Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Abstinence, Shmabstinance

Looks like lots of unprotected premarital sex is going on in the bible belt, it just doesn't make any sense, you would think teaching kids about abstinence would work as opposed to teaching that evil sex-ed with all of it's condom talk, it's basically condoning premarital sex, one would think one of those evil Satan worshiping, homo marrying liberal states like New Jersey, Massachusetts or California would have higher rates of teen pregnancies.

Okay tongue out of my cheek: Abstinence-only sex education has totally failed the nation's teens
Programs mandated to teach only "the social, psychological and health gains (of) abstaining from sexual activity" have been awarded failing grades for truth and effectiveness. The programs that work best combine honest information about sexuality, including contraception.
By
Ellen Goodman

1 comment:

just Rusty said...

Looking at the map and corresponding highest growth in teen pregnancy, I guess it reinforces the "rep" of the "Dirty South"^_^. The teens are certainly keeping it crunk when it comes to knockin' boots.
I was just talking to Paula about how over-sexual-ized American culture has become. I believe this growth in younger people's interest/obsession (especially females)with sexuality is based on the old addagge of "sex selling". Problem is that unscrupulous people (advertising world) are again foregoing ethics and targetting a younger and younger audience and slowly but surely blurring the line between adult, teen and adolescent sexuality for the sake of profit.
We made an important cultural distinction too in talking about Brasil. In Brasil, children are definitely comfortable and free to express "sexuality" or an openness with themselves and their bodies at younger ages. Almost all girls wear bikinis from a young age, dance samba, and boys learn to be macho. But it is less from fashion and advertising bombardment and more of a historic cultural influence. In this way it is more innate/innocent and not a result of external messaging. (As time goes on and American imperialism continues, this is changing unfortunately.)
It is really sad to me the extent to which fashion and advertising has and is screwing up the heads of susceptible females with regards to self image.