Posted by Dinah on November 2, 2006, at 9:11:34
In reply to Re: Federal government urges abstinence » zeugma, posted by 10derHeart on November 1, 2006, at 19:13:58
I think abstinence is a reasonable thing to advocate as well. I also liked Joycelyn Elders' position.
I don't know if it's accurate to say that it's ineffective with all people. I'd have probably experimented with drugs if it were legal, just as I experimented with alchohol because it was legal. But I didn't because it was illegal. And my husband and I chose abstinence, not for any particular religious or moral reasons, but because we knew our parents would have kittens if we got pregnant, and we were terrified at the prospect. Had they handed us condoms, we might have done something with consequences that wouldn't have been at all what we needed at that point in our lives.
While abstinence programs might not work with everyone, and education on protection is essential for those who choose to have sex, it does work with some people. And for those people it's a better choice than protected sex, because we all know that safe sex isn't a hundred percent safe. Our very progressive and sexually active high school science teacher explained what 99% effective meant.
Besides, surely we need something to offset the frequently expressed (on primetime TV) sentiment that the third date is the date where you have sex?
Overall, I'd rather have my son watch an all naked orgy or watch people's heads being blown off with graphic detail than hear those casually expressed sentiments.
poster:Dinah
thread:699389
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20061009/msgs/699738.html