Anti-abstinence sex-ed policy fails to prevent STD explosion in California

CNA ^ | October 19, 2007

[NYer]

Sacramento, Oct 19, 2007 / 11:01 am (CNA).- According to a study published last month in the Californian Journal of Health Promotion, there were 1.1 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young Californians in 2005, the California Catholic reports. 

The figure is ten times higher than previously believed.  If the study is accurate, diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, and HIV now infect almost one out of four Californians in the 15-24 age group.

The authors believe that their figures are underestimated because of incomplete screening of sexually active young people and failures in follow-up testing.

The California Department of Education reports that 96 percent of California school districts provide comprehensive sexual health education.  All California schools have been required to teach HIV/AIDS prevention since 1992.

According to Chris Weinkopf, editorial-page editor of the Los Angeles Daily News, state law prohibits 'abstinence-only' education in public schools.  California has also refused to accept millions of dollars in federal funding for abstinence education.

Linda Klepacki, sexual health analyst for Focus on the Family Action, thought the dramatic increase was unsurprising.  "California has insisted on teaching contraceptive-based sex education in their schools all along. They expect teens to be sexually active. They don’t raise the health standard to abstinence… It's clear California supports sexually active teens, and STI rates will naturally explode with these policies," she wrote in an on-line press release.

Plan B, the so-called "morning-after pill," could be another factor contributing to the increase in STIs.   Sexually transmitted infections soared in the British Isles when Plan B was made available without prescription in 2000.  California was one of the first states to permit the sale of Plan B over-the-counter without an age limit.

Along with the increase in sexually transmitted infections, there has also been a striking increase in the suicide rates among young people.  UCLA psychiatrist Dr. Miriam Grossman has argued that promiscuity is the root cause of much depression.  She believes the promiscuity-depression-suicide link is being ignored by doctors who fail to caution students about the dangers of the "hook-up" culture.

[NYer]

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[DeFault User]

One of the plot lines of Boston Legal dealt with this topic last week. Of course, they got it exactly wrong.

[Awestruck]

No big shock here...If we don’t teach self control, no flimsy piece of latex is going to keep them safe.

[poobear]

“They expect teens to be sexually active. They don’t raise the health standard to abstinence It’s clear California supports sexually active teens, and STI rates will naturally explode with these policies,” she wrote in an on-line press release.”

And so it goes... Simple morality going down the hell in a hand basket road do to the casual “hooking up” syndrome. Nobody is a whore, “Everybody’s doing it!”

Heavenly Father God, Please help me to help my 12 year old daughter. In HIS Name, Amen.

[skinkinthegrass]

...Well, If they can't/won't read (WHAT NO PICTURES! :), to begin with....and besides, who's teaching 'em, an group from the Teacher Union.

[vetsvette]

“Anti-abstinence sex-ed policy fails to prevent STD explosion in California”

Will leftists ever learn?

(of course that’s a rhetorical question)

[wagglebee]

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[stephenjohnbanker]

The aftermath of leftism............degeneration of a people!

[wagglebee]

Here is a great editorial that destroys the anti-abstinence agenda:

Condoms Solve STDs Like Seatbelts Solve DUI Accidents

[Tax-chick]

Sexually transmitted infections soared in the British Isles when Plan B was made available without prescription in 2000. California was one of the first states to permit the sale of Plan B over-the-counter without an age limit.

This is so obvious. Aside from the promotion of promiscuity in the schools and the culture, a primary driver of the STD epidemic is hormonal contraceptives. When the girls are taking pills, patches, or shots, the motivation for condom use goes way down.

Wake up, girls! Guys don't care if you get pregnant, and they don't care if you get a potentially fatal disease. Tell them to leave you alone!

[mimaw]

To hell with them let them degenerate. I’m tired of looking to the nanny states for solutions to our moral and social problems. Why the hell are they teaching any of this in school. They don’t have enough time or ability to adequately teach our kids to read write and compute why do we trust these people to educate our children in sex education? If parents and pastors can’t teach their children what is moral behavior why do we expect teachers to get it right.

[elpadre]

It appears these liberal ordered states with their sex-ed how-to classes, condom distribution, ties with abortion clinics are not in the least preventing the spread of pregnancies and disease. They are promoting a 60’s style “free-love” mentality espoused by their grandparents.

[metmom]

Well, no kidding.

This could only surprise a brain damaged liberal.

[LiveFreeOrDie2001]

Did you know ** 80% ** of Women have or will get HPV by the age of 50 ??

It's the one most people carry around, "don't even know it", inless it's the few of it's strains that give warts....

[NYer]

This comes on top of the story of the Norwegian child psychologist who thinks it's okay for pre-schoolers to masturbate in class, the earlier story from Germany where yet another child psychologist is encouraging parents to stimulate their baby's sex organs and the Middle School in ME that will soon be distributing birth control to its students.

Our children are growing up in a sex-saturated culture. Is it any wonder that, like typical youth, they follow the directives of their educators over those of their parents. We are rapidly sinking into a man-made morass. As parents, we need to find a voice with which to decry this outrageous and impertinent assault on our children.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I don't know that I'd expect the schools to teach my kids either the public-health measure of abstinence or the moral requirement of chastity.

I'd be happy if they'd just STOP teaching them promiscuity.

Beter yet I would like the Separation of School and State ^TM

No public schools. Shut 'em down.

Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!

[IronJack]

The answer to this is obvious: find another government program to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on. Everyone knows that spending money on problems makes them go away.

[NYer]

Heavenly Father God, Please help me to help my 12 year old daughter. In HIS Name, Amen.

It's not too late to implement some solutions. Many of these messages come through tv - especially those preferred by youth - MTV & VH1. Most importantly, speak with your daughter - right now, about abstinence! You have a 3 year window of opportunity in which to solidify this message.

Here is how to do it.

[Sergio]

Save for later reading.

[robomatik]

wasn’t there a recently published book titled “Generation Slut?”

[bert]

The scourge of disease and then death are highly underrated as motivators. Death in adequate numbers will reverse the trend.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Beter yet I would like the Separation of School and State TM

No public schools. Shut ‘em down.”

BTTT

[Paleo Conservative]

You can say that again.

[murphE]

“Beter yet I would like the Separation of School and State"

Perfect!

[Tax-chick]

BTTT again.

No government schools. Private pay or private charity.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

California STDs way up.

California illegal immigration population way up.

Hmmm... Coincidence? I think not.

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

California STDs way up.

California illegal immigration population way up.

Hmmm... Coincidence? I think not.

[DesScorp]

California has embraced the “slutification” of our kids. Our kids getting venereal diseases then should be no surprise.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“To hell with them let them degenerate. I’m tired of looking to the nanny states for solutions to our moral and social problems. Why the hell are they teaching any of this in school. They don’t have enough time or ability to adequately teach our kids to read write and compute why do we trust these people to educate our children in sex education? If parents and pastors can’t teach their children what is moral behavior why do we expect teachers to get it right.”

Public schools, by and large, are nothing but sewers. What ever happened to school vouchers? Oh yeah.....not PC.

[Das Outsider]

The aftermath of leftism............degeneration of a people!

And it ain't the economy, stupid. Marxist thought, from which today's liberalism is derived, begins with a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of man and the existence of God.

Going through the Scriptures, one can see that God isn't an economist, so let's stop trying to melt down the soul of a nation to differing economic theories. There is much more to socialism than universal health care.

The degeneration of a people infects every aspect of life and thought--even in the Republican party, which, I'm told, is made up of fallible sinners.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“The degeneration of a people infects every aspect of life and thought—even in the Republican party, which, I’m told, is made up of fallible sinners.”

Very well put.

[Das Outsider]

Public schools, by and large, are nothing but sewers. What ever happened to school vouchers? Oh yeah.....not PC.

The term 'public' is an exercise in equivocation. When we talk about "the public," we mean the populace at large. But who controls our 'public' institutions? Answer: The government. In other words, they're government schools, like the DMV of so-called education.

Government schools are sewers, and very dirty ones, given current environmental policies. Honestly, ask yourself this: Who is more qualified to educate my children--me or NEA-influenced government workers?

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Honestly, ask yourself this: Who is more qualified to educate my children—me or NEA-influenced government workers?”

Youze!Hands down!

By the way. I homeschooled my daughter(with the aid of an outstanding tutor)from 6th grade on. She scored 760 and 780
on the SAT’s, and was accepted to Stanford. She had several good friends who were also homeschooled, and had an active social life. I have no regrets for having done this!

[Das Outsider]

By the way. I homeschooled my daughter(with the aid of an outstanding tutor)from 6th grade on. She scored 760 and 780 on the SAT’s, and was accepted to Stanford. She had several good friends who were also homeschooled, and had an active social life. I have no regrets for having done this!

Congratulations to your daughter. I have the greatest admiration for men who choose to do the right thing and take their kids out of government schools. You did the right thing, SJB, and I have the deepest respect for you because of it.

All--and I mean ALL--of the homeschool kids that I've dealt with have been far brighter and more educated than the government-educated section of their cohort.

You did the right thing; an act of true parental love, as far as I'm concerned.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Thanks. The main reason I did the homeschooling was I had several friends that were doing this with their own kids. They were way ahead of the public school students......even the private schools.

[Das Outsider]

Thanks. The main reason I did the homeschooling was I had several friends that were doing this with their own kids. They were way ahead of the public school students......even the private schools.

Private schools are good, but homeschooling is better. Let's go back to my earlier question: Who is more qualified to raise and educate children? Government schools have become both teacher and babysitter, except they're babysitters with a little more imbued authority. Remember, for so many kids school is a powerful form of secondary socialization.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” Remember, for so many kids school is a powerful form of secondary socialization”

And much of the socialization is not conducive to a happy child, or good behavior.

[Das Outsider]

And much of the socialization is not conducive to a happy child, or good behavior.

Try pubescent "meat market." Government schools produce good drones: those educated enough to serve but not thoughtful enough to ask good questions.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Government schools produce good drones: those educated enough to serve but not thoughtful enough to ask good questions”

Well stated!

[Das Outsider]

California has embraced the “slutification” of our kids. Our kids getting venereal diseases then should be no surprise.

Not that a little STD is a bad thing. Valtrex commercials are everywhere. Having genital herpes used to invite--oh, what's the word?--stigma. But why be judgmental? Doing what feels good, regardless of consequence, has been a state-sanctioned value for years.

This is bigger than Caliphornia, though the Fool's Gold State is very much a major battleground.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Of course huge, uncontrolled illegal immigration has had its impact on all kinds of infectious diseases, not just the sexual ones.

But the sexual ones have been stoked by a different class of people: the affluent, educated, amoral ruling class which considers itself to be above all moral law and which considers toleration celebration, promotion, and huge subsidy for squalid sexual beahvior to be a virtue in itself.

This explosion of STI's was not ultimately incubated in Chiapas and Iztapalapa, but in Berkeley, Stanford, and UCLA.

[Barnacle]

...diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, and HIV now infect almost one out of four Californians in the 15-24 age group.

Does California now qualify for "Third World" status?

[Dumb_Ox]

Guys don't care if you get pregnant, and they don't care if you get a potentially fatal disease. Tell them to leave you alone!

For a long time I wondered why there was no male contraceptive analogous to The Pill, and then I realized it was for this very reason. Women won't trust men to use it. That kind of mistrust is a horrible basis for a deep relationship.

[Tax-chick]

Women won't trust men to use it.

Why would they? Men can't get pregnant.

That kind of mistrust is a horrible basis for a deep relationship.

That's why a "deep relationship" must permanent, exclusive, and open to life.

[SweetCaroline]

Take sex education out of the schools, it’s the parents responsibility not theirs!