[Swordmaster]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=6973493

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only sex-education courses frequently receive inaccurate or misleading information, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

According to a congressional staff analysis, some courses teach that touching a person's genitals can lead to pregnancy, abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, and half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, the Post said.

The report, prepared for California Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman, reviewed the curricula of more than a dozen projects aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, the Post said.

The Bush administration will provide $170 million next year to groups that teach abstinence only. Several million children age 9 to 18 have participated in more than 100 federal abstinence programs since they began in 1999.

The report found that 11 of the 13 most commonly used curricula in such programs contained unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, the Post said.

Waxman's staff found the curricula included misconceptions such as a 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person," HIV can be spread through tears and sweat and condoms failed to prevent HIV transmission in 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse, the Post said.

"I have no objection to talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. I don't think we should lie to our children about science," Waxman told the newspaper.

[Wormsie]

That is... that is just amazing. *disgusted smile* However, sex education never helped me anyway even when it wasn't deceit and lies. But then again, I didn't belong to the target audience.

[jjacob]

This is probably not the best way to prevent AIDS.. perhaps the best way to help spread it.. but.. oh never mind, the U.S. stopped making sense a long time ago.

[Jake]

They're probably doing us a favor by trying to kill off the world population.

[Wormsie]

Actually I'd want to see one of those presentations... For the laughs.

[fov]

Sigh. This article makes me really sad.

Studies also show that kids who have made an "abstinence pledge" and later change their minds (for whatever reason) are way more likely to get pregnant or contract STDs than kids who never made the pledge, because kids who did make the pledge don't carry condoms with them.

-emily

[EasilyConfused]

Originally Posted by fov

Sigh. This article makes me really sad.

Studies also show that kids who have made an "abstinence pledge" and later change their minds (for whatever reason) are way more likely to get pregnant or contract STDs than kids who never made the pledge, because kids who did make the pledge don't carry condoms with them.

-emily

Yes, this is very sad. Those studies you cite are interesting. It also can't possibly help them if they are getting totally inaccurate information about STDs--like, why if they decided to "break the pledge" and even decided to be fairly responsible about it would they rely on condoms if they had been taught that condoms weren't effective at protecting against STDs? This is just so, so, so not good.

[Erwin_Br]

Keeping people dumb is the most insane idea ever. Look at Africa, where some people even believe having sex with babies will cure them from AIDS.

Education is everything.

--Erwin

[Ninja Dodo]

I think it was virgins, not babies.

See it's so disturbing ironic it must be true.

[chapter11studios]

Originally Posted by Erwin_Br

Look at Africa, where some people even believe having sex with babies will cure them from AIDS.

Wait, that isn't true?

(OK, yes, even *I'm* disgusted with myself for that. )

[ConcreteRancor]

Well, at least when the Law of the Jungle starts to really kick in a few generations down the line, my descendants should still be around to help save the Earth. (Those future kids of mine had damn well better teach their kids what I'm going to teach them or I'm going to give them an Ass-Whupping From Beyond.)

[SoccerDude28]

"courses teach that touching a person's genitals can lead to pregnancy"

That is hillarious... Hey don't touch youself. You'll get pregnant and your father's child will be "YOUR OWN FINGERS"

[EasilyConfused]

Originally Posted by SoccerDude28

"courses teach that touching a person's genitals can lead to pregnancy"

That is hillarious... Hey don't touch youself. You'll get pregnant and your father's child will be "YOUR OWN FINGERS"

(My brain boggling at the concept.)

This stuff sounds like the stuff the kids in my neighborhood used to tell each other before we'd HAD sex ed or "the talk" and were speculating wildly . . . Heck why even bother, why not let kids just make stuff up.