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Sexual abstinence drives stretch facts
Reuters ^ | Thu, Dec 02, 2004

Posted on 12/02/2004 9:13:35 AM PST by presidio9

U.S. youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only sex-education courses often get inaccurate or misleading information, the Washington Post has reported.

According to a congressional staff analysis, some courses teach that touching a person's genitals can lead to pregnancy, abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, and half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, the Post said.

The report, prepared for California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, reviewed the curricula of more than a dozen projects aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, the Post said.

The Bush administration will provide $170 million (88 million pounds) next year to groups that teach abstinence only. Several million children age nine to 18 have participated in more than 100 federal abstinence programs since they began in 1999.

The report found that 11 of the 13 most commonly used curricula in such programs contained unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, the Post said.

Waxman's staff found the curricula included misconceptions such as a 43-day-old foetus is a "thinking person," HIV can be spread through tears and sweat and condoms failed to prevent HIV transmission in 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse, the Post said.

"I have no objection to talking about abstinence as a sure-fire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. I don't think we should lie to our children about science," Waxman told the newspaper.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: abstinence; sexeducation
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To: mike182d
"because Planned Parenthood never stretches any facts "

And their "counselors" are trained to tell teenage girls, when they express remorse over killing their baby, that giving birth will result in a death of sorts to the mother, because she is now saddled with having to raise a child.

Sheesh.

21 posted on 12/02/2004 9:44:13 AM PST by tom h
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Well, at least it's "FOR THE CHILDREN"!


22 posted on 12/02/2004 9:54:08 AM PST by knick knack (Kerry's been consistent in many ways in his position.)
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To: presidio9

BTTT


23 posted on 12/02/2004 9:57:09 AM PST by EdReform (Free Republic - helping to keep our country a free republic. Thank you for your financial support!)
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To: Prime Choice
"They left out the other part; that said pregnancy can happen if you come in contact with semen and then touch the labia. Granted, pregnancies from such contact are unlikely, but not impossible."

Your full of it. LOL

24 posted on 12/02/2004 10:00:14 AM PST by Orange1998
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To: fritzz
But, love and physics will sometimes overcome even the best intentions

Confusing Love and sex is part of the problem. Mixed messages like these send the wrong message. We can teach our kids not to act out on other urges like anger, hate, and other social behavior but when it comes to sexual urges we throw in the towel because it is too difficult (or we seem to think).

Unless people on this thread right now are in the actual act of intercourse, abstinence is working right now...

Humans are not animals.

25 posted on 12/02/2004 10:06:12 AM PST by frog_jerk_2004
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To: Orange1998
Your full of it. LOL

And you're a frickin' idiot. Your point?

26 posted on 12/02/2004 10:11:04 AM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: frog_jerk_2004
I've got three kids. They were all big daters, no unwanted pregnancies. I've been there, myself and my kids. My point is love leads to sex. We don't live in a perfect world. Teaching morals and abstinence is good, but it is not fail safe. If I were single, I'd do it differently than when I was younger, but, love would still lead to sex. Nothing is perfect. Abstinence will GUARENTEE any unwanted pregnancies. A promise of abstinence will only REDUCE unwanted pregnancies.
27 posted on 12/02/2004 10:20:03 AM PST by fritzz (Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers)
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To: fritzz
Abstinence is a philosophy not a absolute

Abstinence training has cut aids among women in at least one african nation from 26 to 6 percent. Abstinence isn't perfect but is better than so-called safe sex, which isn't safe at all. Yes, I remember being young in the 1950s when most teenagers did abstain and unwed pregnancy and STDs was much lower than todays rate. It was difficult and most of the burden was placed on the girl, but it worked better than what we have today. Condoms fail on an average of 15 percent. If a boy rubs his Penis up and down the genitalia of a girl she can not only get pregnant without penetration, she can be infected by all types of STDs. This is a fact regardless of what the libs would have you believe.

28 posted on 12/02/2004 10:30:43 AM PST by calex59
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To: presidio9
Right.
Reuters and the perverts will present cold objective facts...

Why hasn't this thread been pulled?

29 posted on 12/02/2004 10:31:12 AM PST by Publius6961 (The most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.)
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To: Orange1998
Your full of it. LOL

He is not full of it...it is a fact and has happened. Also if a boy touches the penis to the labia he can impregnate a girl and transmit desease. Study and read before you deride someone.

30 posted on 12/02/2004 10:34:29 AM PST by calex59
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To: calex59

No argument here.


31 posted on 12/02/2004 10:35:50 AM PST by fritzz (Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers)
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To: calex59

"pregnancy can happen if you come in contact with semen and then touch the labia."

The statement is not fact. A women can not become pregnant from a touch of the labia. Must be an old wise tale.


32 posted on 12/02/2004 12:05:37 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: Prime Choice

My point is try to be factual. Other than your perception of reality state some medical proof.


33 posted on 12/02/2004 12:07:59 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: mike182d
...because Planned Parenthood never stretches any facts regarding the many blessings of birth control and abortion

Yes. We can trust them. The fact that they are the world's largest provider of abortions doesn't represent a conflict of interest with respect to their providing "sex ed" materials to young skulls full of mush.

34 posted on 12/02/2004 12:17:49 PM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: presidio9
...some courses teach that touching a person's genitals can lead to pregnancy, abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, and half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, the Post said.

So, they got one out of three right...if in fact any such courses exist. But a Lib would never lie to advance an agenda... < /sarcasm >

35 posted on 12/02/2004 12:24:15 PM PST by JimRed (Investigate, overturn and prosecute vote fraud; turn more counties red!)
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To: fritzz
But, love and physics will sometimes overcome even the best intentions.

I know what you're saying, but you have to be careful in using the term "love" in this context.

When we love others we will the greatest good for them. Choosing to engage in intercourse before marriage doesn't qualify as love. Lust may be a more accurate term, although it can exist along with affection.

36 posted on 12/02/2004 12:26:59 PM PST by Aquinasfan (Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
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To: Orange1998

Unless you can prove that it has NEVER occurred (although it does sound incredibly improbable), you have no basis to claim that your position is based on fact either. Therefore, your initial reaction was imature an uncalled for.


37 posted on 12/02/2004 12:43:53 PM PST by presidio9 (Islam is as Islam does)
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To: Aquinasfan

We could debate this all day. Take 10 people and they will define what is okay and not okay 10 different ways. I'm an insurance guy. Live a simple set of rules. Reduce your risk and insure the occasional accident. There will always be the occasional accident. I'm taking the approach of overlooking all youth, vs. teaching what is right or wrong. My thoughts were not geared on what is right or wrong but on what is real in our world. I'm not in a position morally or intellectually to preach right vs. wrong to the public.

I just keep getting in deeper. Better quit while I'm ahead.(ahead..that's streatching it a bit)


38 posted on 12/02/2004 12:44:27 PM PST by fritzz (Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers)
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To: presidio9
You made the statement as though it was true. I don't think it's immature to call someone on it. You make the statement be prepared to back it up.

Many in power have tried to misinformed the public intentionally or unintentionally. As you know Free Republic is all about accountability. I can't tell you how many times news organizations scare the public with misinformation. This is why FR coined the term "Tin Hat".

I have always liked your post. So I won't hold this one against you. Peace.

39 posted on 12/02/2004 1:28:41 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: fritzz
My thoughts were not geared on what is right or wrong but on what is real in our world. I'm not in a position morally or intellectually to preach right vs. wrong to the public.

Seems to me there is a cause and effect in your two sentences...QED

40 posted on 12/03/2004 6:23:13 AM PST by frog_jerk_2004
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