31. why dont we tell the children, you should wait untill married to have sex.
but if u cant wait, use birth control.
and as a parent, i will provide it for you if you need it, just ask.

dave colley at 10:44PM on Oct 10th 2007

32. Here's the real problem with 'abstinence only' education... they're getting plenty of other education from their friends, the internet, and television. At that lession is that sex is fun, risk free, will make you popular, and is one of the most important things in the world to get. They will be told to buy makeup and clothes to make them sexier. They will read articles in magazines or get them from friends who read them on how to string the other sex along before finally putting out. They will learn this long before they hear a teacher tell them about 'penises' and 'vaginas'.

Now... I would love it if kids only had sex when they were in a commited long term relationship. But I'd be an idiot to expect all children to do so. I'd be overjoyed if kids who did have sex used protection and were monogamous. But I know that not all will. I'd be glad in kids who had sex and god pregnant gave up their kids for adoptions... but I realize that not all can. I'd support kids who tried to raise the children themselves, but I realize that not all can. So eventually we get to the point of abortion.

So, pro-abstinence only folk... which would you rather have... kids educated by the media and getting pregnacies that lead them to abortions, or educated kids who know how to protect themselves?

Somber at 12:39AM on Oct 11th 2007

33. I think it is up to parents and churches to urge children to wait until marriage to have sex, but the schools and the gov't should be all about just the facts, ma'am. Who else is going to teach them the facts about reproduction and birth control? They have to learn it sometime before they become sexually active (even if they do wait until marriage). Parents and churches (of which I am part of both) just hide their heads in the sand and pretend their little babies are never going to grow up and have sex. But, they will!

Sarah at 12:38AM on Oct 11th 2007

34. Why is self control not taught to our children. We live in a society of instant gratification. Parents are responsible to teach sex education. My school and government never told me anything. I was never taught anything about sex except to wait until marriage and I did because I had self control. It isn't easy to wait but it is worth the wait. Sex can be a beautiful thing but our society has turned it into something cheap that is just done because our society prizes hedonism. No one wants to tell someone about the psychological harm sex at a young age can have on you. That is not an issue that is discussed because we do have rights. You choose to have sex and there are consequences for that decision.

Sally at 1:08AM on Oct 11th 2007

35. One coment that I saw frequently on the message board on the S-chip program - was that even married couples who cannot afford "private" health ins. for their kids - should refrain from havng children!
Like "Abstinence only" this sounds good - but it's totally unrealistic.
It would also lead to a strange society - Stockbrokers, Marketing experts & Investment bankers standing in piles of trash hoping someone will come along to fix their damn toliets!

Robert E. Quillen at 12:50AM on Oct 11th 2007

36. If we're talking about STDs, the age at which you lose your virginity is irrelevant.

For teen pregnancies, it does help to have sex at a later date. For pregnancies in general, safe sex is what matters.

It's a waste of money that has no known benefits. Why do extremist elements determine all our politics?

Ryan at 11:24AM on Oct 11th 2007

37. This is another attempt by the Right to demonize erections.

Steve at 2:05AM on Oct 11th 2007

38. I do not send my children to school to learn about sex education. I believe in my heart that the parents are the ones that should be teaching this. They are the ones that understand how hard it ws raising them from birth til now. Experience is the best teacher. There are parents out there who had children out of wedlock, date rape, and those are the ones that should be telling thier children and saving them from the hardships they endured while raising that child. From the time my children were old enough to ask questions, I answered them, in a language they could understand pertaining to their questions, on their age level. As they got older, the questions became more in depth, as did my answers.
There are students at my son's school that can barely write their names, high school students. The school needs to concentrate on teaching these kids to read and write and not on sex education. The parents need to step up and take responsibility for their children. Being a parent is the toughest job anyone will ever do. I do understand there are some parents that never should have become parents. But, there are quidance counselors at the school that can DIRECT the students to places for information. That is as far as they should go regarding sex education.

Chattinlady at 9:53AM on Oct 16th 2007

39. I wish my niece would have listened to an "abstinence only" method of birth control.

Being a teenager, she failed to take her birth control regularly, and being fully informed and reinforced by our "everybody does it" education on the topic, she ended up pregnant anyway.

I did not have great self-control myself as a teenager, but was taught that waiting until marriage was the best thing to do, and that was enough to keep me out of trouble.

I know that won't work for everybody, but it does seem strange that for all the "straight forward education" that kids are receiving, teenage pregnancy and abortion rates aren't exactly hitting any all-time-low figures.

When a condom is thrown at you, the message isn't "wait", the message is "everybody does it so here, go do it, try to be safe".

It's difficult for some of you to clearly see this issue when you are on the "teen" side of the argument. But someday, when you have children of your own, do you honestly think that you will be telling your daughters to "go ahead and have sex, just try to be safe"? Trust me, your ideas will change drastically.

Do you really think that your parents would want you to risk preganancy and STDs, not to mention the added mental anguish when you've given yourself physically to another person that ends up rejecting you (a.k.a. breaks up)? Doubt it.

Yep. Sometimes parents screw up. Sometimes they just don't know HOW to talk about sex with their kids. But we should be telling our children, both boys and girls, that the best thing to do is to wait. And the ones that aren't going to wait? I'm pretty sure they can figure out where to find condoms and how to use them. It's not exactly rocket science.

Pat at 2:48AM on Oct 11th 2007

40. Abstinence is the best way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted disease.
What's wrong with promoting the best way to avoid a disease.
Condoms only go so far in deterring disease and pregnancy.

Jim at 3:52AM on Oct 11th 2007

41. As much as I hate to admit it, the Republican party is as much of a sell out as the Democratic party. Or it's at least well on it's way. I am a conservative, but I can't agree with even half of what the Republicans have been doing over the last few years. This is just one more item in a long, sad list of things that the Republicans are getting wrong. What I find strange though, is that Fundamentalist Christians only make up a tiny minority of the Republican base, and yet they get a disproportionately large amount of the Republican party's attention on issues. Conservatives aren't that hard to please. We want small government, we want our constitutional rights protected, we want a strong military and we want a financially responsible government. Other than the military, I don't even remember a time when the Republicans in office have given any more than lip service to those supposed tennents of their ideology. It's sad really, but I guess it's just like it is in the Democratic party, the squeeky wheel (or nutcase fringe group) gets the oil. No matter how much the rest of the country needs it.

David at 3:58AM on Oct 11th 2007

42. "well...i,uh,humm, duhh, ya see i uh, duh...well...uh.."-dubya.

the truth at 7:08AM on Oct 11th 2007

43. Hello! Here is my humble opinion. I do believe in Abstinence sex ed and feel it is the best option for our youth. In the recent past, I have worked with teenagers in the home and in the court system. Sex ed belongs in the home, not in the school. You cannot start teaching a pre-teen or teen about morals and values. This must be taught from early childhood. I am also including that the child should be taught possible consequences for their decision. American has a very high teen pregnancy and suicide rate. Abstinence prevents teen pregnancy, obviously, but is also prevents (1)the possible "being used" situation (2)later regret in life of having sex "too early" (3)having to worry about your reputation (4)that dreaded pregnancy test (5)will mom & dad find out. I know you probably don't agree with me and that is ok. I am a Christian and was also a virgin when I graduated high school, college, and on my wedding night. Looking back I have no regrets, but, I am willing to bet that the girls who chose to "do it" have many regrets. Thanks for listening! Becca

Rebecca Chesser at 7:12AM on Oct 11th 2007

44. To those intelectual experts who really talk nonsense, as a father of five both ladies and gentlemen,I have suggested to my children to wait. I've explained how beautiful it is to give yourself to someone special in their life and to be respected.The choice is theirs and I couldn't be with them all day to assure they listened to me and I wouldn't want to be.
Dems never miss an opportunity to lie, under Clinton we had kids having oral sex cause the deviant said oral sex was not sex.Under Bush and abstinence teenage pregnancy is down dramatically STD's and when asked, kids say they want to wait until they're married,finished their education and are ready to settle down with someone they love to start a family, obviously the message has hit home.
We tend to treat our children like morons when actually they can be more intelligent than us at times and with the direction they want to take in their lives!!
Why is it that the left never wants to allow the opportunity of the other side being heard or implemented.When will we think about our kids first instead of the political BS?
Sex education has been hijacked by the extreme left who teach our kids to put condoms on cucumbers and show them how to have anal sex,different positions, and that being gay with all its problems is o.k no wonder their heads are so screwed up and suicide at an all time high.I kept my kids so busy studying,playing sports,martial arts, camping Etc. that they were enjoying life and their youth and didn't think about drugs,gang banging or wanting to be with their friends more than with their family.There are enough problems in life without contributing to them!!!Maybe abstinence wont work for your kids it worked for mine and they and I are better off for it, give the other side a chance and if you have kids their lives are yours, after all you are their PARENTS you should want the best for them!!!Not what is politically correct.

Manny at 9:35AM on Oct 11th 2007

45. From: Sally at 1:08AM on Oct 11th 2007

No one wants to tell someone about the psychological harm sex at a young age can have on you.

V -So why don't you be the one to tell us, Sally?


From: David at 3:58AM on Oct 11th 2007

Conservatives aren't that hard to please. We want small government, we want our constitutional rights protected, we want a strong military and we want a financially responsible government.

V -Those are libertarian principles more so than those of modern conservatives....who in truth, are today what used to be called "reactionaries".


From: Pat at 2:48AM on Oct 11th 2007

I did not have great self-control myself as a teenager, but was taught that waiting until marriage was the best thing to do, and that was enough to keep me out of trouble.

V -Then clearly, your self control was at least good enough.

P -I know that won't work for everybody, but it does seem strange that for all the "straight forward education" that kids are receiving, teenage pregnancy and abortion rates aren't exactly hitting any all-time-low figures.

V -Teen pregnancy and abortion rates actually began falling in the 1990s, mostly because teens had better access to contraception.

P -When a condom is thrown at you, the message isn't "wait", the message is "everybody does it so here, go do it, try to be safe".

V -OK, how about this? The best way to avoid automobile accidents is to um, ABSTAIN from driving.

But, if you're going to drive, you should wear your seat belt, drive defensibly, ideally drive a car with modern safety features like air bags and anti-lock brakes and never drive under the influence.

Even with all those precautions, accidents do occur...with statistically deadlier results than unprotected sexual encounters, especially for unmarried male drivers under 35.

Yet, I have not seen any movement to encourage young people not to drive until they're out of their twenties or married.

In a socially mature society, why should sexuality be treated any less matter-of-fact?

Answer: Because America is not a socially mature society. Sex is still treated as something dirty, connected with sin and shame and not to be discussed in polite society.

Ventrue at 10:34AM on Oct 11th 2007