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Abstinence as HIV Prevention Strategy

Well, you can't deny that total abstinence is pretty effective regarding the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and/or becoming infected with an STD.

Still, this camp seems to have their respective heads firmly in the sand regarding the fact that a fairly large percentage of young folks are going to experiment, regardless of what parents and educators tell em'.
I've always gotten the impression that this was sort of the "wages of sin" idea. "We told you not to do that, and look what happened!"
Of course, your kid could die....


They had an interesting show on Talk of the Nation a few months ago, adressing the "abstinence only" education curriculum. Seems that many school districts do teach this program, and take the federal money that goes along with it. But, they also teach more comprehensive courses, funding those from "other sources".

It was also fascinating to hear the opinions of many young people who called in as to what "abstinence" meant. To many, that referred only to vaginal sex. If one indulged in various other practices, it was OK, since pregnancy would not result.

You can't help but wonder how abstinent these astute congrespersons were as teens themselves....
 
In a bathroom here on campus, some Christian group had put up fliers directly above all the urinals saying "Abstinence is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy."

This being a college, various students had written comments underneath: "So is oral sex," "so is homosexuality," and, my personal favorite, "Did it work for Mary?"

Jeremy
 
Bikewer said:
It was also fascinating to hear the opinions of many young people who called in as to what "abstinence" meant. To many, that referred only to vaginal sex. If one indulged in various other practices, it was OK, since pregnancy would not result.
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That's the "Clinton Definition".
 
This is great! I also have a couple of other ingenious suggestions:

Murder as population control strategy
Arson as sterilization strategy
Castration as adultery prevention strategy
 
Question. Does the abstinence only program really mean just that? No discussion of birth control, condoms, alternate types of sexual activity that doesn't involve penetration?

I have no problem with abstinence being presented as the most favourable and effective option for prevention of pregnancy and disease, but surely there is a plan B which discusses options should teens decide to engage.
 
toddjh said:
This being a college, various students had written comments underneath: "So is oral sex," "so is homosexuality," and, my personal favorite, "Did it work for Mary?"
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And what about rape victims?

I wonder what their position is on birth control for married people. Also a sin? Or is it okay, but no one should even learn about birth control until they get married?
 
toddjh said:
In a bathroom here on campus, some Christian group had put up fliers directly above all the urinals saying "Abstinence is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy."

This being a college, various students had written comments underneath: "So is oral sex," "so is homosexuality," and, my personal favorite, "Did it work for Mary?"

Jeremy
Click to expand...

:D :D :D
 
Bikewer said:
It was also fascinating to hear the opinions of many young people who called in as to what "abstinence" meant. To many, that referred only to vaginal sex. If one indulged in various other practices, it was OK, since pregnancy would not result.
Click to expand...
Kinda reminds one of Clinton struggling with the definition of "is"
 
toddjh said:
In a bathroom here on campus, some Christian group had put up fliers directly above all the urinals saying "Abstinence is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy."

This being a college, various students had written comments underneath: "So is oral sex," "so is homosexuality," and, my personal favorite, "Did it work for Mary?"

Jeremy
Click to expand...

:D !

Oral sex, BTW, seems to be what current teenagers consider "making out." My eighth-grade daughter apparently misunderstood the teacher in her sex education class, and insists she was told one can get pregnant via oral sex.

I was tempted to put her straight, but then I thought better of it. ;)
 
Actually, there are situations where it is possible to get pregnant through oral sex, theoretically.
 
Art Vandelay said:
Actually, there are situations where it is possible to get pregnant through oral sex, theoretically.
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Yeah, but those involve way too much fun for kids to be having!

Jeremy
 
Gee, I'm getting rather mixed messages as to how many details are appropriate. I'll just say that there is an act described in Clerks, which, if followed by... um... a reciprocal act, can result in pregnancy.
 
Bikewer said:
Well, you can't deny that total abstinence is pretty effective regarding the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and/or becoming infected with an STD.
Click to expand...

Up to a point, and that point is where you stop abstaining ;)

I don't have the cites to hand, but recent research in the US determined that on average the kids who go the abstinence route have sex 18 months after their non-abstaining peers. But more importantly, something like 86% of the non-abstainers will use condoms, compared to only 40% of the abstainers.

So it appears that something is missing from their education. Like Kelvin, I suspect that they're not being properly told about birth control simply because they're "not going to need it".

Edited to add: Found a link to the story (didn't think I would because I read it in the newspaper itself). I remembered one of the numbers wrongly:

Teens who 'pledge' wait around 18 months longer than their peers to have sex and have fewer partners, but once the pledge is broken only 40 per cent of males use condoms compared with 60 per cent of 'non-pledgers'.

'By 18 to 24 they catch up with their non-pledging peers in sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy rates,' said Professor Peter Bearman of Columbia University.
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Abstinence is just one of many contraceptive devices. However it, and all the other contraceptive devices, are useless without the parallel pieces of education - understanding sexual maturity and responsibility, sexual hygiene, pregnancy and parenthood, avoiding sexual exploitation, the enjoyment of sex, etc, etc. These always seem to be the first things dropped from the programme, even though they are probably the most important.

Without all this, it just like telling a headstrong teenager they can sit in the driver's seat, here are the keys, there's plenty of fuel, here's how to drive, here's how cool driving looks, no-one's looking...but FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T START THAT CAR! Ahem - no-one is going to stop all the randy teenagers in the country from gettin' it on when they feel the urge by just saying "No" sternly.

Then again, don't be surprised if these so-called education experts also try recommending getting the penis cut off or the vagina sewn shut. Do not laugh - in times past, and even today, such practices HAVE been advocated as primitive "contraceptives". :rolleyes:
 
Art Vandelay said:
Gee, I'm getting rather mixed messages as to how many details are appropriate. I'll just say that there is an act described in Clerks, which, if followed by... um... a reciprocal act, can result in pregnancy.
Click to expand...

It sounds rather unlikely, unless the gentleman in question holds a world record in expectoration.

I'm amazed they're teaching something relatively exotic in sex ed. What's next, explaining the Cleveland Steamer?
 
TragicMonkey said:
It sounds rather unlikely, unless the gentleman in question holds a world record in expectoration.
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In my sex ed class, they reported this as fact, bringing up the case of a bisexual woman had gotten her girlfriend pregnant by engaging in oral sex with her after she had previously done the same for a man.

They didn't present this as a legitimate danger, just as a "who would've guessed" scenario. They wouldn't give us the woman's name, either. :(

Jeremy
 
I believe our educators and politicians somehow miss the fact that sex is a basic and powerful biological imperative, and that young folks become quite capable of "doing it" long before we tell them they can.

They manage to figure out the mechanics quite effectively in most cases, all on their own.

Perhaps they think that thousands of internet-savvy youngsters really pay attention to those "You must be 18 to enter" warnings.
 
toddjh said:
In my sex ed class, they reported this as fact, bringing up the case of a bisexual woman had gotten her girlfriend pregnant by engaging in oral sex with her after she had previously done the same for a man.

They didn't present this as a legitimate danger, just as a "who would've guessed" scenario. They wouldn't give us the woman's name, either. :(
Click to expand...


They should have concentrated on warning girls about the danger of getting pregnant from swimming pools instead.
 
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