Sex Education - Abstinence courses flawed

[Pah]

Waxman report: Abstinence courses flawed
Thursday, December 2, 2004 Posted: 10:54 AM EST (1554 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federally funded abstinence education programs that are used in 25 states contain false and misleading information about contraception, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases, said Rep. Henry Waxman.

A report Wednesday from the California Democrat said 11 of the 13 most widely used programs underestimate the effectiveness of condoms in preventing pregnancy and the spread of disease, exaggerate the prevalence of emotional and physical distress following abortion, blur science and religion or get fundamental scientific facts wrong.

Alma Golden, deputy assistant Health and Human Services Secretary for population affairs, said the Waxman report took statements out of context to present the programs in the worst possible light.

"These issues have been raised before and discredited," Golden said. "One thing is very clear for our children, abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs and preventing pregnancy."

Complete article here

 

[Jaymes]

Woot, confirmation for what we all really knew.

 

[Pah]

Woot, confirmation for what we all really knew.

Rhetorically, are you talking about the material in the report or the blindess of that particular politician?

Bob

 

[Pah]

Perhaps you would be interested in this "counter" to the Waxman report.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200412030007

Abstinence-only advocates spread falsehoods on cable

Proponents of abstinence-only sexual education curricula for public schools took to the airwaves to respond to charges contained in a report issued by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) that found that "over 80%" of the curricula of federally funded abstinence-only education programs "contain false, misleading or distorted information about reproductive health." But in attempting to counter these charges, these advocates proffered more misinformation.

In particular, the Waxman report found that a curriculum prepared by pro-abstinence group Project Reality says that "the popular claim that 'condoms help prevent the spread of STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]' is not supported by the data." In defending the curricula on MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Project Reality director Libby Gray falsely claimed that "condoms do not provide protection against the most commonly sexually transmitted disease, which is HPV, or human papilloma virus."

In fact, the American Social Health Association's (ASHA) National HPV & Cervical Cancer Resource Center, in a report on "HPV Myths and Misconceptions," noted: "Studies have shown condom use can lower the risk of acquiring HPV infection." Because HPV is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, condoms cannot prevent the disease entirely, but they do provide some degree of protection.

That didn't stop Gray and other conservative abstinence-only advocates from repeating the false claim throughout the day:

 

[Jaymes]

Rhetorically, are you talking about the material in the report or the blindess of that particular politician?

Bob

I was talking about the course in general being a load of crap. Man, I wish I knew what I know about STDs and sex now when I was in that stupid health class...

 

[Sunstone]

I myself am overjoyed that my tax dollars fund lies about sex. It's clear abstinence-only sexuality education is ideologically driven propaganda, rather than scientifically balanced information. And that's the way it should be! Why should any American school-children be told the truth about sex? It wouild only turn them into insufferable "know it alls". And who wants to live with insufferable know it alls?

 

[Ceridwen018]

Lol, Sunstone you crack me up.

Having gone through said abstinence classes, I can attest that that sounds about right. You forgot something though--an overestimation of the success of natural birth control--YIKES! The average 14 member Catholic families continue...

I can say, however, that those classes are very effective. They scared the crap outta me. Even now that I know the 'truth', my brain has still been irreconcilably washed and waxed. It's much like the movie "Mean Girls", where the gym teacher is like, "If you have sex before you're married, you WILL get pregnant, and you WILL DIE!!"

Spinkles, don't give me no lines and keep your hands to yourself. :flirt:

 

[Sunstone]

As decent people, we should always keep in mind that telling children the truth about sex is far more dangerous to the traditional American way of life than is keeping kids in the dark and feeding them manure about sex. That's because sexual ignorance is one of our most cherished traditions. There has never been an American generation that was truthfully educated about sex. For instance, In the old days, they told kids that masturbation led to blindness, and that women have no capacity to enjoy sex. I say that we should preserve our traditional ignorance about sex by funding only Abstinence only sex ed! It's the least we can do to maintain the traditional American hysteria about all things sexual. Hopefully, it will be enough.

 

[Quoth The Raven]

You mean masturbation DOESN'T make you blind?! Does that mean it doesn't make the palms of your hands hairy either?:areyoucra I am so very disillusioned...

 

[jewscout]

VA only has abstinence based sex-ed. It's really quite sad that people can't even come to grips w/ the fact that little suzy and tommy are growing up and want to "experiment". If they were just more open w/ their children i don't think you'd see the problems w/ abortions or young mothers.

 

[robtex]

For you guys that haven taken the abstinence class..what is it like what do they say? Was there a marketing slogan...Cerdiwen018 your post was hilarious!! that was funny. If they don't have slogans you seem pretty good at it..I can see a marketing career for you in the sex abstinence department........

 

[Pah]

VA only has abstinence based sex-ed. It's really quite sad that people can't even come to grips w/ the fact that little suzy and tommy are growing up and want to "experiment". If they were just more open w/ their children i don't think you'd see the problems w/ abortions or young mothers.

Actually, QTpi teaches a bit of sex with her high school biology with no moralizing but also no safe-sex techiques. However, she has told me that there is a more comprhensive safe-sex program in her school.

Bob

 

[desi]

What's the lie about abstinence? If you don't do it, you won't get it. Simple message which works every time its used.

 

[Pah]

What's the lie about abstinence? If you don't do it, you won't get it. Simple message which works every time its used.

The lie is that it supposedly works. What it really does, and even in those cases where pledges are made, is only delay the onset of sex before marriage. But the greatest harm for these "pledging" kids is that they then have no idea what safe-sex is. Transimssion of STD's and pregnacy, conformed by studies, has a greater incidence than for those taught safe-sex.

Bob

 

[painted wolf]

oh yeah... having people tell me to 'just say no' to sex worked like a charm. Untill I met my fiance. :bonk:
Its like telling kids not to touch the hot stove. Eventually they will do it just to see what the big deal is, and they will get burned. At least with sex you can teach them to protect themselves.

wa:do

 

[Pah]

Just imagine what an abstinence program would do for driving a car.

• You would be in no accidents until you owned your own car. You'd be a passanger only in the car of your spouse.
• Soccer Moms and Dads would be a thing of the past
• Your new immorality would be bicycle riding
• The orgy of public transportation would be gone as you walked (the straight and narrow?) for better fitness and health
• Local business would propser
• Communities would be closer - you'd get to know your neighbors better
• The "after sale" automotive industry would florish as regular maintenance would be unknown.
• The tax burden would decrease as roads would not be used as much
• etcetera, etcetera, etcera

Bob

 

[desi]

The lie is that it supposedly works. What it really does, and even in those cases where pledges are made, is only delay the onset of sex before marriage. But the greatest harm for these "pledging" kids is that they then have no idea what safe-sex is. Transimssion of STD's and pregnacy, conformed by studies, has a greater incidence than for those taught safe-sex.

Bob

Abstinance works whenever it is applied. Just because premarital sex causes problems doensn't mean its a bad idea, does it? Condoms are the answer, ooops they are prone to breaking and don't stop AIDS. Contraception is the answer!, ooops don't forget to take it; don't take certain herbal product or other medicines with it, or be overweight or it might not work so well; and whatever you do don't smoke or you could stroke out. How people act causes most of our problems.

 

[Pah]

Abstinance works whenever it is applied....

Sure does. And automible accidents won't happen if nobody drives a car until they are married too!

But people will drive and people will have sex - inspite of pledges to the contrary.

Bob

 

[Jaymes]

Condoms do stop AIDs. Double dipped latex is what nurses use to protect themselves from AIDs...

 

[Sunstone]

The notion that "abstinence works whenever it is applied" is surely not based on any observation of actual human behavior, but rather must be merely supposed to be true. In other words, it sounds good, but doesn't work in practice.