Some teens are having sex, taking drugs, skipping school, etc. No total shock. But their numbers are falling, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control. Read story here.
The report also looks into suicides, obesity, cigarette use and whether they carry a weapon. Check out that report at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/yrbs/index.htm.
I took a peek at the report, and the numbers looked pretty static from the last report in 2005, but over time there were some changes. Not huge, though.
Still the news report notes, risky behavior not declining among Hispanic teens. "In 1991, 53 percent of Hispanics had had sexual intercourse. In 2007, 52 percent had, which is not a statistically significant difference. In 1991 and 2007, 17 percent of Hispanics had had sex during their lifetime with four or more partners."
The data, according to the new reports, is said to have "renewed the debate about sex-education classes that focus on abstinence until marriage." The issue is the effectiveness, given the continued risky behaviors.
The risky behavior report while Congress considers putting another $50 million toard sex-ed programs. It has approved $126 million for those programs this year.
So should Congress put more money into sex ed?
Arizona Moms Editor Yvette Armendariz shares stories about raising her kids and tips for busy parents in her Time-starved (goddess) Mom blog. She and her husband are raising two children, ages 8 and 11.
Abistinence is an important
Abistinence is an important concept to keep putting in front of teens to COUNTER the "everyone is doing it, and it's ok as long as you don't get an STD or end up pregnant" message they're getting from just about everywhere else. Movies, TV, the internet are all selling sex as 'recreation' and there is almost no attention being give to the reality that sex has far-reaching consequences that go beyond physical risks.
The people who want to cut Abstinence Education funds always cite the 'low success' figure as reason to pull the plug. The last number I saw said less than 10% of teens who had this course actually waited until marriage to have sex. BUT of those 10%:
NONE of them got AIDS, Herpes, or any STD;
NONE had to deal with an unwanted pregnancy;
NONE of them had to drop out of school to raise their baby:
NONE face the HUGE financial burden of supporting their baby and will have to make tremendous sacrifices in reaching their OWN goals to meet these costs;
NONE of them felt the hurt, shame and regret that often follows early sexual experimentation;
NONE of them felt sexually exploited by a 'partner' who was only after physical gratificaiton;
NONE of them face a lifetime of 'buyer's remorse' over surrendering their virginity in a way that they now regret;
NONE of them see themselves as being at the mercy of their hormones and 'urges' but instead know they are in control and can make calm, rational decisions about their bodies;
NONE of them took away the message that sex is just something you 'do,' not part of who you are and how you view yourself.
That is a 100% positive effect for those who adhered to the program! Why not try to RAISE the "10%" success rate, rather than scrap the whole program?
New to AZ --- and missing autumn leaves and the smell of apple orchards!
Realistically, I just don't
Realistically, I just don't think it's possible to raise the 10% success rate of abstinence education. Those 10% (or fewer) kids who didn't have sex most likely wouldn't have had sex regardless of whether they participated in abstinence education or not. I don't see the value in it as far as keeping kids safe from STD's, teen pregnancy, etc.
I also don't think it's at all realistic to tell kids that they shouldn't have sex before marriage. People are marrying later these days.
DesertMom
http://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com
A part of me says yes, and a
A part of me says yes, and a part of me says no. I think there are so many issues plaguing our youth today that $50 million seems like a lot to dump into only one issue. Yes, numbers of teens having sex is high, but what about drugs, gangs, alcohol, eating disorders, peer pressure, fitting in, depression and tons of other "life threatening" issues. I'm old fashion also...my son doesn't need to learn from a school about the birds and the bees or the school's take on waiting, he needs to hear it from me, his mother who made some life choices of having sex early on, taking a harder road then the easy ride I could have had, and my hopes for him to make smarter and more long term choices than I did. Because of this I put on my "big girl mommy pants" and told him the facts and feel other parents should too. I wish the government would put the $50 million towards a multi serving teenage support group, center or education for all the issues, not just one.
"It's not to late to become who you've always wanted to be..."