Full Version: Teenagers and Sex
The recent article on CNN.com:
Teen Abstinence
In referring to 'pledgers', they are referring to those who pledged abstinence.
Teaching teens to avoid sex doesn't seem to work very well. Teaching teens to be prepared to jump right into "it" doesn't seem to work very well either. (In the context of keeping them disease free and without child).
We teach teens to use condoms and some do, but some don't. We teach teens to avoid sex and most don't, some do. It seems to me like no matter what we say to them, teens are going to get themselves into situations where sex becomes a pressure to great for them to handle. It would be easy to sit back and say, "they're too inexperienced to make that sort of decision." (About abstaining from sex - they aren't prepared for the persuasive techniques of both sexes that have been honed through the centuries - hehe
). But you could equally say "they're too inexperienced to make that sort of decision." (About deciding to have sex).
The statistics seem to show (that last one really got me) - that 99% of non-pledgers have premarital sex and 88% of the pledgers eventually also have premarital sex. Those are high numbers.
Question for debate:
Do you think that what teens learn in school effects their decision to have sex in any significant way, or is it more significantly the influence of outside sources? (Family, friends, sex partner).
I will concede that what they learn about protecting themselves might be a big factor in HOW they determine to have sex (use a condom or don't use a condom) but if a teen decides they're going to go "all the way", doesn't that usually happen sometime just 30 seconds to 1 minute before it actually happens? What sorts of last minute decision making thoughts go through a teens head in the heat of the moment? Will sex ed class be among those thoughts? Or will sex ed class keep teens from getting into those situations in the first place?
I think not. But i'm curious what you guys think.
Teen Abstinence
QUOTE
"It is the combination of hidden sex and unsafe sex that creates a world where people underestimate the risk of STDs," Bearman said.
The study's other findings:
59 percent of males who did not pledge abstinence used a condom during sex; only 40 percent of male pledgers used a condom.
28 percent of female non-pledgers were tested for STDs in the previous year, compared to 14 percent of female pledgers.
99 percent of non-pledgers and 88 percent of pledgers have sex before marriage.
The study's other findings:
59 percent of males who did not pledge abstinence used a condom during sex; only 40 percent of male pledgers used a condom.
28 percent of female non-pledgers were tested for STDs in the previous year, compared to 14 percent of female pledgers.
99 percent of non-pledgers and 88 percent of pledgers have sex before marriage.
In referring to 'pledgers', they are referring to those who pledged abstinence.
Teaching teens to avoid sex doesn't seem to work very well. Teaching teens to be prepared to jump right into "it" doesn't seem to work very well either. (In the context of keeping them disease free and without child).
We teach teens to use condoms and some do, but some don't. We teach teens to avoid sex and most don't, some do. It seems to me like no matter what we say to them, teens are going to get themselves into situations where sex becomes a pressure to great for them to handle. It would be easy to sit back and say, "they're too inexperienced to make that sort of decision." (About abstaining from sex - they aren't prepared for the persuasive techniques of both sexes that have been honed through the centuries - hehe
). But you could equally say "they're too inexperienced to make that sort of decision." (About deciding to have sex). The statistics seem to show (that last one really got me) - that 99% of non-pledgers have premarital sex and 88% of the pledgers eventually also have premarital sex. Those are high numbers.
Question for debate:
Do you think that what teens learn in school effects their decision to have sex in any significant way, or is it more significantly the influence of outside sources? (Family, friends, sex partner).
I will concede that what they learn about protecting themselves might be a big factor in HOW they determine to have sex (use a condom or don't use a condom) but if a teen decides they're going to go "all the way", doesn't that usually happen sometime just 30 seconds to 1 minute before it actually happens? What sorts of last minute decision making thoughts go through a teens head in the heat of the moment? Will sex ed class be among those thoughts? Or will sex ed class keep teens from getting into those situations in the first place?
I think not. But i'm curious what you guys think.
QUOTE
Do you think that what teens learn in school effects their decision to have sex in any significant way, or is it more significantly the influence of outside sources? (Family, friends, sex partner).
I don't think abstinence education works, simply because you are fighting a very primal drive -- one that is turned on pretty strong at that age if I remember correctly.
I do think where education can help is to teach about STDs and birth control. Since I believe that sex is very likely to happen anyway, we absolutely must help people get the protection they need.
I think friends and romantic partner have more influence on who actually will have sex or not, but you are still dealing with a primal drive that can easily shut out these influences.
A key point that was left out (the first line of the article, actually):
So pledgers have sex less, but when they do they have more unprotected sex. You almost imply that taking a pledge puts the pledger at greater risk for STDs. Instead, the two balance out (as far as STD rates go).
The rates are statistically similar, but not the same:
Only among one race of pledgers was the rate of STDs higher for pledgers.
Then you have statements such as:
This really tells us little without a context (which is true of all statistics, of course). Which communities have this unusually high percentage of pledgers? What are the numbers for the middle (probably majority) group?
I am not doubting the numbers, I am doubting the conclusions drawn and the manner in which the numbers are presented.
QUOTE
Those who make a public pledge to abstain until marriage delay sex, have fewer sex partners and get married earlier, according to the data, gathered from adolescents ages 12 to 18 who were questioned again six years later. But the two groups' STD rates were statistically similar.
So pledgers have sex less, but when they do they have more unprotected sex. You almost imply that taking a pledge puts the pledger at greater risk for STDs. Instead, the two balance out (as far as STD rates go).
The rates are statistically similar, but not the same:
QUOTE
The study found that the STD rates for whites who pledged virginity was 2.8 percent compared with 3.5 percent for those who didn't pledge. For blacks, it was 18.1 percent and 20.3 percent. For Asians, 10.5 percent of virginity pledgers had STDs compared with 5.6 percent of non-pledgers. For Hispanics, it was 6.7 percent and 8.6 percent.
Only among one race of pledgers was the rate of STDs higher for pledgers.
Then you have statements such as:
QUOTE
The study also found that in communities where at least 20 percent of adolescents pledged the STD rates for everyone combined was 8.9 percent. In communities with less than 7 percent pledgers, the STD rate was 5.5 percent.
This really tells us little without a context (which is true of all statistics, of course). Which communities have this unusually high percentage of pledgers? What are the numbers for the middle (probably majority) group?
I am not doubting the numbers, I am doubting the conclusions drawn and the manner in which the numbers are presented.
I don't think abstinence pledgers have a chance. Even if we tried to scare them straight in school, the population is bombarded by sex, especially out of marriage. If you constantly advertise how good sex feels of course they are going to try it out to see what everyone is talking about.
I think this one is the most remarkably irrelevant statistic:
What does THAT tell us? Absolutely nothing that has to do with teen sex.
Did these pledgers have sex for the first time at 19 or 20, with someone who they valued and valued them, even though they were not married? If so, there is a world of difference between that and having sex as a 15 year old with the highschool football (or cheerleading) team. There is no context at all beyond the "didn't wait until they were married." No ages cited, nothing. Per the other statistics...If I were to have sex with someone I didn't value, I would be much more likely to make him use a condom. After months or years of close companionship, it's a different story for most.
But then, the whole concept of a public pledge is truly ludicrous. I'm sure that I thought, at the age of 14, I would wait until marriage (that's when 21 is considered ancient). Making a pledge at that age, which one expects to keep until marriage or death, is pretty idiotic. Coercing a teenager to take such a pledge is similar to forcing them to be dishonest (even to themselves). We need to teach self worth, not abstinence.
Do you think that what teens learn in school effects their decision to have sex in any significant way, or is it more significantly the influence of outside sources? (Family, friends, sex partner). Oh, yes, what they learn in school effects their decision to have sex in a MAJOR way. How many of us had sex the first time with someone we met in school? Unfortunately, that learning is almost entirely outside of the classroom (with peer groups). So...I'd put the influences in order, from most significant to least: family, friends, partner, media, (everything else), what they learned in the classroom.
QUOTE
99 percent of non-pledgers and 88 percent of pledgers have sex before marriage.
What does THAT tell us? Absolutely nothing that has to do with teen sex.
Did these pledgers have sex for the first time at 19 or 20, with someone who they valued and valued them, even though they were not married? If so, there is a world of difference between that and having sex as a 15 year old with the highschool football (or cheerleading) team. There is no context at all beyond the "didn't wait until they were married." No ages cited, nothing. Per the other statistics...If I were to have sex with someone I didn't value, I would be much more likely to make him use a condom. After months or years of close companionship, it's a different story for most. But then, the whole concept of a public pledge is truly ludicrous. I'm sure that I thought, at the age of 14, I would wait until marriage (that's when 21 is considered ancient). Making a pledge at that age, which one expects to keep until marriage or death, is pretty idiotic. Coercing a teenager to take such a pledge is similar to forcing them to be dishonest (even to themselves). We need to teach self worth, not abstinence.
Do you think that what teens learn in school effects their decision to have sex in any significant way, or is it more significantly the influence of outside sources? (Family, friends, sex partner). Oh, yes, what they learn in school effects their decision to have sex in a MAJOR way. How many of us had sex the first time with someone we met in school? Unfortunately, that learning is almost entirely outside of the classroom (with peer groups). So...I'd put the influences in order, from most significant to least: family, friends, partner, media, (everything else), what they learned in the classroom.
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