What should public schools teach our children about sex? It can be a complex question, especially when dealing with morals, social norms, pop culture, hormones and health. When students sit down for their sex education, should teachers embrace an abstinence-only policy?
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Abstinence Education Works Anywhere
- From Lifeway
By LifeWay Christian Resources - Biblical solutions for life
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Abstinence education is good. Abstinence-ONLY is bad.
Like most of the arguments from Lifeway, this badly confuses "abstinence education" with "abstinence-ONLY education." I think there are few out there who believe abstinence is a bad option or shouldn't be taught. The success of True Love Waits and other similar ideas is great... not that I believe that the wedding day is the right time to become sexually active, but because those involved are taking control of their sexuality through deliberate thought, which can only be good for them.
But abstinence-only education in schools is a different thing.
- mj75
September 10, 2008 9:21PM
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Side: No
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Finally
Finally someone has come out and said it. Abstinence-only education and abstinence education aren't the same thing. Sure abstinence is a sure fired way to avoid pregnancy and STIs but it shouldn't be the only thing taught. Kids should be learning about EVERY available option to keep themselves safe.
- Kurtis34
February 15, 2009 1:51PM
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Side: No
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Sex Sells in the U.S.
Yeah, I agree that "True Love Waits" will definitely work to persuade adolescents in places like Uganda and Africa to stay pure until marriage, but I am not so convinced it will make such an impact on U.S. kids. Unlike the children in Uganda and Africa, American teenagers are constantly subjected to a media that seems to scream, SEX SELLS. The music that American teens listen to is jam-packed with sexual slurs and innuendos, reality shows have "hook-up" scenes for entertainment, and sex seems to be a hot topic at lunch tables in high school cafeterias. Teens see these things in the media and begin to accept it as the norm. In other words, everyone is having sex, no one waits, thats just the way it is.
- trotterk88
January 25, 2009 6:49PM
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Victories In Every Person
First of all,I think every person is a victory in some way. This says that the kids who make it to marriage are victories. What does that leave for those kids who can't take the peer pressure? Are they failures? Will they not find spouses because of a mistake in high school? This can't be true. Plus, bringing up the kids in Uganda and Kenya isn't going to inspire kids in America. Why would we want to be like them? Yes, sending a positive message is amazing for teenagers because we all get enough negative as it is. But one message won't carry self-respect in a hand basket. Each person has to find that on their own. So True Love Waits can speak to some people, but for others listening to some guy preach about their personal lives won't help at all.
- Emily Barrett
February 11, 2009 9:20PM
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Not everything that is said.is done.
Not all the kids that take the true love waits oath is going to keep it. I mean seriously. I have seen people take that pledge and turn around and break it. Some people just take it because they are thinking, "what will I look like if I don't take this pledge?" So I mean its not like everybody takes it seriously. Abstinence sex-ed is good, just not abstinence only sex-ed.
- HAYDEN
February 11, 2009 10:35PM
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Obviously it doesn't...
Pro-abstinence education groups like to say abstinence is 100% successful. As this interview shows, abstinence EDUCATION is not 100% successful.
I thought Bristol's interview was very thoughtful. She's been through a lot, and she's trying to make the best of it. It's great that she has strong support from her family. I wish her well, but I would remind folks that not everyone for whom abstinence education ends if failure have that type of support available. We owe them straight talk about sex.
- word2thewyz
February 18, 2009 11:27AM
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