Comments on: more proof that abstinence only = FAIL http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2009/06/18/more-proof-that-abstinence-only-fail/ Your Weekly Dose of Sex and Culture Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:16:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Good Vibrations Magazine » Blog » The Fight over UNESCO’s Sex Ed Guidelines http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2009/06/18/more-proof-that-abstinence-only-fail/comment-page-1/#comment-15453 Good Vibrations Magazine » Blog » The Fight over UNESCO’s Sex Ed Guidelines Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:25:01 +0000 http://magazine.goodvibes.com/?p=2130#comment-15453 [...] Speaking of which, the authors also looked at the research on abstinence programs and found that they have no significant impact on condom use, age of intercourse, or the other factors that are associated with sexual risk taking. There are some methodological difficulties that make assessing them challenging. It’s almost as if the people who promote abstinence-only miseducation don’t want to admit that it doesn’t work. [...] [...] Speaking of which, the authors also looked at the research on abstinence programs and found that they have no significant impact on condom use, age of intercourse, or the other factors that are associated with sexual risk taking. There are some methodological difficulties that make assessing them challenging. It’s almost as if the people who promote abstinence-only miseducation don’t want to admit that it doesn’t work. [...]

]]> By: Geoff Capp http://magazine.goodvibes.com/2009/06/18/more-proof-that-abstinence-only-fail/comment-page-1/#comment-14836 Geoff Capp Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:10:43 +0000 http://magazine.goodvibes.com/?p=2130#comment-14836 Yes, but don't forget that, from the "abstinence only" viewpoint, this is quite literally a Holy War, and is thus not susceptible of logic, much less Demon Science. All the human research in the world cannot controvert the literal and infallible Word of God, and la-la-la-la Not Listening! This research also seems to presume that the abstinence only crowd actually has an interest in reducing teen pregnancy. This is an assumption for which I see little evidence. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for example, certainly has no such agenda; quite the opposite, in fact, as they marry off their teen daughters to male elders, while contraception remains an abomination in the eyes of God and a violation of the injunction to "go forth and multiply." The real education that is necessary, if it is even possible, is not about contraception so much as it is about critical thinking. That is an up-hill battle among the segments of the population that find any kind of thinking to be undesirable, if not downright sinful. Yes, but don’t forget that, from the “abstinence only” viewpoint, this is quite literally a Holy War, and is thus not susceptible of logic, much less Demon Science. All the human research in the world cannot controvert the literal and infallible Word of God, and la-la-la-la Not Listening!

This research also seems to presume that the abstinence only crowd actually has an interest in reducing teen pregnancy. This is an assumption for which I see little evidence. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, for example, certainly has no such agenda; quite the opposite, in fact, as they marry off their teen daughters to male elders, while contraception remains an abomination in the eyes of God and a violation of the injunction to “go forth and multiply.”

The real education that is necessary, if it is even possible, is not about contraception so much as it is about critical thinking. That is an up-hill battle among the segments of the population that find any kind of thinking to be undesirable, if not downright sinful.

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