Abstinance Only Sex Ed?

Question

Has anyone noticed that in high school health classes all they really teach you now-a-days is that you shouldn't have sex until you're married and that if you have unprotected sex you'll basically get pregnant or some deathly STD? I mean not to be blunt but alot of teens are already having sex, health class or not. Shouldn't they be given all the material to protect and choose for themselves? What do you guys think?

Answer 1

I think the idea that "kids are gonna do it anyway so push birth control" is a flawed idea that history and statistics have proven wrong.

Studies have shown that increased access to birth control has actually INCREASED the rate of unwanted pregnancies....and the number of subsequent abortions.....and the rate of STD's. Not a very good record for those pushing "safe sex" and "birth control" on demand.

Statistically speaking, the more people you have on birth control, the more mistakes will be made (i.e. improper used, miss taking pills etc) so the more unwanted pregnancies there will be.

The problem with anything other than abstinence is that kids get the idea sex can be safe, when actually it's like handing them a gun with a bullet in one of the six chambers and telling them to point it at their head, pull the trigger and they will "most likely" not be killed.

Of course, not every kid you teach abstinence to will abstain, but that's obvious because abstinence is about choices. Not all kids will make the right choice but at least schools can say "we taught our kids the safest method out there."

Answer 2

It is difficult to get unbiased studies about this.To answer your question, I agree that teens should have sex ed that includes birth control and STD prevention. However, I am unaware of any reliable studies that show these programs to be more effective than abstinence only programs. Ignoring medical advice is not limited to teenagers.

From the standpoint of Public Health there's a lot to be said for abstinence. It is still the safest way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and STD's.

Answer 3

I know what you mean. I went to one high school in a big city and that school taught everything. They explained pregnancy and stds and all that, but they also told us where we can find emergency contraceptive, condoms, spermicide strips.foam, where to get birthcontrol, how to talk to your parents about it all. There was even a health center on campus that gave out condoms and brouchures on where to go and what to do. There were hardly any pregnancies there. At the begining of every school year, every student would take home a permission slip to the parents to sign if they want the healthcenter open for their child or not. Every time you stepped into the healthcenter you would sign in, they would check your permission slip, if parents said no they dont want their child there, they would call the parent and talk to them. Then I went to another high school in a small town where all they said "if you have sex you will get pregnant or an std" they never explained ANY protection. There were so many pregnant girls it was unbelievable and so many people going to the nurses office with a mysterious rash or blisters. It was ridiculous.

I'm sorry but parents should explain things to they;re kids. Most of the time they don't. They just think "the less the kids know, the less they'll do" nope it doesnt work that way. If parents don't talk to their kids, their kids will hear it from somewhere else. Its better to be open. I would rather my kids wait till marriage, but if they don't I would want them to come to me and let me know whats going on and say "mom I need birthcontrol" or "mom I need to get condoms." Unfortunately people think we are "encouraging" sex when we offer out condoms, b/c pills, etc etc... But thats not true. If my kids are going to have sex (i would rather them not but what can you do? They go out and do it anyway), then I want them to be protected.


People don't talk to their kids, and then one day their daughter comes home pregnant or their son comes home with his gf saying he got her pregnant, then the parents wonder why! It would be nice if schools would step up with the sex education classes, but it's not their job to raise other people's children. Thats why parents need to talk to their kids.

Answer 4

I think educating children about sex is the parents responsibility! So many things come into play like religion, morals, etc when deciding whether to teach abstinence only or teach them about contraception. Our society has become so lazy as parents. No one wants to take responsibility and teach their own kids about how to make decisions for their future they want the schools to do it for them. I don't think sex ed should be taught in schools at all. It is a private and personal conversation that should be had between parent and child!

Answer 5

I agree teens should get ALL information in sex ed classes, and from their parents- maybe the educators are just afraid that kids won't really 'get it', even with all the information. Teens and adults alike are on here every day, asking if they can be pregnant, even though they used a condom, or are on the pill. People don't seem to get that they can be part of that percentage of people who birth control doesn't work for. Maybe this combined with the feeling most teens have that they're invincable makes the educators not even want to let teens know that birth control is somewhat effective... if there were a way to effectively show that even though you need to use birth control, that unless you're ready to be a parent, you're not ready to have sex, then sex ed classes might help.

Answer 6

I took health class in junior high, and that was years ago. It was still a pretty new things to have sex ed at the time, but we were taught about all the different things you could catch, and pregnancy, and made to watch "the miracle of life" and shown how to use condoms, and that they were safer then BC because of disease. Of course over time parents started freaking out about how teaching kids this is only going to make them have sex. And they need to be taught not to. How stupid. There were very few, like 2 girls I can remember how got pregnant when i was in high school. But now it seems far more common. Parents need to realize, that there kids may sooner or later have sex, it happens, and they need to be taught how to protect them selves. And by the time they are in high school it may be too late.

Answer 7

They should be taught that abstinence is the #1 safest way to prevent
1)disease
2)pregnancy
3)your boyfriend leaving you once he finds out
4)screaming parents
5)getting kicked out of the house
6)not finishing your education
7)poverty
8)never getting to go anywhere or do anything fun again
9)low paying jobs
10)child support payments.

To prevent a lot of those things without abstinence is
1)the condum plus
..a)the pill or
..b)IUD or
..c)the patch (etc.)

Answer 8

Yep, but until voters change this in your area, it's not going to happen. Teen pregnancy rates are much higher in districts with abstinance only sex ed. Let's keep protection a secret! We'll have more babies then. Isn't that what God wants? Never mind that we can't support them.

Answer 9

one of the parents said she would tell her kids everything and I agree, we as parent need to get involved in our kids lives and stay there with them till 18, support encourage and guide them all the way.

as for the school they should teach abstinance not help them to have sex by provided them they should go to medical clinic and get medical education and birthcontrol. I see a-lot of herpes out there
in the medical field and theres no cure for it.
you get it in High School and when you finally wanna settle down with one guy(husband) this is what you picked up in highschool....; it so sad these days

Answer 10

Not really in my school. In my school they just have one specific class you MUST take instead of gym for that one semester. There you learn very detailed about the penis and Vagina. Allllll of what composes it. They talk about sex freely, and child birth. But we also do cover all the sicknesses. The school also offers condoms. If a parent doesn't want his child exposed to them, they have to write a letter to the principle. My school is one specifically based for students wanting to join nursing so the health classes are pretty hard. Later on in junior and senior year if they have good quelifications they joing majors get scrubs and go to the hospitals to work. So health and everything is SERIOUSLY streesed out. Also its 80+% girls so ... the awareness of everything is there.