Abstinence Only Until Marriage (homework question)

[Boxy]

I have to do a presentation on sexual education in schools and represent both side of the issue on how it should be taught-Abstinence only until marriage versus a comprehensive education that includes birth control sexuality education.

I've been trying to find out exactly why the "Abstinence Only Until Marriage" program by the Bush Administration was developed. But I have been unsuccessful. If anyone knows or has any information on the topic, it would be greatly appreciated!

I am expecting things like it was an attempt to lower pregnancy rates and STD rates. But I am also interested in if these rates were already high or not and if religious views (regardless of separation of church and state) had any impact.

Also, any sources you may have on this would be awesome!

[A Lady]

Hi! Here is a site with a bunch of information on chastity and abstinence. It includes many liks to medical journals and other ressources that you may find helpful for your homework.

http://www.chastity.org/

Hope it helped!

[Loving Linux Penguin]

I don't know much, but I do know that abstinence only sex education has been shown to do almost NOTHING at lowering teen pregnancy rates and etc. By comparison, comprehensive programs have passed with flying colors.

[purplemask]

Yeah, the abstinence only programs are usually pushed because of religion and don't provide good sex education. Obviously, even if you tell kids that no sex is the best thing, they're still going to have sex. If you look at some of the countries in europe with really comprehensive sex ed courses, covering all the bases, they have MUCH less unplanned pregnancies/sti/std and contraception is readily available.

[Koharuchan]

The more you tell a young teen not to do something, the more they want to do it. That's how it tends to work, especially when it comes to sex and the sexual urges they're beginning to feel. The abstinence programs are a bit flawed because they tend to emphasize on abstinence and lack the proper teaching of exactly what sex is and what the consequences can be. They need to be more thorough about sex ed; instead of using scare tactics like some schools do, the facts need to be presented. What condoms can do to protect against STD's and STI's, the real specifics of things that they need to know. Most of the time a school doesn't teach enough, and the kids go off having sex without realizing the consequences of their actions. I think schools need to switch from the abstinence only thing, realize that kids are going to have sex no matter what you tell them, and start actually teaching what they need to know. That's why when I have kids, when they get older my husband and I will be the ones to teach them about all this, because my parents left it up to the school and they didn't teach what we needed to know. I had to find out on my own and learn it all through other sources.

[Boxy]

Thanks for the help guys! I just finished my paper!
Now to make a powerpoint -.- ugh...

[Coffee.]

Because you were done with your paper, and the question was answered, I'm going to close this thread. Boxy, or anybody else, if you would like it reopened, just let me or another mod know, and we'd be happy to reopen it, and also feel free to just create another thread as well!