Pantagraph.com | News | Report: Abstinence not curbing teen sex

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

Cold marriage?? wrote on Nov 10, 2007 7:15 AM:

" Consequences for all of those actions are entirely different? Are you saying it's not possible to have responsible drinking situations? Absolutely. Let's supply booze and rides home along with the condoms. I'm not one of the 'abstinence folks'. I say give them everything, why stop. Poor little things need to experience life as early as possible. Remember, we can't stop them from doing what they want to do. So we might as well help them with everything. Free Playstations for eveyone!! Hey, why don't we just home school everyone? Then the darlings can all sleep in in the morning. It's so mean to wake them up to go to school. "

to Red Herrings? wrote on Nov 9, 2007 4:10 PM:

" Actually they are red herrings because the consequences for all of those actions are entirely different. Is it possible to have responsible sexual relations? Absolutely. That's something that you abstinence folks don't get. You're so anti-sex, probably stemming from a cold marriage bed, that can't stand to see anyone having any fun! "

Fool Proof plan to get kids to stop "doing it" wrote on Nov 9, 2007 11:14 AM:

" Tell them they have to. "

Red Herrings? wrote on Nov 9, 2007 8:17 AM:

" Skipping school, playing video games all day, and drinking have nothing to do with the issue of teenage sexual activity? It deals with responsibility and understanding the consequences of your actions. Why go to school, if all you want to do is play video games all day. Why not let them drink if they want? I'm not saying put them in jail or punish them. Heck, go rent some rooms for them. We can't stop it, might as well regulate it. No sense telling them no... it might hurt their feelings. Hate to do that. "

To: FYI wrote on Nov 8, 2007 5:35 PM:

" It is NOT off topic. IT is spot on the problem with the "Just Say No" approach. You teach nothing realistic and so nothing important is learned. Sex education must teach real facts, like STDs, not wish-filled ideology. "

This is wrote on Nov 8, 2007 5:30 PM:

" only news to the conservatives. Still, it is not likely that they will learn anything from it. "

al wrote on Nov 8, 2007 4:26 PM:

" sounds alot like the millions wasted on the dare program. "

I've Found wrote on Nov 8, 2007 2:37 PM:

" that a marriage license creates abstinence. At least occasionally. "

Jon wrote on Nov 8, 2007 2:15 PM:

" I think lousy, first-time sex ruins more marriages than anything else. Do you fundamentalists buy cars without test driving them? "

to Exactly! wrote on Nov 8, 2007 1:50 PM:

" Since abstinence-only ed isn't working, what do you think would work? Do you think we should start fining teenagers who have sex? Probation? Community Service? Jail time? What's your solution? I think respect and science-based education goes a long way, but then again, I don't see sex as inherently bad or as an evil. Your other points are complete red herrings as skipping school, playing video games all day, and drinking have nothing to do with the issue of teenage sexual activity. "

What do you expect? wrote on Nov 8, 2007 12:52 PM:

" If the teachers can't keep their hands off students, How do you expect the students to keep their hands off each other? "

Exactly! wrote on Nov 8, 2007 12:31 PM:

" If it's such a 'failed approach' then why stop them from anything? If they're going to do anything they want anyway... let them. Skip school, drink, have sex, play video games all day. Why have or accept responsibility for anything? "

to Drug, sex and rock & roll wrote on Nov 8, 2007 10:50 AM:

" You sound like a rockin' person, a real party animal! You can discourage all you want, but REALITY is that teenagers are going to have sex. You can either face reality or keep the insanity going by trying the same failed approach over and over again. "

Drug, sex and rock & roll wrote on Nov 8, 2007 10:19 AM:

" I guess since abstinence doesn't work, we shouldn't expect kids to 1) not drink... give them booze! 2) not smoke... give them cigarettes! 3) not have sex... give them condoms! Might as well let them drive at 14. Just have the attitude that we can't stop them and they can't stop themselves. Poor little things, we shouldn't be so hard on them, give them everything they want! "

To: FYI wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:38 AM:

" Uhhhhh....if you are a nurse, you surely know about HIPPA laws and the need to keep other people's medical history out of the public. I mean, I agree with the message you are trying to send, but isn't it risky to get into that kind of detail about people's medical information? "

FYI wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:08 AM:

" I have been an ER nurse for over 20 years. I have seen more gonorrhea & chlamydia in the past 6 months tha I ever have seen. Mostly college students,but also people into late 30s. I know this post is off topic. Please use condoms. "

dwarf wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:06 AM:

" I'd think, reading this, that anyone who's opposed to abortion should start encouraging safe sex education in schools. I mean, if abstinence education doesn't work, go for what works - responsible sex education. Heck; make condoms freely available. The kids who don't want to have sex still won't have any need for them, but the kids who do will at least be 100x less likely to get pregnant. Maybe then you'll see the drop in teen pregnancies and abortions that you're looking for. "

dwarf to hmmh wrote on Nov 8, 2007 9:01 AM:

" So, your argument is "Because B happened after A, B happened because of A"? Maybe you need to bone up on your logic lessons. "

Hel-looo! wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:57 AM:

" Nothing makes teenagers hornier than telling them to be abstinate. "

to hmmh wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:46 AM:

" You really believe that gory abortion pics and "just say no" will keep kids from having sex? Remember, the Catholic church has been pushing abstinence for 2000 years and Catholic school girls are the most fun around! "

to comment wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:43 AM:

" I was in a rather large fraternity while in college and no one had an STD while I was there. Perhaps it had something to do with the well-used boxes of free condoms that Trojan sent us. And yes, if one of my fraternity brothers had an STD, I would have known. It was not possible to keep a secret... "

to Just think wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:41 AM:

" Its not possible to both have sex and have plans for the future? If that is the case for you, I'm certainly not envious of your intelligence. Although, I do agree that schools place far too little emphasis on academics and far too much on sports and extra activities. "

to to to coco wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:39 AM:

" I said compatible, not "the best ever." If a couple is compatible, their sex lives improve with time and communication and will eventually become the best for both parties. Of course, for that to happen, you have to have sex more than the typical fundie once a year! "

Just think wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:29 AM:

" if kids had other things on their mind like how they would support themselves after they graduate. How they will support future families or children. What values they will carry through life. What if they knew that how they do at school reflects on their future for all time. What if schools were set up so that academics were the main focus not the sports programs or popularity of the students. What if every parent cared about how their children were turn out once they reached adulthood. I don't think you would have to teach abstinence at all. It would be a given. "

I agree wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:24 AM:

" somewhere here. I think sex education should not be taught in school. I think anatomy should be and how and why babies are born - age appropriately of course. And then also pictures of sonagrams, std's, aborted fetuses, which are a result of human activity. Peer pressure should also be included. Then allow the parents to influence their children on this subject and allow the children to make their own mind. "

to to coco wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:21 AM:

" What happens when during your experimentation you find your new spouse is okay but that other person was so much better? "

W wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:18 AM:

" To 'to confusing headline' - you just don't get it do you. The headline is contradictory - "

comment wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:17 AM:

" Someone mentioned STDs. I believe they are rampant in colleges and it is mentioned in classes. However, apparently these people have not been taught to abstain. It is not recreation guys (and girls). Naturally it is going to be tempting That is the way it was intentionally set up. "

hmmh wrote on Nov 8, 2007 8:14 AM:

" What questions were asked on surveys? Do you expect everyone to answer just the way you want especially with this age group. I hardly how see other means like birth control etc. would reduce participation. Why would it. I think the children would just want to experiment more. And whatever is being done is not curing the problem. Haven't pregnancies and abortions increased since sex education has been introduced in schools. Or hasn't anyone noticed. I have. After the proof is in the pudding. That gets to the next step. Abortions. Since they do not want to accept responsibility or face up to what they have been doing they want to abort the result. I think the first thing that should be taught in sex education classes is that it causes babies. If you don't want a baby abstain. "

HUGE WASTE wrote on Nov 8, 2007 6:32 AM:

" ABSTINENCE EDUCATION IS THE BIGGEST WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS, EVER. OH, WAIT, FAITH BASED PROGRAMS ARE THE FIRST, THIS IS SECOND. SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, THE REVOLUTION IS NOW. "

Teaching abstinence wrote on Nov 8, 2007 3:42 AM:

" only works on kids who don't have to have it taught to them. "

Abstinence doesn't even work wrote on Nov 8, 2007 3:41 AM:

" on adult Christian pastors and clergy in the public eye with gorgeous trophy-wives- how in the world do you expect it to work on hormonal teens? Get real! People have sex because it feels good! Until you can make it stop feeling good, it's always gonna happen. So stop fooling yourselves. "

to Coco wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:37 PM:

" I'm rather glad I had premarital sex. I couldn't imagine a worse fate than marrying a woman I wasn't sexually compatible with. But of course, fundies have sex only to procreate so such things really don't matter to them. "

Breaking news wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:11 PM:

" Researchers have now found that the sky is blue and water is wet. Oh, and the Pinedale shopping mall has just been been bombed with live turkeys. Film at 11. "

to: Coco wrote on Nov 7, 2007 8:26 PM:

" Actually, the bottom line is that extrapolation of your own experience to the rest of the world always leads to bad results. "

Horndog wrote on Nov 7, 2007 7:36 PM:

" "Premarital sex ALWAYS leads to bad results" ???????????????? I had some fairly good results with premarital sex. It was the married sex that got me into trouble. Especially with someone else's wife. "

Coco wrote on Nov 7, 2007 6:36 PM:

" The bottom line is that premarital sex always leads to bad results. Children should not engage in behavior that is bad for them. Parents should discourage behavior that is bad for children. Lastly, parents who think as children should not be permitted to enact public policies regarding children. "

Im a teenager wrote on Nov 7, 2007 4:03 PM:

" and its easy to abstain...i see how kids today have some std or emotional problem..its funny to see them regert their choices... "

why not wrote on Nov 7, 2007 4:02 PM:

" why would kids want to way....if they wait, they wont get to have the joys of having Chlamydia or Syphilis or unexpected pregnancies....on and before people say they wont get that...according to the CDC 19 million new stds are transmitted each year... "

dwarf to 800 lb gorilla wrote on Nov 7, 2007 3:49 PM:

" Sure, if this were the only study showing these results, they'd be suspect. These findings have been "found" before, however - this isn't the first. Also, I'm sure you could pull up the article and check his methodology if you wanted to take the time to do so. Potential conflict-of-interest doesn't mean there was actual conflict-of-interest. "

to The 800 lb gorilla says wrote on Nov 7, 2007 3:22 PM:

" So what? Anyone with half a brain knows that abstinance only doesn't work. Just think back when you were a teenager and remember how you reacted to "Just say no!" without any reasoning to back it up. "

The 800 lb gorilla says wrote on Nov 7, 2007 3:05 PM:

" Quote from the article: "The sponsors of the study praised Kirby for his "thorough research" and for being "fair and evenhanded," but they also acknowledged that ETR Associates developed and markets several of the sex education curricula reviewed in the report. Several of the previous studies that were reviewed also were written by Kirby." Hmmm. And this is a news piece? Wrong. It is a press-release at best and a free advertisement at worst. They paid one curriculum writer to compare the effectiveness of his own curriculum over against the other curricula. Astounding that his came out on top isn't it? This is neither science or journalism. My 10th grade English Comp teacher would have made me do a re-write if I used this as a source. "

To “Insult to Teenagers” wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:53 PM:

" I do not agree that the comments here are insulting to teenagers at all. Those that preach abstinence only, are forgetting what it is like to be young! At any age if you tell someone, “Do Not Do ….” Chances are they are going to do whatever it is you told them not to do. Teens need honest communication on sex and the ramifications. If they decide to have sex, they need to have access to birth control/condoms etc. "

to confusing headline wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:44 PM:

" Why do you care that teenagers are having sex? My concern is that they don't get pregnant or get STDs. You achieve that with education, self respect, birth control, and condoms, not an infantile attitude of "Don't do it!" "

to insult to teenagers wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:43 PM:

" LOL. Why would a teenager want to "control" his behavior to such an insane degree? Sex is fun. Sex is a biological drive. Making safe choices regarding sex is important and in many cases, rubbing one out is preferable to having sex with a questionable partner. But to say "No sex. Period." is equally as insulting to a teenager as it implies that the teenager can't make good choices regarding partners and protection. "

to DT wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:39 PM:

" I'm glad you're a good parent. However, there are so many parents who are afraid of discussing sex with their kids or believe that any such discussion will be viewed as an endorsement of premarital sex. The school needs to be there to provide information that the parents will not. "

insult to teenagers wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:05 PM:

" Some of these comments are very insulting to teenagers who, apparently, are considered animals with no control over their behavior. If so why don't we lock them all up, since they undoubtedly want more than just sex. No, teens ought to be able to reason and consider the consequences of their actions. Abstinence programs are meant to help them do just that, and if they aren't working they need to be improved. Young people need to know that pre-marital sex will make it much harder to find true happiness in marriage, not to mention making them vulnerable to a plethora of "social" diseases. "

insult to teenagers wrote on Nov 7, 2007 2:04 PM:

" Some of these comments are very insulting to teenagers who, apparently, are considered animals with no control over their behavior. If so why don't we lock them all up, since they undoubtedly want more than just sex. No, teens ought to be able to reason and consider the consequences of their actions. Abstinence programs are meant to help them do just that, and if they aren't working they need to be improved. Young people need to know that pre-marital sex will make it much harder to find true happiness in marriage, not mention making them vulnerable to a plethora of "social" diseases. "

Rolling Eyes wrote on Nov 7, 2007 1:47 PM:

" A class in school won't make kids abstinent, but a father with a large gun collection will. "

Esteban Colberto wrote on Nov 7, 2007 1:47 PM:

" How can you expect teens to abstain when the people promoting abstainence only did not? Talk about a bunch of freaking "do as I say, not as i do" hypocrites. "

Are they crazy??? wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:38 PM:

" Sex supposedly began with Adam and Eve, do they honestly think people are going to abstain? If you can't get a politician to do it how do you expect to get a teenager not to??? Do they watch TV and see our sex riddled shows? It's everywhere, clothing, TV, movies, music, home, streets, now tell me, how is this going to fly?? They need to go study something that makes sense because this certainly doesn't!!! "

DT wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:28 PM:

" The only reasons for sex education in schools are that the parents have abrogated their responsibility or the parents are ignorant about it. My wife and I frequently discuss sex and all its ramifications with our teenagers and do not need the school system usurping our place in this process. "

Meh wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:27 PM:

" Like most of the other people here, I am not surprised. "

confusing headline wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:27 PM:

" It is confusing, to say the least, for a headline to read "Abstinence not curbing teen sex." How could abstinence from sex fail to curb sex? Obviously it is the PROGRAM itself (along with the bureaucrats running it) that is failing. Abstinence is the way to go- we just need "effective" humans to run it. "

Headline wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:24 PM:

" is wrong. Abstinence is 100% effective in curbing sex. The article is about abstinence ONLY education classes, not about abstinence. "

Forget it! wrote on Nov 7, 2007 12:15 PM:

" I have learned through raising children, no matter what you teach them, how hard you try, they will always do exactly what they want or follow the other person! "

Duh!!!! wrote on Nov 7, 2007 11:50 AM:

" Education is half the battle- Prevention the next. People are going to have sex. Teens are going to have sex. Whether you think it's a big deal or not, it's inevitable. So teach kids of the dangers but also teach them how to prevent pregnancies and STD's through "safe sex" techniques as well as abstinence. Can't be one or the other; has to be both. "

This can't be right. wrote on Nov 7, 2007 11:23 AM:

" I know in my gut that abstinence-only education works; these silly facts just distract people from the real truth. "

Common Sense wrote on Nov 7, 2007 11:11 AM:

" GI Joe had it right all along. "Knowing is half the Battle" Educate kids on the effects, dangers, safety procedures of sex and drugs, and you will help save lives. Tell them to say no, and you are wasting money. "

Adam wrote on Nov 7, 2007 11:11 AM:

" New Advertising Campaign: "Everytime you have sex Jesus runs over a kitten in his monster truck! So dont have sex, EVER!" Pretty convincing, Ill have to pat myself on the back for that one! "

They had wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:41 AM:

" to spend money on a study for this conclusion? What a waste. "

Assumptions wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:28 AM:

" People seem to assume that these programs are all the information that kids are receiving. Kids receive messages about sex from their whole environment. School, peers, TV, movies, parents, siblings, etc. The problem is too many parents want school to do the work for them. When only abstinence is taught, the other influences teach very contrary things. However the comp sex ed acknowledges these other sources and tells the kids how to be safe besides. If we really want reduce pregnancies and STD's, the parents have to step up and play a part. That will have more of an impact than any school program. "

No way wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:20 AM:

" Abstinence education is not working. wow what a shocker. he's a thought for our Gov. pull your heads out of your butt and wake up. it's not the same world it was 50 years ago. "

one word wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:18 AM:

" Duh! "

In the Know wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:17 AM:

" Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" anti-drug campaign and the DARE programs have been found to be ineffective. So is the abstinance program. Read my Lips: it's a stable, loving home environment and how you were raised, that makes a difference here. "

dwarf wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:08 AM:

" This is the same thing other studies have been finding for years. Folks pushing abstinence-only sex ed classes are pushing an agenda, though, not trying to improve the lot of students. The religious right has been ignoring scientific evidence and reality for years, though, and I don't think this study will prompt them to change course. "

Duh. wrote on Nov 7, 2007 10:00 AM:

" Teaching abstinence only works on kids who want to be abstinent. "

FYI wrote on Nov 7, 2007 9:54 AM:

" I wonder how much of our money they wasted over the years to figure this no-brainer out? "

Psh... wrote on Nov 7, 2007 9:52 AM:

" Talking about abstinence just makes kids want to have sex more. They should focus on how much of a drag it would be to have a kid before you're out of college. Use a condom, it's easier than restraining your urges and feeling bad about wanting to have sex because school teaches you that you shouldn't. Abstinence really only works for kids who are religious. "

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