Teaching Abstinence -- Does It Really Work?

[Jake]

Originally Posted by Gatorubet

This could be added to the program's message. Safe Birth Control!

[sandgk]

I blame the Mason-Dixon line ...

The CDC says that southern states, where there is often the greatest emphasis on abstinence and religion, tend to have the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and STDs.

[CookyPuss]

Originally Posted by Jake

Bush can be blamed for plenty of things, but the suggestion that his presidency is the sole reason for teen promiscuity is a stretch. It smacks of someone who didn't like Bush and blames everything they don't like on him. Even funnier that many of those people defended Clinton's engagement in oral sex with an intern, while married, and dismissed it as no big deal. To think kids didn't notice that very public reaction would be silly.

Sexuality in America is everywhere. Paris Hilton makes a sex tape and isn't vilified, but is elevated to celebrity status. Teens are raised by single parents more than ever. The percentage of single parent households almost doubled from 1990 to 2000. The divorce rate of couples with kids increased during the 90s. Those kids became teenagers during the Bush years. They see mom and dad having fun, and see nothing wrong with it. Of course, they're too young to fully grasp the potential consequences of such behavior, with predictable results.

Schools can pass out condoms and educate on sexuality - which is fine with me so long as the message covers all options, including abstinence - but if the message isn't reinforced at home it matters little. We can recognize that many teens will engage in sex without encouraging them to do it.

That's the issue. Places that teach abstinence only have higher rates of pregnancy and STDs as well as places that have no sex ed. Bush's efforts increased the "abstinence only" teaching practices. This is not displaced blame, this is ignoring the data to pander to a religious view.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by MuckFich06

That's the issue. Places that teach abstinence only have higher rates of pregnancy and STDs as well as places that have no sex ed. Bush's efforts increased the "abstinence only" teaching practices. This is not displaced blame, this is ignoring the data to pander to a religious view.

I don't disagree re: pandering to religion, but to ignore all of the other factors I mentioned is an effort to "blame Bush" for things that go beyond his control, starting with absent and/or bad parenting and a society that glorifies sexual behavior among its celebrities.

[CookyPuss]

Originally Posted by Jake

I don't disagree re: pandering to religion, but to ignore all of the other factors I mentioned is an effort to "blame Bush" for things that go beyond his control, starting with absent and/or bad parenting and a society that glorifies sexual behavior among its celebrities.

I disagree, he promoted a policy that is known to lead to increases in pregnancy and STDs. He had the control to buck his "base" and to promote comprehensive sex ed. He didn't. He deserves blame for that.

[Best Buckeye]

Originally Posted by MuckFich06

I disagree, he promoted a policy that is known to lead to increases in pregnancy and STDs. He had the control to buck his "base" and to promote comprehensive sex ed. He didn't. He deserves blame for that.

Oh hell yes blame anyone other than the kids and or their parents. Lord knows Bush sent Tmen all around and twisted everyone's arm in half.

[CookyPuss]

I'm not abdicating the parents or kids from their responsibilities in the matter, but the Bush policy has been proven to be a bad one.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by MuckFich06

I'm not abdicating the parents or kids from their responsibilities in the matter, but the Bush policy has been proven to be a bad one.

The Bush policy of abstinence-only is short-sighted. But it was presented as the sole cause of the problem, which is also short-sighted.

[sandgk]

Originally Posted by Jake

The Bush policy of abstinence-only is short-sighted. But it was presented as the sole cause of the problem, which is also short-sighted.

Huh?

The Guardian explicitly states the CDC does not do that:

Although the CDC does not attribute a cause, groups that support comprehensive sex education have seized on the report as evidence of the failure of religiously-driven policies that shy away from teaching about contraception in favour of emphasising avoiding sexual contact.

:: ::

But supporters of abstinence-based education said that the new report shows that there is too little not too much emphasis on discouraging sex before marriage.
Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for American Values, which describes itself as a supporter of traditional marriage and "against liberal education and cultural forces", said the abstinence message is overwhelmed by a culture obsessed with sex.
"It is ridiculous to say that a programme we nominally invest in has failed when it fails to overcome the most sexualised culture in world history. Education that emphasises abstinence as the best option for teens makes up a minuscule part of overall sex education in the United States," she said.

I'd call their report, oh, damn, what's that phrase ...

fair and balanced.

[jimotis4heisman]

im unaware of what the actual application/changes were under bush. i will however say that in the past 15 or so years weve seemed to of had a new sexual revolution. it has become socially acceptable to have children out of wedlock, cheat on your spouse, along with many other things. someone noted the sex tapes that seem to be a weekly common place, ill toss in their the celeb of teen pregnancy, i remember after the movie (was it juno) came out about teenagers wanting and getting pregnant. its really been interesting to watch.

a few interesting stats.
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/2006/09/12/USTPstats.pdf
teen preg rate/abortion rate
1990-116/40.5
1995-99.6/29.4
2000-83.6/24.0
2002-75.4/21.7

****
2006-41.9/unknown
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_07.pdf
US: Teenage Pregnancy Rate, Birth Rate and Abortion Rate 1972 – 2005 ? small-m


Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Pregnant Teen Help

In 2002 the abortion rate among teenager mother was 50 percent lower than its high point in 1988.

if you look at the numbers its really pretty misleading. the numbers for births are very similar and at the lowest level in 2005 (2006 is the most recent numbers) since 1973 (roe v wade). looking at the numbers bush's presidency marked the lowest levels of teenage pregnancy since formal record keeping in 1972.

[MaxBuck]

So long as we as a nation promote Porn World, we can expect sexual activity among our young people to increase.

Even "G-rated" entertainment has gotten very sexed up - witness "clean" entertainment like Hannah Montana. We've gotten to the point where sexual attractiveness seems almost to be the only personal characteristic that matters. That's truly sad.

[Bucky Katt]

Originally Posted by Best Buckeye

Oh hell yes blame anyone other than the kids and or their parents. Lord knows Bush sent Tmen all around and twisted everyone's arm in half.

Just like Clinton and Bush and Obama sent people all around and twisted people's arms to buy houses they couldn't afford?

Originally Posted by Folanator

The Government caused this problem, not sure why anyone would think they can solve it.

Originally Posted by Best Buckeye

The problem was caused by the government throwing money out for everyone to take and what do people do when the government does this? why they take the money.

Folenator is right and it's the truth not scapegoating.

Your partisan hypocrisy is comical.

When a Democrat is being criticized, everything is the government's fault. When a Republican is being criticized, nothing is the government's fault.

[MaxBuck]

Originally Posted by Bucky Katt

Just like Clinton and Bush and Obama sent people all around and twisted people's arms to buy houses they couldn't afford?

Your partisan hypocrisy is comical.

When a Democrat is being criticized, everything is the government's fault. When a Republican is being criticized, nothing is the government's fault.

Conservative mantra: everything bad is either the government's fault, or the other (liberal) guy's fault.

Liberal mantra: everything bad is either big business's fault, or the other (conservative) guy's fault.

Jewish mantra: it's probably my fault.

[Best Buckeye]

My Mantra: People are responsible for their own actions.
Governments are responsible for the programs they produce.
The people who lined up for the handouts are the ones who sould have known they would never be able to pay for them.
The people who made the bad loans should have known better than to make them.
The politicians who made the bad laws knew they were bad.

It all boils down to the person to be responsible for actions whether it is making as law or getting knocked up 12 times and living off taxpayers.

[jwinslow]

The people who lined up for the handouts are the ones who sould have known they would never be able to pay for them.
The people who made the bad loans should have known better than to make them.

Or people who should have known they would never be able to pay for them.