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"almost all sex-ed classes in America already encourage abstinence. But abstinence-only education isn't primarily about promoting abstinence - it's about blindly refusing to teach contraception.

To get federal funds, for example, abstinence-only programs are typically barred by law from discussing condoms or other forms of contraception - except to describe how they can fail. So kids in these programs go all through high school without learning anything but abstinence, even though more than 60 percent of American teenagers have sex before age 18."

"Other developed countries focus much more on contraception. The upshot is that while teenagers in the U.S. have about as much sexual activity as teenagers in Canada or Europe, Americans girls are four times as likely as German girls to become pregnant, almost five times as likely as French girls to have a baby, and more than seven times as likely as Dutch girls to have an abortion. Young Americans are five times as likely to have H.I.V. as young Germans, and teenagers' gonorrhea rate is 70 times higher in the U.S. than in the Netherlands or France."

Does this not disturb some you?

It would scare the living daylights out of me, if I had teens right now.

But Americans are more moral. :rolleyes:
Kids having sex is the fault of those liberal's.
Our kids surely don't want sex naturally.

Okay, end of funny part.

If humans start having sex before age 18 it is irresponsible and unrealistic to not teach them about birth control and safe sex.

The "moral" people who advocate teaching only abstinence have their heads in the sand.

And if kids don't start taking sex and abstinence more seriously, then the ages are only going to get younger, and the problems are only going to get bigger. Kids don't take abstinence or sex seriously because birth control and condoms, etc. provide them an easy way out. And as kids start having sex younger and younger, they are progessively less informed, and make worse and worse decisions.

Matt I believe the problem is with a much younger crowd now than in the 60's. Unless I am mistaken teenage pregnancy wasn't quite the problem then as it is now. And I bet it wasn't celebrated then as it is now. Nothing more affirming than a 15 y/o getting together with her friends for a baby shower huh? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

I read an obituary of a woman recently that was 62. She had a number of great-great grand children.

Let me tell you about my great-grandparents' shotgun wedding at ages 16 and 15, respectively. In 1904.

Or maybe my great-grand aunt whose son was born when she was 17. In 1910. (Oh, yes, she eventually married a nice man. In 1943.)

Sound like Europe's statistics prove you wrong and proves America is just plain unrealistic.

I bet it was a modern epidemic back then too.

Wonder how that would be adjusted for life expectancy?

According to Pat Moynihan, it did.

Care to elaborate, or do you just want to pass vague statements off as facts, like the NY Times does. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just not familiar with the European statistics you speak of.

I'm sorry you're family is so promiscuous.

Seriously...I'm a firm believer in shotgun weddings, and I think they are quite appropriate. If someone's man and woman enough to make a baby, they ought to be adult enough to take care of it.

Mr. E

I'm quoting bcarey here:
"Other developed countries focus much more on contraception. The upshot is that while teenagers in the U.S. have about as much sexual activity as teenagers in Canada or Europe, Americans girls are four times as likely as German girls to become pregnant, almost five times as likely as French girls to have a baby, and more than seven times as likely as Dutch girls to have an abortion. Young Americans are five times as likely to have H.I.V. as young Germans, and teenagers' gonorrhea rate is 70 times higher in the U.S. than in the Netherlands or France."

Does this not disturb some you?

End of quote.


If I had boys or girls I'd begin teaching them about sex and birth control and STDs as they hit puberty.
I'd also tell them there are good reasons to delay gratification till they are adult.
But if they can't wait there are techniques that take care of business without involving another person.
Sheesh, at least give them that guilt free.

Yeah, Today's parents can't even manage to talk about sex there's no way Dad is going to be able to tell his son it is okay to beat the bishop when he needs to.

Why can't parents talk to their kids about sex?

And don't just cop out and say, "You'd never understand till you have kids."

Really.
Why?

My point is that unmarried teenagers have been having sex since forever. This is not a "modern" issue.

"ooooh, gross!!!! Don't talk to me about that!!! Of course, I'm going to wait til I get married!!! We already talked about that at school!!! No way!!! (child rolls eyes, throughout) That's disgusting!!! I would never do that!!!"

So where did all those negative associations come from?
Are kids born with hang ups, embarrassment and guilt?

Look at the unwed pregnancy rate in Sweden.

You tell me.

It's important IMHO to teach the difference between taste and smut. And there are appropriate times and inappropriate times to have sex. To be discreet, discriminatory, not promiscuous and to be safe. So, I talk about it anyway and put up with any rolled eyes. Better safe than sorry.