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Well, maybe I was being overly optimistic but I'm certain that some abortions would be prevented. It's only logical. I know there's some controversies about sex education but the only one that makes any sense to me is the age of the kids who are going to the classes. I see no reason why grade school children need to go to a sex education class because they're just too young and immature. I think the right age is the age when young girls can become pregnant because some of them do become pregnant. That's when it makes sense. I also think some of the fears of a sex education class are greatly exaggerated. I don't think the teachers are really telling students they should go out and start having sex and here's how not to get pregnant.
Well, maybe you actually didn't hear about the big broohaha in Colorado a couple of weeks ago? Obviously, I wasn't on the premises when it happened but from what I heard, the students were essentially told that "since we KNOW you're going to have sex and do drugs, let us talk to you about how to do it safely, (If this wasn't what happened, someone can enlighten me!) It was a MAJOR stink over there! I suspect even liberal parents were probably up in arms about it.
Also, I would suggest that high school kids are not as uneducated and naive as you think they are -that they need some kind of campaign to tell them that birth control exists and they should use it if they are sexually active. I knew that much way back when I was in high school and that was when "dinosaurs roamed the earth!"
Don't get me wrong, Montana. I'm not campaigning for "ignorance!" I just trying to tell you why a lot of Christian parents are skeptical about letting someone else talk to their kids about sex...which can easily border on moral values. And again, the unfortunate situation which occurred in Colorado has probably just added fuel to the fire in a major way.
And another thing....this opens another can of worms. I personally am not opposed to contraception but I am opposed to what I consider "abortifacient" contraceptives such as the IUD. And actually even oral contraceptives can also be abortifacient when they don't prevent ovulation but rather prevent implantation of a fertilized egg. So I have reservations about whether birth control prevents abortion in this regard too.
Well, maybe you actually didn't hear about the big broohaha in Colorado a couple of weeks ago?
No, I didn't hear about that particular situation. What were the specifics of the problem? I do understand parents being upset if a particular teacher used poor judgement and turned their sex education class into a "how to" manual but I think that a balance can be found between competing philosophies that will allow kids to become more knowledgeable about this particular subject. Again, I think that religious institutions have a real problem in dealing with sexual subjects and that's not helpful in an age when young people are very open and curious about sex.
There's no question that the most controversial and emotional issue in American society is abortion. I don't want to get into the legalities or pros and cons of abortion on this thread, but I know a few of you have voiced strong opinions about the subject. When you really think about it, no one really wants abortions, and the women who have chosen to have them have made a difficult decision. Ok, this is my basic position. Shouldn't young men and women be as knowledgeable as possible about sexual issues and don't well informed people generally make better decisions? Of course they do. Shouldn't they be presented with information about all of the ramifications of sexuality activity including AIDS, STD's, pregnancy and all of the precautions they should be taking if they do choose to be sexually active? Absolutely. Knowledge is always better than ignorance. Then why on earth do so many religious organizations as well as private citizens oppose sex education and knowledge of birth control? There's no question that many young people are going to be sexually active and if they're at least educated enough to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancies and STD's it's unlikely that they'll be visiting an abortion clinic. For those of you who oppose abortion, why aren't you making sure that schools are doing an adequate job of sexual education? And when it comes right down to it, wouldn't you rather see a young woman who is sexually active using birth control as opposed to having an abortion?
(Emphasis mine)
With regard to the three bolded sections, I agree with you, MG. Knowledge is power. Where we differ is on the abstinence question and the moral angle. Those without religious convictions just can't understand why we religious parents even bother with teaching abstinence because "it doesn't work". Well, it probably doesn't work because it's not tied into the biblical framework of why it should be in the forefront of the minds of teenagers.
I oppose abortion. Abortions may or may not decline with intense education. And I would rather see teenagers not be sexually active at all than engaging in sex even if on birth control. Sex ed in schools should be comprehensive without promoting activity - and there lies the rub. That balance is hard to achieve to everyone's satisfaction. Unfortunately, there's too many homes where the parents leave it up to the school instead of teaching it themselves. Yes, structured education from the school could be helpful, if handled properly. But like someone said, there's a moral bias that is to be considered.
As a parent, I personally want to be the one (and have been the one) to teach my kids about sex...everything about sex. Everything you mentioned, plus how it affects people emotionally and, in some instances, spiritually. That's the angle that is missing in the school cirriculum - morality. They're pretty much unable to tie in the "why shouldn't we" part of it. All they can teach is the statistics, medical aspect and mechanical aspect. IMO, the moral or spiritual aspect is just as important and again IMO that's what ties in the "why you shouldn't do it" part and the medical evidence backs up my stance.
IMHO, sex is not evil, dirty or something to be ashamed of if done in the proper context of marrage. If done outside of marriage, there are consequences for that behavior, beyond the physical/medical. There's the emotional aspect, even for those who aren't belivers. Feelings change, emotions are involved and in my experience simple sex ed from school can't teach that aspect of it to my satisfaction because they are hamstrung. They teach it from the perspective "they're going to anyway" instead of teaching why they should wait. The best way to teach the waiting game is with a biblical foundation, IMO, but also with all the knowledge possible to provide the best decision making.
No, I didn't hear about that particular situation. What were the specifics of the problem? I do understand parents being upset if a particular teacher used poor judgement and turned their sex education class into a "how to" manual but I think that a balance can be found between competing philosophies that will allow kids to become more knowledgeable about this particular subject. Again, I think that religious institutions have a real problem in dealing with sexual subjects and that's not helpful in an age when young people are very open and curious about sex.
Probably some others can give you more details about it than I can. But what I heard was that a group came in for kind of like a MANDATORY school assembly and acted like it was just a given that the kids were going to be sexually active AND DO DRUGS!! I think the drug thing was the straw that broke it! Anyway, it was so controversial it made all kinds of national news and we had a thread over on the Politics forum here about it.
Montana you are right on. People make better decisions when they have information. It is similiar to the failed "Just say no" program. Kids scoffed at the ads with the egg frying "this is your brain on drugs" because they knew people who were smoking pot or whatever and in the honor society. The asds gave no useful information and did not inform people of the consequences of drug use. De-mystification is the key - whether sex or drugs. There is a wonderful book from Duke University - Just Say Know - which lays things out plain and simple. If you look at the areas of the country where STD's are rising (and no it is not California, but the South) you will find large religious affiliations. Religion promotes shame and hormones produce desire and the two make for a deadly combination for young people. You don't have condoms because you "are going to wait" then the hormones hit and you have sex but you can still say "It just happened" since you weren't prepared. The simple fact is that more young people than not will have sex - do you want your sons and daughters being infected with HIV? That is the reality. Abstience is great but it isn't reality for most young folks. Why leave it to teachers? There are many great non-profit organizations that will go into schools for free and teach sex ed and parents are allowed to attend. Where I live we have a "First Person Speaker" - someone who is HIV+ that wants to share their story to help other people not end up in the same position. They go into the schools and talk at assemblies and I believe they have a greater impact on our kids than adults do.
With regard to the three bolded sections, I agree with you, MG. Knowledge is power. Where we differ is on the abstinence question and the moral angle. Those without religious convictions just can't understand why we religious parents even bother with teaching abstinence because "it doesn't work". Well, it probably doesn't work because it's not tied into the biblical framework of why it should be in the forefront of the minds of teenagers.
I oppose abortion. Abortions may or may not decline with intense education. And I would rather see teenagers not be sexually active at all than engaging in sex even if on birth control. Sex ed in schools should be comprehensive without promoting activity - and there lies the rub. That balance is hard to achieve to everyone's satisfaction. Unfortunately, there's too many homes where the parents leave it up to the school instead of teaching it themselves. Yes, structured education from the school could be helpful, if handled properly. But like someone said, there's a moral bias that is to be considered.
As a parent, I personally want to be the one (and have been the one) to teach my kids about sex...everything about sex. Everything you mentioned, plus how it affects people emotionally and, in some instances, spiritually. That's the angle that is missing in the school cirriculum - morality. They're pretty much unable to tie in the "why shouldn't we" part of it. All they can teach is the statistics, medical aspect and mechanical aspect. IMO, the moral or spiritual aspect is just as important and again IMO that's what ties in the "why you shouldn't do it" part and the medical evidence backs up my stance.
IMHO, sex is not evil, dirty or something to be ashamed of if done in the proper context of marrage. If done outside of marriage, there are consequences for that behavior, beyond the physical/medical. There's the emotional aspect, even for those who aren't belivers. Feelings change, emotions are involved and in my experience simple sex ed from school can't teach that aspect of it to my satisfaction because they are hamstrung. They teach it from the perspective "they're going to anyway" instead of teaching why they should wait. The best way to teach the waiting game is with a biblical foundation, IMO, but also with all the knowledge possible to provide the best decision making.
Another great post, Mams. I totally agree. I'd give you rep points, but I can't. You know the drill
I realize that many young women will remain virgins until they get married, but let's just be honest about this, they're the minority. Teenagers are going through a certain phase when they're hormones are kicking in and they're very aware of the opposite sex. When I was a teenager the only thing that could have stopped me from thinking about sex would have been a shotgun blast through my brain! It's just part of growing up.
For whatever reason, religious institutions are very conservative and have an especially difficult time in dealing with anything sexual. This attitude seems to have permeated the thinking of many religious individuals as well and I don't think it promotes a very healthy or realistic view of human sexuality. Sex often is seen as an evil desire that needs to be stopped. Sexual education is simply an explanation of how our bodies function in a sexual manner and some common sense instructions about safeguarding our own health. It shouldn't be any more controversial than a math class and it's something young people need to know. The young people who do engage in sexual activity should not be ignored. In fact, they're the ones who really need to get the message about the dangers and responsibilities of their behavior. If our society was well informed about sexual matters the problem with abortions would virtually disappear.
AMEN to that! I totally, completely agree with what you've said... to quote somebody (whoever said this?), education is the key to prevention. My parents could've preached abstinence until they were blue in the face, and I still would have gone ahead with my own plans - that's just how teenagers are. Luckily my parents were more realistic, and never actually told me what to do... they let the school take care of "explaining everything" (which was done in 5th grade, if I remember correctly), and then I got the birth-control talk from mom around age 15. That was before I'd even had sex, and no, it didn't make me run out & do it! But when I did decide to take that step, I knew exactly how and why to protect myself.
The sex drive is not like wanting a cookie (no pun intended). It's like wanting to eat. It's hard enough trying to keep kids' hands out of the cookie jar. It's a fool's task telling them to starve themselves.
This isn't to say that abstinence should not be stressed, but it is entirely unrealistic to think that all people can abstain until marriage.
On a related note; I do not understand the moral ramifications of sex. Other than "God prohibits it," sex between any two willing partners seems to be as amoral an act as having lunch together.
....sex between any two willing partners seems to be as amoral an act as having lunch together.
A rather unpopular opinion on this board. I tend to agree with you, but the majority do not.
Back to MG's OP, of course information will reduce the number of abortions. How could it not?
Teenagers know relatively little about sex, and of what they do know, half is wrong. Telling them the facts about STDs, pregnancy, how-to, contraception, where/how to get contraceptives, can only lead to a reduction in pregnancy, and therefore abortion.
Few teens want to get pregnant. Given the tools to prevent it, most will.
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Obviously, I wasn't on the premises when it happened but from what I heard, the students were essentially told that "since we KNOW you're going to have sex and do drugs, let us talk to you about how to do it safely, (If this wasn't what happened, someone can enlighten me!) It was a MAJOR stink over there! I suspect even liberal parents were probably up in arms about it.
Abortifacient contraceptives
I totally agree. I'd give you rep points, but I can't. You know the drill
