermine the intentions and teachings of many parents who are responsibly discharging their duties.

[nikhil25]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@Ohioguy

PCG, don’t worry, there is plenty of time for abstinence after you are married!

haha

under-appreciated joke alert

[phatima]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

I dunno what you’re talking about…our school was passing out free condoms for a week, not to encourage sex, but to get the messege out that safe sex can help you stay away from STDs.

hah idiots.

[Sara516]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@Madhanee

Sarah, I made my son watch a movie the other day, it was on how syphilis was spread to a whole community by actions of only one girl who wanted to be popular in her High School. She gave oral sex to a few boys in her school, and the whole community broke out with this STD. It was an excellent movie for teens. My son asked me why couldn’t he have sex, I explained that you are too young to know the emotional part about sex, so it is not for you. Then the ashole says, but Daddy, if I can masturbate, why can’t I have sex? I had to have a long talk with him about that. But I was really happy that my boys are open and honest with me. I think that’s the most important relationship a parent can have with his/her kids… being honest and upfront.

That’s quite a lot fo responsibility on one girl. Most likely she got it from another guy so technically…it was spread by a guy to a bunch of other guys :halo:

[ChannMahi]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

When it comes to abstinence, you never miss the boat....boat is always there, you just don't board it.

[jackie]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

our school still teaches about birth control but they stress abstinence is the best form of birth control. and they showed us these nasty pics about people who got gonorrhea in the eyes and mouth.

[Muslim_Queen]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@PyariCgudia

I thought so too. Are u sure - you work in school right?

Thats what I noticed in the high school courses. I would have to check how it is taught in younger grades. However, it does depend a lot on the teacher. I mean some will just sort of skim through the stuff, while others will do it more in depth. But yeah its definately stressed in gr11 and such - the importance of safe sex and birth control. And way more material is on that than abstinence.

[Sara516]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@jackie

our school still teaches about birth control but they stress abstinence is the best form of birth control. and they showed us these nasty pics about people who got gonorrhea in the eyes and mouth.

Seriously that’s the best way to teach. Show pix of AIDS patients, those infected with STDS and i guarantee that’ll turn em off to the idea of sex forever :k:

[hiccup]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

@Sara516

Seriously that’s the best way to teach. Show pix of AIDS patients, those infected with STDS and i guarantee that’ll turn em off to the idea of sex forever :k:

Oh please, sex isnt a bad thing, its the UNPROTECTED sex that causes the AIDs and STIs.

[minah_pa]

Re: Abstinence? Did I Miss the Boat?

Sara - the problem with that is, no one ever believes they will catch AIDS or that the person they love would be infected with HIV/AIDS or any other STD.

Most tend to have an image of a seriously ill looking man or woman as the one with AIDS.

sigh

There is this guy I used to work with, he is built, works out all the time. Muscles, gorgeous face, tall, beautiful guy. He is gay and always has a new guy over his apartment, he had a different guy dropping him off at work, most were even married, he enjoyed picking up married men. I worked with him for about 3 years. He used to say he hated condoms. Right before I left this job, he went briefly into the hospital because he had caught his hand in the space between the cash register and a card rack and sliced it open pretty badly. I was there and I helped him by wrapping it and helping him clean up. It was then I learned he had AIDS and had had it for about 6 years.

When he got back I asked him about the men he picked up all the time. He said by the time these guys realized what they got, he would be dead and gone (yeah, a sociopath, geez). So, until he died, he was going to enjoy himself whenever he wanted. He also said he never told them about being ill.

He shocked me with that attitude, but he was surprisingly concerned about the people he worked with in letting us know he was infected when his blood was everywhere, but the men he slept with, especially the married ones, he cared less about.

He didn't look ill and wasn't a wasted shell.

Unfortunately people judge with their eyes rather than their common sense. Common sense would tell you a disease can live in a pretty shell or a wasted one, but your eyes say that nothing that looks that good can have problems.

It's the same reaction when a really good looking guy rapes a woman, like the inside of a man should match the outside and that rarely happens. You don't know how many times I have heard but he could get any woman he wants, why would he rape. Makes me want to slap people until they wake up.

As far as abstinence and sex education, if kids AND ADULTS have some basic morals and respect for themselves they wouldn't have unprotected sex (if they decide to have it) or allow just anyone to use their bodies. If there was some way to teach them, these problems would be drastically reduced.

Ok, I have to go unpack.