Washington Times distorts abstinence poll results
A January 22 article in The Washington Times inaccurately reports that the majority of young people support abstinence-only education.
Check it out:
Critics of abstinence-only sex-education programs may be too hasty in judgment. There is support for the method among age groups that count -- the young.According to a new Harris Poll, 56 percent of people ages 18 to 24, and 60 percent of those 25 to 29 think abstinence programs effectively reduce or prevent the occurrence of HIV/AIDS. Another 49 percent of people ages 18 to 24 and 52 percent of those ages 25 to 29 say the programs reduce or prevent unwanted pregnancies.
The problem is, the Harris poll didn't ask respondents about abstinence-only education programs. They asked about “programs to promote abstinence.” All sex education programs promote abstinence!
Comprehensive sex education promotes abstinence as well as contraception use; abstinence-only education teaches that refraining from sex is the only option. But the reporting in this piece distorts that very big difference.
Even more:
Among six age groups and three political groups, younger respondents showed the strongest support for abstinence over safe-sex programs.
The Harris poll doesn’t ask if abstinence education is preferable over “safe-sex” programs. It only asks if “programs that promote abstinence” are effective. The questions listed on the poll don’t even mention “safe sex” programs.
The article goes on to confuse abstinence-only ed with the questions in the poll in a number of ways; you can check it out for yourself.
But I call bullshit.
(By the way: the majority of all the people polled thought that “programs that support abstinence” were not effective in reducing HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies or extra-marital sex.)
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Yes, There is also no Santa Clause!
If any one believes teens will not experiment with sexuality because of some dumb-ass program of abstinence, they also believe in Santa Clause.
I believe adults have a convenient loss of memory when it comes the issue of teen age sexuality. The issue should be focused on self worth for teen-aged girls so that they can at least formulate an educated decision when they are faced with situations that may place them in positions where they have to reject a demand of sex from a partner experiencing raging harmones.
It is not about abstinence, it is about nurturing and educating our daughters, so that they have the knowledge to decide for themselves when and with whom the proper time comes when they can freely decide,outside of any influence, to have an intimate relationship with someone.
You have no concern for the sons? The ones pressuring the girls for unprotected sex?
Sorry, but both sexes need to be informed. Your post reminds me of people saying that the morality of young girls is the problem these days - why do the males get off scott free again on this issue?
You seem to not have read my comment fully. I am not letting anyone get off scott free. I stressed self worth for young girls so that they can have the moral strenght within themselves to say NO! when they are pressured to have sex by their male counterparts. Males DO NOT get off scott free regarding what I had to say. It is otherwise. I believe I made that clear in my post. This is ,after all, a blog presented by an organisation devoted to the rights of women. An organisation I am proud to be a part of. I did say about teen- age girls being given the strength to reject demands from a partner,i.e. a boyfriend who pressures her to have sexual relations. The boy did not get off scott free. Young teen-age boys must be taught the value of respecting their opposite sex counterparts, but is it for NARAL to take on that burden? The purpose of this organisation is to promote the empowerment of young girls, and women. It would do well if more males took part in these discussions, and tried to enrich their understanding of what proper behaviour would entail so that we all could have much more meaningfull relations with each other. Still looking to where I saw men go scott free here.
Anna. As a post-script I apoligise if you misunderstood my message. I have been a member here for close to 2 decades. My main concern is the welfare of women of all ages. Any of my many posts here have been centered on the progression os womens's rights, and the well being of my many female friends. Sorry if you misinterpreted my first post. It will not be the first time that happened. I am, after all, a male. We are not as adept at conveying a message ina clear manner
See what mean?
Lip service: "Verbal expression of agreement or allegiance, unsupported by real conviction or action; hypocritical respect."
Condom-based sex education programs promote abstinence? Right. And Philip Morris never marketed cigarettes to kids, either.
Sex education must be based on mutual respect for the opposite sexes. Girls, young women must be encouraged to have self worth, in other words to feel self worth to make a decision within themselves to deny demands of sexual acts that male contemporaries may try to impose. Those same young males must be taught to respect the rights and feelings of the girls they interact with. Abstinence means nothing to them. It is an adult concept they have no mental contact with.
As a teen, I am sorry to say it meant nothing to me. The best contraceptive I dealt with is when a girl told me to go to hell! Perhaps a message to pass on to teen parents!