Poll: Big Issues with Abstinence-Only Sex Ed

[AngryMongoose]

Fun Game: replace every instance of the word "Abstinence" in the OP with "Absinthe."

From personal experience I'd say the failure rate for Absinthe Only is something more than 88%

I want to know how to apply Absinthe properly 0_0

Anyway; I can say that the European approach, at least the UK one (in non-faith schools) is generally pretty enlightened. Condoms are handed out at every opportunity. My Uni has a candy bowl full of them at every Union reception desk (I... mistook for a bowl of candy... so many colours...), and they explained the most fundamental aspects of the mechanisms in primary school.

Capthca: toe-curling
XD

 

[Sir_Auron_the_Badass]

At my school(s) in the UK, we didn't have "abstinence-only" sex education. They just taught us normal sex education without brushing over any of the gruesome stuff. We watched graphic videos of ejaculation and childbirth. They taught us stuff about puberty, sex, condoms...the basics, really. I mean, why would they bother telling a group of horny teenagers "don't have sex, you might get STDs/pregnant", when they know that they're just going to do it anyway?

This. Guilt-tripping and scare-stories are powerless when put up against the teenage sex drive. If it's on the table, they're going to do it, because no matter how much they're told that it's wrong by their elders, every single hormone in their body is telling them otherwise, and the hormones shout a lot louder.

Plus there's the fact that basically everything we ever do comes with risks, especially driving (which comes with its own scare stories); it's a part of life.

Also, to use a car metaphor again: those that claim teaching about safe sex will promote promiscuity and increase the number of STI outbreaks and unwanted pregnancies could be likened to teaching people about using seat-belts would promote reckless driving, but that would be idiotic, just like the former statement.

 

[5ilver]

Option Z: Sex-ed in my area has never existed at all and I find the entire educational system a big joke.

 

[Sir_Auron_the_Badass]

I consider the opposite to be nearly as bad. The sex ed program I'm familiar with did a fair job with protection, STDs, etc. But their attempts to discourage promiscuity boiled down to:

"Or, well, I guess you could just treat sex like it is something not to be done lightly... loser" *cue sitcom laugh track*

At least some teenagers will have sex no matter what is said, and encouraging them to at least do it safely is important for that reason. However, failing to encourage a sense of overall responsibility when it comes to sex can have just as disastrous results as demanding that they not have sex at all.

Oh, no doubt that this is a subject matter that should be handled and talked about responsibly. If you don't respect yours and your partners body, it would only lead to bad things in their future. A huge thing about abstinence-only sex-ed though is that those who had that kind of education and still go through with it don't really have the knowledge required to handle it properly and responsibly because it was withheld from them.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

I was right on the cusp of the abstinence only movement when I was in school, but I don't think it ever quite caught on. I always found the abstinence only stuff to be a lot hotter than the sterile medical material. I remember getting aroused by a chart that described the stages of contact that led to sexual intercourse and the "warning signs." First there's touching, then kissing, then neck kissing, biting, then touching of the groin area... mmm.... I believe it was a G.W. Bush mandated packet, but the whole of the class was fairly half assed all around. Also in that packet, it said that pregnancy and STDs were possible from something called "mutual masturbation" which both then and now sounded insane, yet incredibly hot. I thought "I want to do that with someone." Meanwhile, the discussions of birth control and condoms was dry and boring. We were told from a couple of places the horrible health risks that come from birth control. Yeah, right...

 

[Prosis]

We had sex ed in 8th grade. To appease parents who didn't want their kids learning about sex, there was a sign-out slip.

They were honest with the statistics, stating that abstinence was best, but condoms were also very good.

They didn't preach abstinence. However, they had a great way of encouraging it. A video of... body regions that had been infected with various STDs.

Opposite genders didn't even look at each other for a week.

We got sex ed again in highschool freshman year, but the 8th grade was a lot more comprehensive.

 

[Dags90]

When I was in 6th grade (11-12 y/o) we started sex ed with condoms, STDs, etc. In 8th grade you cover more anatomy, including the science behind reproduction, learn to do self cancer exams (kind of odd to have girls doing it but whatevs).

Then two years after that (10th grade for you Liberal Arts majors), you go through the STDs, pregnancy in greater detail.

 

[Vuliev]

We had sex ed in 8th grade. To appease parents who didn't want their kids learning about sex, there was a sign-out slip.

They were honest with the statistics, stating that abstinence was best, but condoms were also very good.

Pretty much what my middle school did, opt-out slip and all, except for this part:

They didn't preach abstinence. However, they had a great way of encouraging it. A video of... body regions that had been infected with various STDs.

That showed up in 10th grade, and oh my god there is no better way to get teens to practice safe sex. That shit is disgusting and horrifying to think that it could happen to me if I'm not careful.

 

[DANEgerous]

You know what is kind sad? I came inhere and expected to kind of dissect this issue but the poll and it's potion of "Comprehensive" arguments leave me with only this to say.

Abstinence Only is not comprehensive, not even in the slightest. In this they actively encourage all the negatives associated with sex in that one you find out how utterly bullshit it is you tend to ignore any good advice it may have provided. It is like reefer madness it makes what you oppose far more appealing because of how absurdly you present it and your level of ignorance.

 

[Sean951]

My district gave us a week of 2 hours a day class time to introduce us to what the hell was going on in 4th grade, did it again in 5th and 6th. If you read the pamphlet, it told you more about sex and safe sex, but I only read it once as a laugh. In 7th grade, our Human Growth class went through the usual units, drugs, sex, STIs etc. and 8th saw the most in depth coverage that I ever got. We learned the percentages of the various forms of birth control and why we should always use a condom and that a lot of the rumors were stupidly false. I'm sure there was more in 10th grade, but by that point I was so tired of the class and the teacher was so weird, I got my parents to opt me out and took Cooking instead.

The schools pushed abstinence as the preferred method and the only 100% effective method, but that is actually based in fact. All other forms CAN fail and no school wants kids having sex, and since I live in Bible country, I'm rather proud of my district.

 

[JasonKaotic]

My school was pretty much "LOOK AT THIS! IT'S A MOULDY DICK! IF YOU HAVE SEX YOURS WILL LOOK LIKE THIS!" so yeah, my school preached abstinence. Seriously, I jokingly said to my teacher "I'm going abstinent now" or something along those lines, and thinking I was being serious, she replied by saying "Good!" with a smile. Yeah. It was really annoying.

 

[Shadow flame master]

I've never went to with a sex ed class, simply because there never was a sex ed class. We were left to our own devices to learn what was good and what was bad. Of course, some people got pregnant and left school. The other side of this was the kids who believed that it was a sin/wasn't a good idea to lose your virginity before you got married.

My parents didn't teach me much about the subject besides that I have to wear a condom at ALL times when having sex. In fact, the only reason I see that explains why I'm still a virgin is that I don't think much of having sex in the first place.

 

[Xan Krieger]

I graduated in 2008 and I don't even remember sex-ed. I'm not even sure if my school had one.

Also what's wrong with abstinence only? Is it because kids are too stupid that when they hear "Don't have sex" they hear "Lil'Wayne is awesome!"?

 

[tobi the good boy]

Stick 'em with the pointy end. Was basically what I learnt about sex in my school.

EDIT: Was enough.

 

[Scabadus]

This last point is enforced by the fact that the government grants funding to school districts that promise to teach abstinence-only sex "education" instead of a comprehensive, fact-based style.

WHAT?!

Allow me a moment of perfect clarity: That. Is. Fucking. Disgraceful.

I was going to make a comment about my sex ed being existent but hardly comprehensive, but after that quote this doesn't seem the place for jokes.

I once heard it said that when all the adults in this world were young they listened to their elders, ate their greens and went to bed on time. They also all have selective amnesia which is why they think the previous sentence is true. The various urges and needs of teenagers and how they differ to adults and children have been extremely well documented many, many times. Everything from the sex drive to altered sleep schedules had been observed, explained and documented in any number of text books. It's not just a myth or lazyness from the current generation, and the teenage mind and body is not simply an inexperienced version of an adult's.

For example: there was a school that (finally) noticed that teenagers are not morning people. I know, shocking revelation. They altered their hours to accommodate this (I forget the specifics, I think they simply pushed everything back 2 hours, presumably keeping lunch break when is was) and instantly got better results, in every subject. Has any other school done this? No of course not, because don't you know that teenagers naturally get up at the same early hours as school board adults, and them sleeping in is just them being lazy?

 

[Worgen]

My school was pretty much "LOOK AT THIS! IT'S A MOULDY DICK! IF YOU HAVE SEX YOURS WILL LOOK LIKE THIS!" so yeah, my school preached abstinence. Seriously, I jokingly said to my teacher "I'm going abstinent now" or something along those lines, and thinking I was being serious, she replied by saying "Good!" with a smile. Yeah. It was really annoying.

Ill bet a fun thing to do is to ask an abstinence only sex teacher if anal counts, then if oral counts, then ask about a hand job and ask if that counts, then ask if it still counts if you spit.

 

[Iszfury]

Living in North Carolina, our classes were abstinence-only. 17 of our upperclassmen came out thoroughly, 100%, pregnant after leaving the program. They neglected to use contraceptives. Explains a lot?

 

[GenericAmerican]

The schools I went to never had sex ed.

I have nothing further to contribute to this discussion.

 

[BOOM headshot65]

My school was in some wierd neither region (no puns please) between abstinence-only and the other one in 7th grade. Namely, they explained contraception and how to use it, but they said "Stay away from it until you are married." Most people did. I think, only one girl out of the classes 150ish girls got pregnant over the 12 years I was there, which I hear is the norm.

Then again, I skipped the class. The only reason I know what they went over is because of my girlfriend (who still kind of shudders thinking about the "Sock on Banana" they were shown on how to use condoms). I decided at the age of 13 that I would not have sex until I was married. Even after, my parents still tried to explain it to me.....they succedded once. Every time after that, I tuned them out and gave them a groan that translated too "Ok, I get it. If I want to have sex, use a condom, blah, blah, blah, isnt 100% safe. There. It isnt 100% safe. So I am just not going to have sex. NOW CAN WE PLEASE STOP TALKING ABOUT IT, I HATE THIS SUBJECT!!!!?" And if I have the problem of my mind drifts off:

Spoiler: NO!!! BAD!!! EVACUATE!!!! GO TO HAPPY PLACE!!!

Ah, happy place.........

 

[Sir_Auron_the_Badass]

I graduated in 2008 and I don't even remember sex-ed. I'm not even sure if my school had one.

Also what's wrong with abstinence only? Is it because kids are too stupid that when they hear "Don't have sex" they hear "Lil'Wayne is awesome!"?

The biggest thing wrong is the only part. That system offers little to no accurate information on masturbation, safe sex, contraceptives, and a couple other things, opting to say nothing to help guide and protect the teens that go ahead anyway (because, you know, teenagers can be very rebellious and horny, so it's bound to happen no matter what they're told). Don't get me wrong, abstinence is the only 100% effective way to prevent infections and pregnancies when properly used, and comprehensive sex-ed does cover this, but it would be a cold day in hell if every non-married couples stopped having sex because they were told to. So until that happens, people will constantly have sex, so it would be best for them to have the proper knowledge and how best to protect themselves doing it.