Obama's Federal Budget Eliminates Funding for Abstinence-Only Education

[juliee]

Washington, DC – Before he took over the White House, President Barack Obama made it clear he would cut abstinence funding. He has followed through as his new budget eliminates all federal funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with sexual education.

Full story at: LifeNews.com/nat5032.html

 

[Abbadon]

Washington, DC – Before he took over the White House, President Barack Obama made it clear he would cut abstinence funding. He has followed through as his new budget eliminates all federal funding for abstinence-only education and replaces it with sexual education.

Full story at: LifeNews.com/nat5032.html

Abstinence-only works 100% of the time, if used…

Now perhaps America can receive a proper sexual education program like the rest of the first world and teenage pregnancies can go down to levels like that of the rest of the first world that has sex education programs.

About time…

 

[Cracker_Mom]

Abstinence-only works 100% of the time, if used…

Now perhaps America can receive a proper sexual education program like the rest of the first world and teenage pregnancies can go down to levels like that of the rest of the first world that has sex education programs.

About time…

:shrug

 

[JimG]

You will often hear people arguing that abstinence only education doesn’t work.

What they really mean is: abstinence education doesn’t work because it is an impossibility for anyone to be abstinent. Thus they give their opinion of their children, effectively saying ‘our kids will have sex, no matter what; they have no capacity not to have sex, no matter the consequences.’ And perhaps that is the way they have raised them.

 

[JimG]

Of course, pregnancy is not the only possible consequence of premarital sex.

 

[scott1228]

If we give up on teaching abstinence, then where do we draw the line? Do we give up on telling children not to drink and drive? Do we say not to do it, but if you are, this is the safe way to do it? Do we give up on telling kids that domestic violence is unacceptable, that racism is unacceptable, that sexual harrassment in the workplace is unacceptable?

Ironic that at the same time we are raising the standard for baseball players, we lower it for all of America’s children, and expect them to fail.

Sad.

Scott

 

[Calliso]

If we give up on teaching abstinence, then where do we draw the line? Do we give up on telling children not to drink and drive? Do we say not to do it, but if you are, this is the safe way to do it? Do we give up on telling kids that domestic violence is unacceptable, that racism is unacceptable, that sexual harrassment in the workplace is unacceptable?

Ironic that at the same time we are raising the standard for baseball players, we lower it for all of America’s children, and expect them to fail.

Sad.

Scott

I could be wrong but I donlt think it is about giving up teaching abstience totally. It;s more about dropping the abstience only programs which from what I have read…are failures.

 

[Swan]

I could be wrong but I donlt think it is about giving up teaching abstience totally. It;s more about dropping the abstience only programs which from what I have read…are failures.

This is correct. The fact is that study after study shows that abstiance education alone doesn’t work and is, therefore, a waste of federal dollars. At a time when we need to fund programs that actually work, it is a no brainer that changes have to be made. And schools don’t replace the home. Parents should also teach their kids their moral views on sex (of course, some parents don’t which, IMO, makes sex ed a public health issue). Here is an article that references, with links, studies that demonstrate the failure of abstiance only:

openeducation.net/2009/01/05/abstinence-only-sex-education-statistics-final-nail-in-the-coffin/

Again, I think it is vital that parents remember that schools are only one source of info. Relgious parents have both church and home in which to instill their morals into their kids. The fact that they learn about birth control in school health classes should not diminish the effectiveness of parental instruction in a strong family.

 

[manualman]

For thousands of years, pregnancy and STDs have been the inevitable outcome of sexual promiscuity. For 1,900 of the last 2,000 years, there were NO antibiotics and NO latex condoms (crude animal intestine condoms were rare and fairly ineffective). And yet, the consistent strategy during the ‘advancement’ periods of those 1,900 years for prevention was preaching abstinance until marriage. Strangely, it mostly worked. Sure, STD’s were out there and you had your fair share of ‘shotgun’ (crossbow?) weddings. But nothing like what our young people experience today: rampant promiscuity, STD’s in epidemic levels and historically high unwed pregnancy rates.

And yet, we have “studies” that show that permissive sex ‘education’ programs are more effective than abstinance only education. Riiiiight…

Humans have an amazing capacity for self-deception. People just aren’t that different today than they were 500 years ago. Technology and culture changes, but people don’t. We’re just as imperfectly able to control ourselves now as then. And just as much Grace (if not more) is available today to help us overcome our weakness.

 

[manualman]

If we give up on teaching abstinence, then where do we draw the line? Do we give up on telling children not to drink and drive? Do we say not to do it, but if you are, this is the safe way to do it? …

snip…

Yes, I hear this one all the time. LOTS of parents around here sit their kids down and tell them not to go drinking at parties, but then immediately say that ‘if you do, you call me and I’ll come and safely bring you home, no questions asked, no punishment.’

It’s the same idocy. By all means, encourage them to call for help. But don’t give them a get out of trouble free card! Might as well buy beer FOR them at that point (another one I see some times). Just make sure they get the message that the punishment involved in calling for help is NOTHING compared to the punishment of dying or killing somebody in drunkenness.

 

[Dale_M]

You will often hear people arguing that abstinence only education doesn’t work.

What they really mean is: abstinence education doesn’t work because it is an impossibility for anyone to be abstinent.

Actually, that isn’t what they mean. I think most opponents of abstinence-only education support the teaching of abstinence… because they do think that some individuals can be abstinent and they think it is the best goal of teen sex education.

The opposition to abstinence only education is that it doesn’t provide teens with any tools for protection if they do begin to have sex. And the odds are that there will be some teens who will have sex, regardless of what they are taught.

 

[Abbadon]

Actually, that isn’t what they mean. I think most opponents of abstinence-only education support the teaching of abstinence… because they do think that some individuals can be abstinent and they think it is the best goal of teen sex education.

The opposition to abstinence only education is that it doesn’t provide teens with any tools for protection if they do begin to have sex. And the odds are that there will be some teens who will have sex, regardless of what they are taught.

Exactly, Abstinence should be apart of any good sexual education program.

 

[JimG]

If you’re going to teach kids about sex, be sure to tell them the whole truth.

 

[Abbadon]

If you’re going to teach kids about sex, be sure to tell them the whole truth.

And this whole truth does not encompass condoms and birth control? The problem is not in teaching abstinence, which is by far the best solution, the problem is in teaching abstinence only.

 

[RobbyS]

Abstinence-only works 100% of the time, if used…

Now perhaps America can receive a proper sexual education program like the rest of the first world and teenage pregnancies can go down to levels like that of the rest of the first world that has sex education programs.

About time…

Well,just because it works in Germany, doesn’t mean it works in New Jersey. One of the great delusions is that culture doesn’t matter. Germans, unlike Americans, have a rule-book stuck in their hands as they come out of the womb. Americans, even our elite, simply do not follow rules closely. Which is why New Jersey’s sex ed classes are about as productive as its algebra classes.

 

[JimG]

Sure, teach them about condoms and birth control–including NFP. Include information about the lifetime effects of taking powerful hormonal drugs. And include information about the failure rates of condoms both as to pregnancy prevention and STD prevention, including the 100 varieties of the HPV virus. Teach the boys about the legal requirement for child support for any children they may father. Also teach them that if their girlfriend chooses to have an abortion and he disagrees, he as the father will have absolutely no say in the matter. List for the girls the number and varieties of STD’s which more easily infect girls than boys. Make sure they know that some of these can lead to infertility. Tell them about the average life of teen relationships after having sex (about 3 weeks), and make sure that they realize condoms provide no protection for the heart.

 

[Abbadon]

Sure, teach them about condoms and birth control–including NFP. Include information about the lifetime effects of taking powerful hormonal drugs. And include information about the failure rates of condoms both as to pregnancy prevention and STD prevention, including the 100 varieties of the HPV virus. Teach the boys about the legal requirement for child support for any children they may father. Also teach them that if their girlfriend chooses to have an abortion and he disagrees, he as the father will have absolutely no say in the matter. List for the girls the number and varieties of STD’s which more easily infect girls than boys. Make sure they know that some of these can lead to infertility. Tell them about the average life of teen relationships after having sex (about 3 weeks), and make sure that they realize condoms provide no protection for the heart.

Couldn’t agree more. Outside of the condoms, last time i checked pregnancy prevention rate was 98% if used properly and it prevents most STD’s (especially seminal transmitted ones) near 100%. But still I think IF kids are choosing to have sex as they are they are obviously uninformed with the current abstinence only program. I think all of what you described should be communicated to them in an unbiased way.

 

[JimG]

Couldn’t agree more. Outside of the condoms, last time i checked pregnancy prevention rate was 98% if used properly and it prevents most STD’s (especially seminal transmitted ones) near 100%. But still I think IF kids are choosing to have sex as they are they are obviously uninformed with the current abstinence only program. I think all of what you described should be communicated to them in an unbiased way.

Near 100%? Against all 100 varieties of HPV? If so, why do one fourth of all women between the ages of 14 and 59 have HPV infection? And a good many of them don’t know they are infected. HPV can be transmitted by genital skin contact, including oral sex. Do kids know that? Do they know the consequences? If sex-ed courses are tossing out numbers like 98% and 100% it is misleading them. Give them all the facts. And talk about screening for diseases. 100% effective against pregnancy! And yet–this country has a 40% out of wedlock pregnancy rate (70% in the inner cities.) Talk about effective sex ed. Or is it counterproductive?

 

[Abbadon]

Near 100%? Against all 100 varieties of HPV? If so, why do one fourth of all women between the ages of 14 and 59 have HPV infection? And a good many of them don’t know they are infected. HPV can be transmitted by genital skin contact, including oral sex. Do kids know that? Do they know the consequences? If sex-ed courses are tossing out numbers like 98% and 100% it is misleading them. Give them all the facts. And talk about screening for diseases. 100% effective against pregnancy! And yet–this country has a 40% out of wedlock pregnancy rate (70% in the inner cities.) Talk about effective sex ed. Or is it counterproductive?

Well those are numbers from the current sex education program…
I understand HPV transmission, I was just saying that the most common of desieses and those spread through seminal fluids did I not? And we should definitely teach them about screening. Here in Australia we have a big campaign about std’s and free screening is available. Because we understand a condom does not prevent everything and we have a lot of resources available to us and throughout highschool we are educated about it.

 

[Leela]

Well those are numbers from the current sex education program…
I understand HPV transmission, I was just saying that the most common of desieses and those spread through seminal fluids did I not? And we should definitely teach them about screening. Here in Australia we have a big campaign about std’s and free screening is available. Because we understand a condom does not prevent everything and we have a lot of resources available to us and throughout highschool we are educated about it.

Hi Abbadon,

I suspect that all this debate is really beside the point. The facts are pretty straightforward. Giving young people accurate information about teh benefits of abstinence as well as the use of contraceptives is our best hope for reducing unwanted pregnacy and the incidence of sexually trasnmitted disease. But all that is irrellevent to the Catholics. The bottom line is that kids aren’t supposed to be having sex. If there were fool-proof contraceptives that could prevent pregnancy and STDs with 100% efficiency, Catholics would still oppose informing people about these contraceptives because they don’t believe contraceptives should be used at all. So the arguments that they make about the ineffectivesness of available methods are disingenuous. That’s not the issue for them at all. They believe that they know the truth about the way things are and the way things ought to be as found in a 2000 year old book, and all the modern day evidence in the world about what works and what doesn’t is mere appearance compared to the ultimate reality that they have special access to through their church.

Best,
Leela