CNN: High School Sex Education Debate

[GiovanniC]

Okay, so they had some people on CNN a little while ago talking about how sex education should be conducted in high schools. One guy was a representative from Planned Parenthood. The other person was a lady who thought that high schools should teach abstinence.

The guy's point was that there should be a balanced approach of teaching contraception, specifically condoms, in addition to abstinence. He says that simply teaching abstinence is ignoring the reality that teens are going to have sex no matter what you say, and they should do so in a safe way if they are going to do so. The standard argument.

The host then asked, "We tell kids not to smoke cigarettes. We don't say, if you're going to smoke, just inhale a little."

Which is the dumbest analogy I have heard in a long time.

Then the woman came on and it sounded like she was arguing against teaching about condom use. But she kept claiming that she supported teaching children about condoms, but that "parents would be shocked if they knew what they were teaching children in the classrooms".

They brought up a study that showed that teen pregnancy was down. The Planned Parenthood guy said that studies showed that 75% of that was because teens were more consistently using condoms, and the other 25% was composed of teens that were waiting. The woman said that the reduction in teen pregnancy was because there were "different expectations" for teens.

Every time the host or the Planned Parenthood guy asked a question about teaching condom use in the schools, she just repeated that "parents would be shocked" if they knew how they were showing them to use condoms or something.

So here's a question: It's been a whole 7 years since I was in high school. When we were taught about sex education, in 8th grade, we learned that abstinence is the preferred method of preventing pregnancy and disease, and we also learned about different methods of contraception, including condom use. I can't think of anything that would have left my parents "shocked". So is there a new curriculum or something? The way she was talking they have a male teacher get up in the classroom and put on a condom in front of these kids or something.

[PA Democrat]

1. I saw it and couldn't figure it out either

Personally, as a parent, I'd rather be shocked about what was being taught about condoms than by a teenage pregnancy.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. The woman wants to go back to the good old days

when NOTHING was said about sex except "don't disgrace your family", with all the onus on the girl. Of course, the girl was never given any information on handling her emotions or the emotions of her boyfriend. And if a girl was raped, well, it was HER fault, you know.

[Sparkly]

3. The "good old days" is a big part of rightwing philosophy

or mythology... They believe there was a time when teenagers were abstinent -- and well-behaved, obedient, respectful to their elders, listening only to "good" music.

I think in general, they believe there was a time when everybody's household was like Ozzie & Harriet's or The Beaver's, and they strive to go "back" to that. Of course, it never existed.

[tjwash]

7. Yeah, and women were subserviant to their men...

...and black people knew their place.


The "good old days" to your basic pug:

[Robb]

4. My parents would have been "shocked"

...to learn what I learned from my peers about sex and contraception, frankly. Insitutionalizing it by having the school teach it took a little of the mystery and taboo appeal out of things, I think.

"Just don't do it" is the stupidest thing you can say to a teen about anything, if my own teenage years are any indication. :eyes:

To quote Berke Breathed, it's the fault of the "narrow, suffocating zealotry masquerading as parenting in this country". :)

[murielm99]

5. In my school district, no parent can claim shock because

if they are worried about what is being taught, they can talk to the teacher(s) and look at the material. They have always been open!

And if there are any parents who want their children to remain ignorant, they have the option of pulling their kid from the class. I don't think that has ever happened.

I was grateful that my kids had such good teachers for sex ed.

Also, I went to a school board meeting about five years ago, as a representative for a group of parents who wanted more AIDS education in our schools.

The first year, we brought in a group of people to teach a special unit. Later, they incorportated more material into the regular curriculum.

I don't have any kids in school here now. But I wish we would include more education about GLBT issues here.

Our school board is conservative, but not stupid. I don't think they would give any of these return-to-the-dark ages people the time of day.

[sandnsea]

6. I'll shock everybody

Mind you, this is in so-called liberal Oregon. My 18 year old, otherwise intelligent son, just informed me a few days ago that condoms don't protect you against AIDS. :wow:

My daughter is 2 years ahead of him, she didn't come away with that impression. Something has obviously changed in the sex ed class. I about had a heart attack. I guess they are teaching that portion of the Christian right's condom propaganda, that's all I can figure. I clearly said some rather rank curse words, followed by Boy, for god's sake wear a condom. They DO work.

First he tells me they taught creationism in his biology class and now this. My oldest went to school in MONTANA and they didn't teach this shit. Definitely going to be some trips to the school board next year. Thank god my kids are out of there.

[GiovanniC]

9. I Live In a Conservative District

When I was in sex ed, we were taught that latex has all these pores in it, and they were big enough for sperm to get through, and the AIDS virus is a thousand times smaller even than a sperm, so condoms still weren't good protection against AIDS.

Maybe they taught him the same thing.

[kitkatrose]

8. High school was two years ago,

and I don't remember being taught sex ed. Maybe in health class, but if we did have it, it couldn't have been for that long. Wait, we, well I, had it in Interpersonal communitications, a home ec elective. 45 min for one day, and I got a handout. It covered contraception, pregnancy, and STDs. Strangely enough, abstinence was mentioned only in passing as the only way to prevent pregnancy and STDs, even though I live in the South. Then AP biology taught me the some, but most of it was in IC. I already knew most of this stuff, except about the female condom, and I don't think my mother would have been "shocked;" it was just like going to the doctor and asking about sex.

[phylny]

10. Way back when

in the 70s my high school health class had a unit on sex - sexually transmitted diseases, general sex education, and contraception. Everything valuable that I ever learned about sex I learned in that class. It never made me promiscuous, but it sure did help me plan out my childbearing when I got married.

It was valuable education, and I support the same sort of education for my three daughters.

[Nikia]

11. In most high schools, students already talk about sex

amongst themselves. Some of the stuff that they tell each other is correct information while other stuff is incorrect. It is important that they get the correct information and know that it is the correct information as far as pregnancy and STD risk reduction. While many teens could benefit from waiting to have sex, biological and sociological issues encourage teenagers to have sex. Some can and will wait but many won't. Even if they do wait until they are adults to have sex, this is still important information.

[Scooter24]

12. I took sex ed

in the 5th grade. I remember bringing a permission slip home for my parents to sign and return. When it was time to take the one-hour class, we got sepearted into boys and girls groups and had a health teacher from the Highschool come to show us. Back then we mostly giggled during the class because it covered things like "erections are normal," those "tingling feelings," and "wet dreams" lol. The visual aids were a bit overwhelming for your average 5th grader as well..lol

Now, in 9th grade, I took health. There we spent a period discussing the issue a bit more in depth: condom usage, teen pregnancy, sexual harrasment, STD's, etc. It really wasn't something that any of us didn't already know with a few exceptions. :)

[K-W]

13. Perhaps if we ignore sex it will go away.

It amazes me that people can be so incredibally divorced from thier own humanity.

[knitter4democracy]

14. I went to a conservative Christian college, and

many of my fellow class-mates had been pulled out of any sex ed classes or units. I was shocked at their total ignorance about their own bodies. I had been raised to think very differently, I guess, so I became known as the girl you could ask any question of or borrow a pad or tampon from. Of course, it was always in whispers . . . And they wondered why women got pregnant as often as they did there . . . Grr! Boy, could I tell some stories of what people asked or said!

Honestly, I don't think there's a whole lot more dangerous you could do to your children than to let them go into the world uneducated about sex, sexuality, and their own bodies.