Abstinence-only Sex Education

[Napoleon]

The average age of first intercourse in the Western world for both genders combined is around 17 years of age. So, the US is pretty much average in that regard.

The United States has the second highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world.

 

[Autodidact]

Not as unrealistic as you think. Properly supported, even hormone-ravaged teens and young adults can (and do) remain chaste.

Are you familiar with the statistics on the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education?

 

[Autodidact]

Well, proper support doesn't mean teaching you you'd go to hell if you had sex. For now, let's just leave aside the fact that it isn't true on an accurate reading of scripture.

By "proper support" I mean something extremely comprehensive. It includes such things as accurate and forthright teaching about the ins and outs of sex. Of course, I don't mean just the physical part, but the emotional and spiritual sides of it as well. It also means providing an environment where the child can safely admit that he or she has sexual feelings (even non-mainstream ones). (This environment need not be home -- it could be something else.) It should also provide means for coping with those sexual feelings beyond praying for forgiveness in your bedroom. It also means giving the child confidence that if they screw up they won't get disowned (part of the reason I don't like hellfire dissuasion techniques). AND it means providing support for girls who get pregnant so they can keep their children or give them up for adoption. It means providing ways for girls who have had abortions to rediscover communion with God and the church. It means giving children outlets so that sexual tension can be alleviated without recourse to sex.

It also may mean segregating boys from girls at school. I'm a big fan of all-girls and all-boys schools. There's no evidence that such environments stunt childrens' social skills later in life. And there's plenty of evidence to show that children raised in such environments have a much lower instance of extramarital sexual activity. Indeed, if I were in a position to do anything about it, I'd make all publicly funded schools separate for boys and girls starting from middle school. Take that!

Failing that, the next best thing you can do is simply provide outlets for that sexual tension -- sports, hobbies, extracurricular activities and so forth.

Yes, there will always be children who stray. My proposals wouldn't reduce teen sex, let alone unwanted pregnancies or disease, to zero. But it would make a serious dent. The problem is that, in the main, most churches provide pretty lame youth groups for teenagers. The youth group teaches that children who have sex go to hell and otherwise ostracizes youth who begin to show interest in sex. It's a stench. And it's part of the reason people view the Christian gospel as irrelevant and ineffective when it comes to sex.

Do you have any research to show that your proposals work?

 

[lilithu]

The United States has the second highest teen pregnancy rate in the developed world.

Holy crap! What is with Eastern Europe and their abortion rates?

 

[rojse]

If America was serious about sex education and lowering pregnancies, they would have a look at what the Netherlands was doing - 12 pregnancies per 1,000 adolescents each year, compared to 70 adolescents each year in America.

From the link Napoleon provided;

The high national teenage pregnancy rate in the United States was not due simply to the high rate among black adolescents; the rate among white teenagers was also one of the highest among the developed countries.

 

[Dunemeister]

Do you have any research to show that your proposals work?

Nothing national. I've lived and worked among churches that have adopted these measures (not at my instigation, by the way), and these churches have seen teen pregnancies go way down. Never zero, however (probably only possible where there aren't any teenagers at all!). I don't have the numbers, but I've seen them. And although I can't comment on the method of research, I CAN say that the communities have looked the part. What's more, the teenagers -- whether they attended church or not -- didn't seem sullen or surly over their chastity.

 

[Dunemeister]

Are you familiar with the statistics on the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education?

Yes, they're abysmal.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

If America was serious about sex education and lowering pregnancies, they would have a look at what the Netherlands was doing - 12 pregnancies per 1,000 adolescents each year, compared to 70 adolescents each year in America.

From the link Napoleon provided;

Interesting, what are they doing?

 

[rojse]

Interesting, what are they doing?

I don't know, merely because the Netherlands has one-sixth of the rate of teen pregnancies that America does, I think that their methods obviously work better.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I don't know, merely because the Netherlands has one-sixth of the rate of teen pregnancies that America does, I think that their methods obviously work better.

Warrent's further investigation for sure.

 

[Autodidact]

Nothing national. I've lived and worked among churches that have adopted these measures (not at my instigation, by the way), and these churches have seen teen pregnancies go way down. Never zero, however (probably only possible where there aren't any teenagers at all!). I don't have the numbers, but I've seen them. And although I can't comment on the method of research, I CAN say that the communities have looked the part. What's more, the teenagers -- whether they attended church or not -- didn't seem sullen or surly over their chastity.

Actually you have no research at all, right? Nothing published, juried, evaluated, independent, nothing but your anecdotal reports?

What about countries that use comprehensive sex education, what do their teen pregnancy rates look like?

 

[Dunemeister]

Actually you have no research at all, right? Nothing published, juried, evaluated, independent, nothing but your anecdotal reports?

What about countries that use comprehensive sex education, what do their teen pregnancy rates look like?

The report was putatively conducted and reported in scientific fashion. I tried to get a handle on that, but it involved too much of the jargon and mathematics that usually comes along with scientific reports for me to understand it. So I satisfied myself with the summary version. The report was verified by my experience.

I don't know about countries. My only relevant experience is the comparison of my home city with my church and the experience of the church before and after reforming the community rule. The reforms significantly reduced teen pregnancies. Sorry I can't quote the numbers because I didn't keep the report.

 

[Kcnorwood]

Seprating boys & girls into different schools does not help in curbing thier
appetite for sex for teenagers want to have sex no one is going to stop them. Honestly the only hope is that you have raised them to believe that they should wait untill they are married. No amount of religous up-bringing is going to stop them, it just makes things worse. Teenagers having sex is more of a right of passage then anything else.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't see what's wrong with older teens having responsible sex inside the context of a relationship, anyway. Sex is a part of life, isn't it?

 

[Kcnorwood]

I don't see what's wrong with older teens having responsible sex inside the context of a relationship, anyway. Sex is a part of life, isn't it?

Yes it is. I kow when we have kids we plan to teach them about safesex because more then likely they are going to have it. So why not teach them to do it safely? I mean you should tell them that the best way to stay safe is by not having it, but you know they are going to so make sure thier safe.

 

[Autodidact]

The report was putatively conducted and reported in scientific fashion. I tried to get a handle on that, but it involved too much of the jargon and mathematics that usually comes along with scientific reports for me to understand it. So I satisfied myself with the summary version. The report was verified by my experience.

What report are you referring to?

I don't know about countries. My only relevant experience is the comparison of my home city with my church and the experience of the church before and after reforming the community rule. The reforms significantly reduced teen pregnancies. Sorry I can't quote the numbers because I didn't keep the report.

What rule? How many pregnancies before, and how many after?

You don't know anything about what other countries (states, counties, cities, homes, anything?) have experienced with abstinence-only sex ed vs. comprehensive sex ed? Are you interested in finding out?

 

[Jeremy Mason]

I don't know about countries. My only relevant experience is the comparison of my home city with my church and the experience of the church before and after reforming the community rule. The reforms significantly reduced teen pregnancies. Sorry I can't quote the numbers because I didn't keep the report.

While I agree that this may work for some who are religious. In the confines of secular public education it would be wise to offer, our teenagers and the like, all the options that are out there regarding responsible sex practices.

 

[Scott C.]

I'm sorry but kids are going to have sex even if they are telling you they no they doing something. it's more or less a fact so teach your childen about sex & help keep them safe.

You are so incredibly mistaken. I have raised or am raising 6 children and have taught them abstinence with much success. It is absolutely false that kids can't be taught abstience, believe in it, and follow it. The prerequisite is that the parents must have solid reasons for teaching it, reasons that transcend the potential for disease and pregnancy. It's much more effective when the reason is based in deeply held spiritual beliefs. The teachings need to be regular and consistent. The children need to be taught the joys of sex in marriage. They need to see sex as beautiful and something God wants them to wait for. There are kids who feel that way and who abstain. I realize that some kids will not abstain, even if they were taught by parents to abstain.

MY 19 year old daughter, when she was a Jr. in High School, once told my wife how disgusted she was that "every boy" she meets, thinks she should give him oral sex. She was repelled at the thought and never had sex with anyone. This meant fewer dates and boy friends, I suppose.

I'm not saying we've had 100% success in this regard as parents, but there is no doubt that our teachings and the teachings of our church have gone a long way to influence our kids to be sexually pure.

To those parents who believe in the sanctity of sex and the importance of waiting until marriage, don't give up! Our kids are strong enough to swim upstream against the social currents. Teach chastity to your children with the greatest conviction of your heart and soul!

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

Teach chastity to your children with the greatest conviction of your heart and soul!

No.

If you believe and your children believe, then I suppose this sort of spiritual stance will work. But many children don't hold the same spiritual beliefs of their parents and simply don't believe them when they say that God want's them to wait. I know I can't subscribe to your religious views and will not take your advice.

 

[Scott C.]

No.

If you believe and your children believe, then I suppose this sort of spiritual stance will work. But many children don't hold the same spiritual beliefs of their parents and simply don't believe them when they say that God want's them to wait. I know I can't subscribe to your religious views and will not take your advice.

It's a tough sell to some kids. I agree. But my post was responding to the statement that "kids will do it anyways". They don't always do it anyways.