Study Casts Doubt on Assumptions behind Abstinence-Only Education

[ck4829]

Responding to a large-scale study from the Guttmacher Institute showing that the vast majority of Americans do engage in premarital sex – “which calls into question the federal government's funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to 29-year-olds,” as the study’s author said – Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services Wade Horn defended abstinence-only programs, claiming that by withholding comprehensive education on safer sex, the programs “help young people delay the onset of sexual activity” and thus reduce the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases.

Governmental funding of abstinence-only education has been windfall for many small-time religious groups that create extremely dubious programming for use in public schools. A congressional report found that students in federally-funded programs are taught “that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals ‘can result in pregnancy,’” as the Washington Post reported. A program funding by the state of Louisiana directed students to a pamphlet from the far-right American Life League, which informed them that “the condom's biggest flaw is that those using it to prevent the conception of another human being are offending God.” The Government Accountability Office has decried “inaccuracies” and the lack of accountability in federal funding.

The widespread promulgation of medically inaccurate or misleading information and religious doctrine, while ignoring the reality that the vast majority of students will have sex anyway, may be why 82 percent of Americans support comprehensive sex ed. Nonetheless, one politically influential constituency doesn’t: the Religious Right. Before the election, the Family Research Council warned that “If Congress changes hands,” it might institute oversight over abstinence-only programs. More recently, the Traditional Values Coalition urged emergency funding in the lame-duck session and FRC is circulating a petition demanding Bush veto any “anti-abstinence” bills.

Horn, the HHS official in charge of these programs, also denied that money was going toward abstinence-only programs targeting adults. Absolutely not," he said. "The Bush administration does not believe the government should be regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults.” However, he admitted to such programs less than two months ago.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/2006/12/study_casts_dou.html#more

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Let's see if I get this

Horn says:
by withholding comprehensive education on safer sex, the programs “help young people delay the onset of sexual activity"

I guess that means witholding comprehensive education on driving will help young people delay the onset of driving cars.

I guess that means witholding comprehensive education on gun safety will help young people delay the onset of using guns for hunting.

I guess that means withholding comprehensive education on the dangers of using meth will help young people delay the onset of using meth.

[rodeodance]

3. if "abstance only"----then can NOT be 'comprehensive"

[ThomCat]

8. Very good point.

[ThomCat]

9. You see, you're using logic.

That's your first problem right there. :P

[rodeodance]

2. look at this statement---funding is going to adult programs also.

......"The Bush administration does not believe the government should be regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults.” However, he admitted to such programs less than two months ago.

[rodeodance]

4. the arbitray cut off of age 29?????????

the arbitray cut off of age 29?????????

silly nonsense!

[Mikey929]

5. nature

Sex sex sex. We can all pretend it doesn't exist and not talk about it, but the truth is that we all think about sex all the time. For men, there really isn't anything close in terms of how often we think about it. Young people of every generation are going to explore -- from innocent hand-holding to kissing to you-know-what. And it has always been that way. Because God (or whatever power of nature you care to believe in) made sure that humans will reproduce. And how did he do it? He did it by making the act of love so intensely pleasurable that we are virtually guaranteed to do it, and do it often. And do it again. And then do it some more. When the R-wingers talk about their God, don't they realize that God made sex too? It is one of life's great pleasures. So why would these F-tards come up with the notion that young people will just forget about sex if we don't teach it to them? Sexual expression should be embraced in all its forms.

If there is anything true in the universe, it is that young people are going to F--K. Sorry to be crude, but sometimes you have to speak in simple terms to get through to these people.

[hobbit709]

6. If abstinence really worked

then there wouldn't be 6+ billion people on this planet.

[Orsino]

7. I can't believe these findings.

If closing one's eyes and wishing real hard isn't a plan, then explain our huge success in Iraq. I dare you.

[skygazer]

10. This is why people need to study history

And not just dates and place names but real social history. Because people have ALWAYS engaged in pre-marital sex in large numbers. Just because the Colonials and the Victorians didn't talk about it all the time (and post videos of themselves having sex on the internet) doesn't mean they were chastely waiting for marriage. Possibly a majority of them but without an early version of Kinsey, it's hard to say.

These people live in a dream world. :banghead: