sex education in schools?

[aussiecreeder]

This is a bit of an issue at the moment i know at least in the u.s and Australia. What is your view on it? Is it something that should be left to parents and parents only? Or are teenagers bound to have a "roll in the hay" and better to teach them about "safe sex" and instruct girls to take the pill if they're in a committed relationship? I'm torn on the subject i must admit, in one way i feel it has just become like eating or sleeping and people nowadays have more partners then they can care to remember.

At the other end of the spectrum lets face it people have sex. No matter how loud abstience is declared from the rooftops people are not going to listen in large numbers. I think there has to be some sort of balance between people waiting until they're in committed relationships and not being prudes or naive and thinking everyone is going to wait until they say " I do". The schools need to give the facts to the children but not push any ideological agenda onto them, whilst the parents need to raise their kids as they see fit (ie: not letting the schools do everything cause they're too lazy or incompetent as parents).

[RMadd]

i'm not 100% sure where i stand on this. part of me says abstinence should be taught (that's my upbringing speaking), but w/ attention paid to alternatives such as contraception & birth control, etc. i'd love to think that all parents would be responsible and teach their kids about the rights and wrongs, etc., but the fact of the matter is, a very good number (i'm not sure whether to say the majority, or just the minority) won't be so responsible.

[revisfoot]

Okay, this is how it was with me --
My parents: super open with stuff like this. They basically told me, when I was 16, "Okay, look, you're gonna have sex. We could tell you 'no, it's bad and it hurts,' but you're going to do it anyways. So, here, here's a box of Trojan's. IF you have sex, PLEASE, remember to wrap your whacker. It's for your own good. And, if you need more and are too embarrassed to buy them yourself, just tell us, we'll buy them for you."

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by revisfoot)

Okay, this is how it was with me --
My parents: super open with stuff like this. They basically told me, when I was 16, "Okay, look, you're gonna have sex. We could tell you 'no, it's bad and it hurts,' but you're going to do it anyways. So, here, here's a box of Trojan's. IF you have sex, PLEASE, remember to wrap your whacker. It's for your own good. And, if you need more and are too embarrassed to buy them yourself, just tell us, we'll buy them for you."

see this is where i'm a bit torn, in one way your parents are being very responsible cause they don't want you getting some girl knocked up at 16 or getting some terrible std. on the other hand perhaps it encourages what they they don't want you to do. don't get me wrong i'm no prude and probably think about it as the next guy ( ) but when it becomes as meaningless as it is nowadays i get concerned (and i don't think too many 16 year old guys attach too much meaning to the act). "hooking up" is as common as buying a drink, i guess i'm a traditionalist in that it should really only be happening in very committed relationships with no outside partners whatsoever.

on the other hand not everyone's values are like that and so if safe sex is not taught in schools then there are be a lot more teenage pregancies and people with grosteque diseases on their genitals.

[Anna1011]

my mum and dad dont talk to me about anything like that, if there was any thing i wanted to konw then id ask my friends or get taught it at school, its a good idea to be taught it a school for the people that have parents like mine.

[Mulletman]

Do I think they should teach this in schools, yes. There should be some sort of lecture or lesson plan during high school health class. Do I think any government should spend lots of money on programs and stuff to promote abstinence and safe sex, no. There is no reason to spend such amounts of money on something they cannot prevent. Better they spend they money on programs for those that are already expecting, they can help more in that possition than the latter.

Personally, to me it doesn't matter. No matter what you say or do, there's no way you're going to stop kids from having sex. My parents told me about the birds and the bees and they spoke to me about safe sex and all that stuff. Even through all that I still had sex and when I was 19 I got my girlfriend (at the time) pregnant. I loved my girl and the thought of being a dad, but unfortunately she misscarried after a couple weeks. What our parents told us, what we learned in school, what we knew -- still didn't stop us.

[Anna1011]

my parents have never talked to me about the birds and the bees.

[JulieCitySlicker]

Quote: (Originally Posted by RMadd)

i'm not 100% sure where i stand on this. part of me says abstinence should be taught (that's my upbringing speaking), but w/ attention paid to alternatives such as contraception & birth control, etc. i'd love to think that all parents would be responsible and teach their kids about the rights and wrongs, etc., but the fact of the matter is, a very good number (i'm not sure whether to say the majority, or just the minority) won't be so responsible.

I agree! Abstinance should be taught in schools,if it is then maybe the amount of 14 year old girls with babies would become fewer. I think that parents should talk to their kids about it and let them know the risks before they find them out for themselves and its to late to take it back.

I'm so glad that I'm choosing to wait and remane abstanite!

[RMadd]

Quote: (Originally Posted by aussiecreeder)

"hooking up" is as common as buying a drink, i guess i'm a traditionalist in that it should really only be happening in very committed relationships with no outside partners whatsoever.

on the other hand not everyone's values are like that and so if safe sex is not taught in schools then there are be a lot more teenage pregancies and people with grosteque diseases on their genitals.

exactly

[creedsister]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Anna1011)

my parents have never talked to me about the birds and the bees.

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Neither did my old lady I learned alot From MtV..

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by JulieCitySlicker)

I agree! Abstinance should be taught in schools,if it is then maybe the amount of 14 year old girls with babies would become fewer. I think that parents should talk to their kids about it and let them know the risks before they find them out for themselves and its to late to take it back.

I'm so glad that I'm choosing to wait and remane abstanite!

it should be promoted as i don't think teenagers at the lower end of the spectrum should be doing it. however it can't be the only thing taught cause your values and indeed my values are not held by everyone. secondly people like to have sex lol so its going to happen with most people well before their honeymoon. this is reality........

[revisfoot]

No, I don't think my parents were 'supportive' of 'not waiting,' becuase they did teach me the importance of love, but it's the fact that they are in the know, and the subject isn't some voodoo to them. I mean, I think it's great that they stepped up to the plate once I started dating, and they knew that they were at least responsible parents in talking to me and stuff.

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by revisfoot)

No, I don't think my parents were 'supportive' of 'not waiting,' becuase they did teach me the importance of love, but it's the fact that they are in the know, and the subject isn't some voodoo to them. I mean, I think it's great that they stepped up to the plate once I started dating, and they knew that they were at least responsible parents in talking to me and stuff.

true i guess that is better than pretending its not going to happen. i think the schools need to teach the basics but in the end its up to the parents to instill the necessary values into their children. parents who let the schools do everything are lazy and incompetent in my view.

[Mulletman]

Well values are regional and vary throughout people. So my values might be on the other spectrum when compared to yours. There is no amount of classes or lectures that will actually stop someone from engaging in sexual activity.

[aussiecreeder]

Quote: (Originally Posted by Mulletman)

Well values are regional and vary throughout people. So my values might be on the other spectrum when compared to yours. There is no amount of classes or lectures that will actually stop someone from engaging in sexual activity.

Isn't that what I just said?
Forgive me but I'm fairly sure I said schools should be giving more of the factual basis and parents should be the ones instilling values (whatever they are) into their children about sex.