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.
And anything that ever came out of Terry MaAuliffe's mouth and Frontline documentaries.
I've reviewed several "abstinence-only" curricula and never seen any of these ludicrous claims. I think they probably found one tin-foil worthy crackpot source and then used it to broadbrush the entire community.
You should read what the clinton administration put out for "abstinence programs"! This is no joke, I was on the School Board during this time, and the education dept put out suggested programs for use in schools. But, our schools in Montana did not have ANY sex ed programs in the schools, so we just read the guidelines in disbelief....
Oral sex; mutual masterbation and homosexual acts were considered "abstinence"!
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.
abortion can lead to sterility and suicide,
This is true. Granted, it doesn't happen in all cases, but it does indeed happen.
and half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, the Post said.
Dunno what the numbers are, but it wouldn't surprise me.
Funny how the Post doesn't report that the Liberal doctrine preaches that condoms are 100% effective against pregnancy and all STDs, including HIV. Nevermind that condoms have a minimum 3% failure rate and a maximum 21% failure rate.
The report, prepared for California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman...
Nope! No bias here! Move ON, citizen!
This is a deceptive leftist media campaign if there ever was one.
I'm sure the VAST MAJORITY of those involved in this program were truthful and factual and did their best to help students with important life decisions.
But to read this article (and other like it being fosted onto the American public today) via implication, anyone involved in this "abstinence" is a lying, backward, inbreeding hick who is purposely lying to vulnerable children because of their ridiculous religious beliefs or something.
AGAIN...this is a leftist attempt to discount the entire abstinence movement by trying to suggest that the people involved are evil and deceptive.
Shame on people who write these type of articles.
Simple rule of thumb on abstinence: if it ain't okay for a nun to do it, it ain't abstinence. ;o)
Not suprising...Didn't Der Schlickster himself believe Oral Sex was not considered sex?
Abstinence works 100% of the time it is applied.
Liberals will not rest until they corrupt all the little children of the world.
OMGosh. That's terrible. I think no sex ed is the best way to go. Leave something to the parents. Next thing you know, the government is going to have to potty train all two year olds.
I think the key words there are "lead to". It depends on the context. If the implication is "cause", that is wrong. However, if the point is where things are likely to end up given this starting point, it may not be too far off the mark.
abortion can lead to sterility and suicide
Certainly, a botched abortion or multiple arbortions can lead to sterility. As far as suicide, the dramatic psychological effects on the woman who has an abortion are greatly under reported. It would not surprise me that some disproportional number commit suicide.
As far as the gay teenage male AIDs statistic, I have no idea.
"if it is applied" That's the point.
I wondered if this wasn't all just trumped up. Thanks.
Lie
It's like the old coathanger propaganda. It's unlikely that anyone ever used a coathanger for an abortion, or if they did, it was maybe a couple of drunken nutjobs. But if you listen to the propaganda you would think that was the only choice before Roe v. Wade, and that backyard coathanger abortions was a regular practice.
Say it often enough and it becomes "true."
Joseph Goebbels had nothing on our very own Henry Waxman.
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