In a study researchers found:
Students who receive comprehensive sex education are half as likely to become teen parents as those who get none or abstinence-only sex education, according to researchers at the University of Washington. What’s more, teens who had comprehensive education, which typically discusses condoms and birth-control methods as well as abstinence, were no more likely to engage in intercourse than peers who were taught just to say no to sex before marriage, researchers said.
Only one word comes to mind: “Duh!” Did this really surprise anyone? More comprehensive education leads to better decision-making? You don’t say?
Teens are going to have sex if they want to do so. The big difference is how much information they are provided to protect themselves. Remember this frightening finding?
It depends on what they describe as “comprehensive.” If “comprehensive” includes open and honest dialogue that is peer led, but adult facilitated sex education then I say: “go for it!” And pass out safe contraceptives to go along with it, like free candy.
But, certainly right wingnutted evangelical “no sex until marriage” mantra, will cause a flood of teen pregnancies.
Duh! indeed!!
I’m in the middle of a HUGE debate with my best friend who thinks that it’s okay to not tell his kids about sex. Now, granted, his kids are 8 and 9 years old, but my thinking is if they ASK, I’m going to give them a good ANSWER, and why not start now?
Knowledge is power. I had a steady boyfriend all through high school and was sexually active at a young age, but I knew enough (though, admittedly, I didn’t get the information from MY parents, but from HIS) to keep myself safe. I plan to offer my daughters the same opportunities.
Hmm…I can’t help but think that there must be others out there besides what Riseoutcenter calls “right wingnutted evangelical[s]” who feel that abstinence only is a legitimate means of preventing teen pregnancies. I suspect, for example, that there are some devout Hindu and Muslim and Buddhist parents who strongly believe that sex should be reserved for the marriage bed. There might even be some atheists who feel the same way.
My point: name-calling does nothing to foster honest and thoughtful dialogue. It only inflames passions and keeps people from truly hearing each other.
My point really is, no matter who is speaking to the contrary, that providing information to kids should be our main goal; we are educators after all. Simply teaching students how to be safe does not necessarily advocate having sex. Since the rates are about the same (students who have sex) no matter the type of sex education received, I see no logical argument against helping kids protect their bodies and prevent pregnancy.
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