Collegiate Times

What other vital programs are you referring to? The ones that help compensate for the numerous children born to teenage Moms? Yeah... gotta keep those welfare programs alive and kicking... and the after school daycare centers, (and the detention centers for when they're a little older)... Fact is 18 year olds don't know how to use condoms effectively, and there are WAY too many mistakes that result in unwanted pregnancies...

And what makes you think that these same 18 year olds are going to listen to an abstinence-only lecture?

This is 2007 and abstinence only programs DO NOT WORK. I do not like Kaine, but I applaud his decision on this one. Abstinence does not protect against teenage pregnancy and STDs, but condoms and birth control do! Abstinence is ignorance.

Well...... I agree that abstinence only programs seem like bailing a boat with a bottomless bucket, but that is less because of abstinence not working, and more the fact that we as a society have decided that abstinence is for unenlightened little house of the praire prudish party poopers who are too ignorant to just step across that line in the sand and start passing out rubbers, cause you know everyone is doing it. Well, I got through 4 fun filled years at Tech,graduated in 04, and still was able to wait until I married my wife a year after that. Sadly, this idea that abstinence doesnt "work" anymore has led to Washington DC having the highest concentration of HIV patients in the country, with 1 out of every 50 people infected. Dirty needles aside, abstinence is the ONLY way to completely guarantee that you dont get pregnant, or catch an STD, it just isnt as much fun. Sure it is harder to wait, but I have the assurance of knowing that I never have to go to the clinic, or get that call one day saying the kid is mine.... But I guess that is just me being ignorant. The point of the matter is, if you decide not to wait, then you are playing russian roulette, and if you happen to catch the chamber that isnt empty, you should man up and deal with the consequences. Problem is that most teenagers are too stupid to do that. But I digress, I am the ignorant one afterall....... :)

Your article has the word S-X about 20 times but you kicked mine out because I said S-X education. Crazy!

I'd have to agree with “me” on this one. To say "Abstinence does not protect against teenage pregnancy and STDs, but condoms and birth control do!" is ignorance. You cannot become pregnant or get someone pregnant or contract an STD if you practice abstinence. It may be difficult to keep it in your pants, but it’s 100% effective if you do. Condoms and birth control have failure levels, some are more effective than others, some are less, but none of them are fail-proof. It is deception to teach kids that they can’t stay abstinent, that condoms and birth control will protect them, and that free and open s-xual relations are without emotional or physical consequence. Besides, what responsibility does the gov’t have to teach our children the moral, amoral, or immoral facts of s-x? Parents should be teaching their kids about s-x, whether it be teaching them abstinence, or whether it be (foolishly) handing them condoms and saying “have at it!” The public school system cannot be given the responsibility that the parents forfeit, it is not the taxpayer’s job to babysit kids and make up for the sins of their parents. I advocate no s-x ed, let them make their own mistakes and witness those of others and learn from them.

You boys are right about condoms not being full proof, but as far as pregnancy goes if you take birth control CORRECTLY and RESPONSIBLY it is ALMOST impossible to get pregnant. And by almost impossible, if you get pregnant you have some bad luck or you aren't taken it as directed! Also, that's why abstinence along WITH condoms and BC should be taught. Presenting one side is never full proof. I agree... parents need to teach their kids, but as we see, that's not really happening.

well, while I agree that the use of birth control and condoms does make it almost impossible to get pregnant, tell that to my inlaws who have a 10 year old suprise child while they were using condoms and birth control. Almost only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades.

Abstinence is inherently no more or less "correct" than using birth control, unless you bring religion or sociology into the equation. We are talking about various methods to balance the risk of having a child or contracting an STD with the "reward" of s-xual activity. As with any other subject, I believe the government's only role, if it decides to intervene at all, is to provide objective information about the pros and cons of each decision (abstinence, birth control, s-x without birth control, etc.). This will allow students to make informed decisions if they care enough to do so. Let the numbers speak for themselves. If a kid sees a stat about the number of unwanted pregnancies that occur and still decides not to use a contraceptive, so be it. After all, chances are that the government will come along and tell him/her "it's ok" as they write a bail-out welfare check. The problem is that the consequences of having an unwanted child are not always fully enacted because families and the government offer support to those who make poor decisions.