The nation’s campaign to get more teenagers to delay sex and to use condoms is faltering, threatening to undermine the highly successful effort to reduce teen pregnancy and protect young people from sexually transmitted diseases.
New data from a large government survey show that by every measure, a decade-long decline in sexual activity among high school students leveled off between 2001 and 2007, and that the rise in condom use by teens flattened out in 2003.
Moreover, the survey found disturbing hints that teen sexual activity may have begun creeping up and that condom use among high school students might be edging downward, though those trend lines have not yet reached a point where statisticians can be sure, officials said.
“The bottom line is: In all these areas, we don’t seem to be making the progress we were making before,” said Howell Wechsler, acting director of the division of adolescent and school health at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which conducts the survey. “It’s very troubling.”
It also was predictable.
I wonder if porno films would educate our little kiddies in school and Mister Mustard?
Responsible pornography performers wear condoms during coitus to “protect” against pregnancy. The condom comes off for the rest of the party?
Would this instruct anyone as to what protected sex means?
29 MM
Search for:
Effectiveness: Male condom 85 – 98%
and take the approximate average.
http://www.ppscny.org/birth_control_quick_facts.htm
Refers to only condom users, not the abstinence crowd.
31 MS: My critcism is about the high rate of teen sex as promoted by popular culture, political rights groups and the lack of appreciation and the disregard for the consequences as I’ve mentioned. Deal with that and the reduction of STDs are a bonus by-product.
I’ll let you calculate out how many new human lives are initiated by a 2% pregnancy rate for all US teen condom-users (+ the stat for all other birth control pregnancy rates) and then let me know if this end-result is something worth propagating in our society.
RBG
Mr Red Blue Green – If you’re suggesting that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and transmission of STDs, you’ll get no argument from me.
If, on the other hand, you’re suggesting that “abstinence only” is a viable way of preventing hormone-soaked teens from having sex, getting prgenant, and contracting STDs, you need to go in for a drug test.
A full sex-educational program, including the benefits of abstinence (I guess that means they’d have to teach them to masturbate?), condom use, and other methods of birth control, is really the only way to cut down on teen pregnancy and STD transmission.
Or you perhaps have another suggestion?
33
Yes bobbo..porno films may not be the best way to teach STD protection. Well noted. Possibly this is a reason to have some teaching of the proper way?
However…on a side note…out of the several hundred young adults graduating from a school near you this month, I wonder what the number of hours is that they spent watching porn versus the number spent in useful sex ed? Well..at least the porn performers were wearing one part of the time..maybe that will help some. Let’s hope they don’t get their hands on some “classic” porn from their grandparents video tape stash, and see how the old style abstinence learners did it….^_^
Oh..and RBG..what part of a 91% protection rate is worse than..oh..say a 0% possibility of protection? Just wondering.
#34 – RBG,
I don’t have much to add over Mr. Mustard’s well stated reply.
Abstinence is all well and good. It’s just not realistic. Kids are going to have sex, and not because they see it on TV or the internet. In fact, seeing porn on the internet may help them masturbate rather than having sex with each other.
I don’t think you or anyone else is going to find a way to stop kids from having sex. So, the only real question is whether you think that should be a capital offense. I think not.
I remember sex ed in school… the teacher was more embarrassed than anything else. That’s why parents should talk to their kids about sex and not rely on school doing it. Way too many parents puts themselves outside their parenting role and look at their kids “I can’t understand why he/she is such a failure in ____” … it’s because you as a parent didn’t do your bloody job in teaching/supporting them. It was way more important that you entertained yourself instead of bringing up your child.
I can’t recall any sex ed from my parents. My dad did tell me that smoking was a nasty habit that was no good but that I could smoke all I wanted to as long as I paid for the cigarettes. – – I never took up the habit.
What if he had said the same thing about sex? Its a nasty habit that was no good but I could have all the sex I wanted as long as I paid for the kiddies?
Raises two points for me. Do we not want our kiddies to have sex because of the sex, or because we don’t want them to get pregnant, or we don’t want to pay for the kiddies? I suspect no sex alone on a jealousy basis but no kids is pretty rational while not paying for it would just be my own rationale?
Anyhoo, seems like all responsible parents get their kiddies immunized to present disease, but very few get them birth control. Which is worse–measels or twins?
#38, 39 – Jag & bobbo,
I agree that it is important for parents to take responsibility and not rely on schools. I also agree that as a society we cannot afford to rely on induhvidual parents to impart the proper sex education to their children.
Therefore, yes, parents should discuss sex with their children. However, the schools must do so as well. Children need to receive reliable information from as many sources as possible. And, society can only take responsibility for the public aspects of education, so schools are crucial.
#39 – bobbo
My father never talked to me about sex, but my mother did. It wasn’t the condom stuff, because that I already knew from school. It was more about pornography and its skewed image on women etc. No, she wasn’t a feminist or anything, but she wanted me to know that the women in porn are portrayed as objects. You know… stuff that horny teens don’t really normally think off. 😉
#40 – Misanthropic Scott – However, the schools must do so as well. Children need to receive reliable information from as many sources as possible.
Agreed.
Well, pushing the boundaries here===should schools be mandated to offer contraceptives as requested by kiddies or only with parental approval or not at all?
I’m all for giving it to any kiddie that asks for it. FREEDOM!!!!! Old enough to screw is old enough to get protection. Parents with good relationships with their kiddies have nothing to fear.
#42 – bobbo
I agree on free condoms. Actually, that might warm the hearts of the pro-life movement as there would be less abortions. 😉
Whatever happened to ZPG?
I had sex with my teacher once, but then again I was home schooled.
35 MM, 37 MS:
What I’m suggesting is exactly what I wrote in #15 RBG and that the status quo is not nearly good enough for the reasons stated in #25 RBG.
RBG
http://tinyurl.com/5bohhq
If they’re going to call it Sex Ed, it should be a class teaching technique, complete with homework and in-class demonstrations.
I would suspect that this really comes down to money (as usual). Pouring funding into faith based sex education is a way to funnel funding to a key Republican constituency.
#43 – Jägermeister,
I agree on free condoms. Actually, that might warm the hearts of the pro-life movement as there would be less abortions.
Would that it were true. However, that crowd believes that life begins at conception and ends at birth. They don’t want to reduce pregnancy, only abortion. They’re also pro-life while being pro-gun and pro-death penalty and against any government services to take care of unwanted children. Go figure.
Funny that they’re fine with abortion when it’s state mandated after the 75th trimester.
#46, 15, 25, RBG,
All well and good to explain that creating human life is bad. Personally, I’d leave it at that since I am a misanthrope as advertised; you may want to qualify it somewhat.
And then what? What happens when the raging hormones take over anyway? Don’t you see a need to also explain about the effectiveness of all means of birth control and make them accessible. Or, do you think that if someone doesn’t listen or lets their hormones get the better of them that death penalty is the right answer?
Your idealistic solutions are not realistic … and reflect your personal ideals that may not match with others who may value normal healthy human behavior.
I have always said that ‘abstinence only’ works 100% all the time (but then I was thinking that under the premise that what is taught is followed). What I was taught (20 or so years ago) was that abstinence is the best possible guarantee against pregnancy and STDs (that is actual STDs and not communicable). Here’s the thing, they followed it in the classroom with full information on sex (all educational aspects) and ‘safer’ practices. They did review failure rates (of that time) and they did cover the consequences and outcomes to having sex (adult responsibilities). And yes I went to a public school system. I did hold out until marriage (and not for lack of wanting sex really) and it was difficult. But what I know is this; I would rather my children make an educated ‘mistake’ they can recover from than an uneducated ‘mistake’ that they die from.
I have always said that ‘abstinence only’ works 100% all the time (but then I was thinking that under the premise that what is taught is followed). What I was taught (20 or so years ago) was that abstinence is the best possible (I would say ONLY) guarantee against pregnancy and STDs (that is actual STDs and not communicable diseases). Here’s the thing, they followed it in the classroom with full information on sex (all educational aspects) and ‘safer’ practices. They did review failure rates (of that time) and they did cover the consequences and outcomes to having sex (adult responsibilities). And yes I went to a public school system. I did hold out until marriage (and not for lack of wanting sex really) and it was difficult. But what I know is this; I would rather my children make an educated ‘mistake’ they can recover from than an uneducated ‘mistake’ that they die from.
#52–Relinguish==why use so many words to conclude that abstinence only doesn’t work? So many words, that simple message will be lost on many.
Like any program==is it indoctrination, or is it education?
Indoctrination==just say no–to sex, to drugs, to false religions, to fatty foods etc. It is the only 100% effective way to avoid harm==in fact, one should just stay in bed all day long just to be safe.
Education==get the information and sevices out there and let people consider their options and consequences.
How are you on Post #42?
#53 – bobbo,
Bed’s not safe either. Bedsores. And, there are all of the other health issues associated with a body evolved for an active animal and the lifestyle of a spud.
The only safe way is not to be born. But, who among us is so lucky? Not many. One in a million, perhaps.
#53-Bobbo – I was just trying to give context to my viewpoint. I don’t hold the same viewpoint as others of faith. Sorry there were too many words. Unfortunately education vs. indoctrination is lost on me (but then that’s because most everything can be lost in a society and generation where everything is subjective – a commentary about me not you). Sorry, I digress. As for #42:
— should schools be mandated to offer contraceptives as requested by kiddies or only with parental approval or not at all? —
What I hear is a government social driven question. My view is less government – more personal responsibility. It is based on my view that I say no to a mandate on contraceptives given out through the school system. However, were I to concede to a mandate then parental approval should be sought under the auspice of your statement on parenting relationships.
— Old enough to screw is old enough to get protection. —
Is also old enough to deal with all ramifications of sex, including IF protection fails. See above, about personal responsibility and your #39 on clarification ‘as long as I paid for the kiddies’.
— Parents with good relationships with their kiddies have nothing to fear. —
Agreed
>>Relinguish==why use so many words … ?
Jeez. Pot, meet kettle.
At least “Relinguish” uses standard punctuation.
>>===should schools be mandated to offer
>>contraceptives as requested by kiddies
==-Bobster-==/// ==- You’re trolling again. Why should schools be “mandated to offer” anything besides education and a nutritious lunch?
They’re not mandated to offer Xbox 360s, they’re not mandated to offer Manolo Blahnik shoes, they’re not mandated to offer “personal lubricant”.
Any kid can buy rubbers in a drug store. Or even at the local Publix/ Krogers/ Pathmart/ Winn Dixie. What’s the problem?
#55–Relinquish==you are a trip. I honestly don’t understand enough of what you post to make an argument against it?
You see, I too went to school–many schools around the world. Got many perspectives and often learned the same subject from different cultural viewpoints. Oh sure sometimes the long commutes made me tired and cranky in class and the lack of fluency in foreign language may have left some gaps, and the strange food put me off, but time cured all that with the net effect being I like to think I’m flexible in understanding different points of view.
Thats all context for you seem to support a lack of education that will give you the outcome you don’t want the most on the assumption you are a good parent?
Hey, thats why/how/what we learn from our kids.
>>and the lack of fluency in foreign
>>language may have left some gaps
Are you claiming that you went to schools where the language of instruction was not English, Bobbo? Hmmm?
#57–Mustard, you ask penetrating questions.
Why should schools do anything you wonder? Well, because our kiddies are required to be there most of the active day in the company of other developing minds. Because when you get pregnant your formal education/life in general suffers? Because schools are resources to serve the public as the majority wishes? Because “doing” is the best education you can have? Because schools are often the locus of public health services?
But thats just off the top of my head without thinking. Give me a day or two for a considered list===and you think about it too?
#59–Mustard, I don’t give out personal information except in error. Any answer one way or the other will become a distracting side issue.
Look how stupidly I comment on your choice of spice? Imagine if you had any real ammunition, imaginary or otherwise?