No, abstinence shouldn't be taght in school safe sex should. The bottom line is the teens that are going to have sex at that age are going to do it no matter what, so we should make sure that they are given all the info they need.

They should just have two sex ed classes and let students decide which one to attend. It's probably not the best idea but at least both sides would be happy to some extent.

Lol

Absolutely not. I don't know why people even say, "But we should at least be teaching that abstinence is the ONLY 100% safe birth control/STD protection," because that is a standard part of comprehensive sex education. That IS what comprehensive sex education teaches; they also talk about condoms, birth control, spermicide, getting tested, etc. I wish I could punch someone in the face every time they suggest that the options are only "abstinence only" or "how to have safe sex, only." Seriously, I'd pay good money to break my fist pounding those people in the face, and I'd smile, the whole time.

I'm disgusted with abstinence only proponents; they also tend to be against abortion. That's quite the combo, there! Besides, parents can decide if they want to keep their poor kids ignorant and in the dark, and pull them out of those health classes that discuss sex ed. Just like when evolution is taught in science classes; those subjects are controversial, and parents can opt out of allowing their kids to attend those classes. So if you want to fuck your kid up, fine. But stop complaining about other kids getting a real education that will benefit them and allow them to use the information they learn to make responsible, educated decisions, and shut up about it.

Sorry for the anger, but I've known too many people who have screwed their lives up for making poor decisions because their parents were too delusional and stupid to educate them. It's really despicable.

So if you want to fuck your kid up, fine.

That is most definitely not 'fine'.

I think "abstinence only" education doesn't work. Instead kids should be taught about birth control methods,how to avoid STD's and safe forms of sex like outercourse/non-PIV sex,masturbation and sex toys.

Abstinence-only sex education is ridiculous, I'm loathed to even call it "education." Schools are supposed to be about imparting children with the knowledge they need to survive in the world. They need to be given proper facts about contraceptive so they can come to their own educated decisions. The number of teens who will ever stick to a pledge to be abstinent is slim, and when they succumb to natural urges they need to know what to do to keep themselves safe and avoid unwanted pregnancy.

NO! No no no no no. No. I used to work for Planned Parenthood in their education branch. There is numerous research out there that demonstrates how ineffective abstinence-only education is. Comprehensive sexual education that teaches SAFE contraception methods and STI prevention while emphasizing abstinence as the only 100% fool proof method is most effective. We can't expect teenagers to not have sex or to take the initiative to do their own research. Even if they did try and research sexual information themselves, there is so much false information out there that it's easy to be misled by peers or the internet. I wish this argument would die. I don't understand conservative logic behind funding a PROVEN ineffective education program.

not at all, so many teens are getting knocked up because they are led to believe abstinence is the only way because that birth contraceptives don't work so they don't bother with them.

Telling kids not to have sex obviously doesn't work and is just down right ridiculous. Instead, they should hear the truth about sex and what consequences they may face so they can make informed decisions.

There is no way that abstinence-only sex education is enough or that it works. Shit, even more comprehensive sex ed is still flawed (by virtue of being super ciscentric or super heterocentric).

kids need to be told the reality of life and consequences of their actions so that they can make proper choices

I think the abstinence-only thing is more dangerous than no sex education at all -- better to go elsewhere to learn about birth control than to be told wrong information about it.

I also think we need real birth control education in schools due to the parents who are screwing their kids up with abstience only education at home.

Last night I found out that the third of my Right Wing, Uber Catholic, Birth Control fearing cousin's kids has gotten knocked up accidentally.

The oldest was first. She got married, but her husband still doesn't have a job. Then her baby sister (doing really well in college and now the THIRD in this family to drop out due to pregnancy) just had a baby a few months ago, no job and boyfriend has no job. Now, the middle one, the brother, knocked up his girlfriend. From what I heard, neither of them have jobs, he bounced around several colleges and didn't get an education and now they all live in Mommy and Daddy's home, on the Dole, with their children. Good job, Cuz! (You can get on Public Aid even if you live with your parents, if you tell Public Aid your parents are charging you rent... even when they aren't. As in these situations.)

In this economy, these kids don't have a chance. Their dad is well educated, has a good job, their mom is also a nurse, well educated and employed and their kids... all parents before they were ready, without complete educations or jobs which I can only attribute to abstinence only parenting.

Somebody needed to teach these kids how to use a condom or drag those girls to Planned Parenthood. (The oldest one is on her thrid pregnancy.) Seriously. And, this is probably the 8th or 9th Uber Right Wing family who uses Ab Only Ed for their kids who have had all the kids get pregnant BEFORE they were ready to live their own lives as responsible adults.

As Conservative Republicans, I wonder how all these Ab Only parents feel now that ALL their own children and grandchildren are now on Public Aid, WIC etc. (I have nothing against Public Aid or WIC, but the parents of these new parents are always the ones complaining about "all those people on welfare" but they set their OWN kids up to live their lives on the Public Dole, due to becoming parents too soon.

Ridiculous. My kids get talked with from toddlerhood, they get a copy of Our Bodies Ourselves when they are tweens and get taken to Planned Parenthood around 16. I don't have any unplanned grandchildren. (And because my kids are well versed in politics, they know the economy is still healing and have good reasons not to be parents until things get better for their situations.)

These people set their own children up to live the very type of lives they have spent their lives complaining about "other" people living.

Well...abstinence might be the only "sure fire" way of preventing pregnancy, it is certainly the WORST method of education! If we taught all methods (or at least those that are available geographically, I'm guessing "plan B" might be a little hard to get out in the rain forest or something) I think there would be a few less unwanted pregnancies.

No, teach safe sex.

I think abstinence has a definite place in the curriculum. The schools focus heavily on the scary stuff like STD's and the pain of childbirth, but they don't ever seem to mention things like "Sex is often a form of bonding, and when that bond is broken, it hurts a lot". Not slut-shaming, but being honest with the kids. True love can wait until you know you're ready, and if someone is trying to push you out of your comfort zone in regards to sex, then they don't really love you. And that goes whether you've already had sex or if you haven't.

I don't think "They're going to have sex anyway" is really the default state for all teens. I only knew one couple who had sex in high school, and they were seniors. My friends were a bit of an odd group, but except for that pair, everyone else either lost theirs in college, when they got engaged or married, or still haven't lost theirs, and we're all in our mid-to-late 20's. I'm still for comprehensive education, but there are plenty of teens who are not having sex for one reason or another. They can be well-served by comprehensive sex ed for the future (three of my old high school friends are relying on withdrawal only, because they don't trust doctors and think that taking hormonal birth control will cause deformed babies. They're all from the same family, but still), but I never really liked the argument "Teens are all going to be having sex".

we need some type of program to teach the teens and pre-teens to stop having sex with anyone and everyone, teens seem to not care about how many people they have any type of sex with. Teach them that sex is perfectly normal, but there is a time and a place for it. These teens should be out having fun and hanging with friends not screwing as many people as possible. Some of the teens my kids went to school with have slept with people numbering in the hundreds. I have had sex with 4 people in my 40 years.

Abstinence only education is pointless. By the time I had such a class I had already had sex and I was able to recognize that the man teaching it was a liar, not to mention he was pretty insulting to people who had sex before marriage.

Does abstinence-only education work? Hell no!

Definitely not effective!

Hell no, that will never work.

it has actually been proven to not help. Too bad scientific facts don't always vibe with some of these groups!

As someone that was educated in a state where abstinence is the only option they can teach, I KNOW it doesn't work. I abstained from sex until I was 18 and in a serious relationship, but that had nothing to do with the scare tactics used by teachers. I believed in waiting, so I did.