COMMENTS:
Several schools of thought on this matter, minni: First, some hold that educating children about sex, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, etc., helps reduce these problems. Others believe that exposing children to sex as a concept actually increases their curiousity and makes it more likely that they will have sex at any risk. Still others believe that it is a sin to even mention sex.
My take is education may help, but abstinence definitely makes the problem larger...
Other. I have several concerns. The first is that teachers already are stressed to the max with the amount of things they are now expected to teach.
In California everytime some new phenomena comes up there is an almost automatic call that it should be part of the curriculum. Then of course, here in the US, schools are consistently asked to take on tasks that used to be the domaine of the family and the home. Right or wrong this makes it hard to teach the traditional curricula.
But, as a Catholic, I have an objection. I think that there is a infiltration of the state into matters of religion.
An example from another perspective perhaps: I am reading a book called Kite Runner that deals with Afgahnistan. But in it the author gives some insight into Islamic/Afghani ideas of honor, integrity, and respect. One of these deals directly with "sex education" in the sense of how different cultures and religions deal with these things.
I am not saying that anyone has to honor my views, religions, or ideas, but they definitely don't have the right to undermine them either.
My religion, which I try to follow, doesn't allow anything other than abstinence towards sex. Now if the state interferes with that then the state is violating the establishment clause.
Thanks for your input, I have another question, I am just curious about this subject as it has been the focus of media attention both in the UK and the USA. As griffon pointed out there are arguments both for and against education, so would it not be beneficial in todays society to teach both so that those who choose not to take their parents advice have at least the foresight to practice safer sex due to education? Teaching a child to abstain is not exclusive to any religion, I would imagine most if not all parents teach their child to wait, I dont practice a relegion myself, however, I have advised my children to wait, but I have also discussed birth control and safer sex issues with them in an effort to ensure that all avenues have been covered. It is helpful to me to gain insight into how other parents deal with this subject, so any point of view is welcomed.
I think parents need to get a reality check, wake up and smell the birth control pills.
A mix of both.
nico_b, pills wont keep kids from getting AIDS or hepatitis.
I am kind of against proscirbing behavior, so I think an opt-out option would be best for my personal point of view.
Both
Education. Abstinence is cited as an option in education programs.
If parents want to promote abstinence, fine; but, that is a function that needs to be addressed at home, not in schools.
I'd say both.
I think my point is that kids are so overwhelmed with sexual information and messages by their culture, the media, the porn industry that a sex education class isn't going to trigger any more curiousity than they already have. What kids need is facts, real objective information about pregnancy, AIDS, STDs, or any other health risks etc. that isn't influenced by the consumer industry. Preaching abstinence is seen as hypocrisy - sexual politics are pushed on us as soon as we can understand advertising so that we buy (or influence the buying of) clothing and makeup that make us cool and by extension sexy, and then all of a sudden, when we can actually act on all that power and coolness, we have to neuter ourselves. Sex education should start in kindergarten (within reason, of course). Forget abstinence, or start praticing it yourselves, not so much in your sexual lives, but in your consumerism.
Sex education, all the way. Abstinence ONLY works if you can fully exorcise human nature, and part of human nature is the inherent sex drive. If you don't believe me, then explain why the second-most sought after thing on the Internet is porn.
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