Letters to the Editor
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Remember, it's not about the actual success rate...
it's about the AGENDA. Success is less important then getting the message out there that sex is evil. The instigators of this program even admit as much. The book "Kingdom Coming", which I think was written by one of Salon's own has an example of this.
I doubt it matters to these people how many kids are born out of wedlock just as long as they have domination over the message. They probably believe in short term losses for long term gain. If they repeat the same message over and over agin through govenrment reinforcement, people will start to believe it true or not. And hopefully it will change the dynamic in the long run.
I'm not saying this is a sane thing to do, just that this probably their thinking.
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People who believe in the rhythm method really can't be taken seriously on sex-ed
The author of the Buffalo News article is an advocate of Natural Family Planning:
http://catalog.americancatholic.org/product.aspx?prodID=T16760
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Its all about sex
Interesting how these people who are so into "morality" and religion are all about sex. What about the other commandments? Do we see those people in church all day on Sunday? No. Do they say, 'Oh dearie me!' when they are cut off in traffic? Do they never ever lie? Do they never, ever follow celebrities, practice astrology, engage in superstition? Do they never envy the guy next door who has a new car? Funny how all those commandments go by the wayside, but when it comes to sex, they're all about it.
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Die, harlot
That's what the right wingnuts are saying to young women. No instruction on how to help your boyfriend use his condoms if he doesn't seem to. No protection for you against STDs, HIV, herpes and pregnancy. And if you get pregnant, little whore, you cannot have an abortion but, guess what, we won't pay for the expenses to raise the kid to 21 and educate it.
The right wing has already had a baleful effect in Africa, where Uganda had a superb anti-HIV program going based on realism as well as idealism. A=abstain if you are not in a stable relationship. B=faithful to your partner if you are in one. C=condoms if you are having multiple partners. In comes the religious right wrapped in the flag, the notices about condoms go down and the rate of new HIV cases goes up.
I am disgusted. They have their hands where they don't belong.
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Re: Shortbastard & NFP
Just as a point of clarification: There are many different types of fertility awareness methods that can be used to achieve or avoid pregnancy. The most reliable form of NFP, the symptothermatic method
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_family_planning
is NOT a calender-based method
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhythm_Method.
The method I use reliably is the fertility awareness method
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertility_Awareness
as described by Katie Singer
http://www.gardenoffertility.com/.
I feel a hell of a lot better than I did on hormonal birth control and I no longer have pregnancy scares when my period is "late" (I tend to have weird cycles). Critique and expose the crazy abstinence only article for what it is (rubbish), but just because someone doesn't rely (solely) upon medical birth control.
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Just marry them off at 15
If you want to stop sex.
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It works so well on paper!
If only all those teenagers would ignore their hormones for five minutes and see the logic in abstinence-only education, they'd be convinced right away and all the problems would be solved. Praise Jesus.
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@ lebkin
I think the critique of the rhythm method is not that it can't work, but that most people won't approach it with the rigor to make it work. We are talking about teenagers who can't even be counted on to get condoms on right!
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Spit-take.
"Did you know that the only defense women have against rape is being afraid of pregnancy?"
There is now water all over my keyboard. And in my nose.
Hilarious.
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@namesgoeshere
Yes, it's true!
Before birth control was invented, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS RAPE!
Men never raped women because they were terrified that they might get the woman pregnant or give her an STD.
Right? Right?
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What just stinks
Is the overall impression I get that they are under the impression that young girls don' t want to have sex. Well since I was a young girl once, I can rightly tell you that fear of pregnancy would not have been a deterrent towards sex. I probably would have just relied on the symptomatic bodily responses of ovulation, lucky for me I had a good sex education and access to free condoms and pills from the clinics or school.
Then there is just the case that people leave high school and grow up. They don't all get married at 18 and even married people would like to prevent pregnancy and STD's. We don't live in a perfect world where no one has an STD and everyone waits till marriage and no one ever cheats and screaming about how wrong it is and how the righteous thing is to keep it in your pants never stopped anyone in the history of humankind, or do they just pretend after the crucifixion of Jesus the prostitutes, slaves and rape victims all disappeared.
Though while the rape line is funny, I don't think they are talking about rape. They are talking about the teen who's not ready to have sex and uses the excuse well I could get pregnant as a way of the boy accepting her no thanks, not yet. Their position is without this "pregnancy danger get out of sex free card" that the poor girl has no option than to just take her pill or whatever and have sex. No mention about how more men should be taught how about not having sex with a girl you have to beg and plead and pressure into it. They won't die and there is always their rosy palm for a blue ball cure. Plus fear of pregnancy would not ward off requests for oral, manual or anal sex.
I don't think abstinence only education and no access to birth control helps a girl who can't stand up for herself, she is still going to give in at some point. I would rather a person in a vulnerable position not armed with a large dose of self esteem to withstand sexual pressure does not have children!
Well all I can hope for is that sensible people who know that abstinence only education is a freaking joke, will teach their children informed sexual education and tell them to pass it along to all their clueless friends.