Clipmarks | Johanna_G's 'sex education' clips

2008-06-12: Senate voting on an 18-month extension of Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:13:29 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks:

In 1996, Congress signed into law the Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act, or "welfare reform." Attached was the provision, later set out in Section 510(b) of Title V of the Social Security Act, appropriating $250 million dollars over five years for state initiatives promoting sexual abstinence outside of marriage as the only acceptable standard of behavior for young people.

Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact

Note: REAL Act = Responsible Education About Life Act.

Clip Source: capwiz.com

When it comes to sex education, it’s hard to put a lot of faith in the U.S. Senate right now. After all, this is the group of “leaders” who have failed to pass the REAL Act and failed to end Title V abstinence-only programs when they had the opportunity.

Apparently, they’re at it again.

Now they’ve reached a new low. On Thursday, June 12 the Senate will vote on an 18-month extension of Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage funding in its new Medicare funding package. In a bill that has nothing to do with sex education Senate Democrats decided to authorize abstinence-only-until-marriage funding through the end of 2009.

We’ve been told that they’re trying to save the next president from the “controversy” of sex education.

Clip Source: www.advocatesforyouth.org

Tags: us senate, aoum, real act, sex education

Study Shows Comprehensive Sex Education Reduces Teen Pregnancy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:28:56 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: I wonder whether a nation which needs such studies can be called a modern, enlightened nation.

Clip Source: feminist.org

A new study by researchers at the University of Washington found that students who receive comprehensive sex education are half as likely to become teen parents as those who receive abstinence-only sex education. According to the Seattle Times, this study marks the first time researchers have compared comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only education in a national sample of teenagers.

The study found no evidence that abstinence-only programs delay teen sexual activity. There was also no evidence that comprehensive sex education increased the likelihood of teen sex or boosted rates of sexually transmitted diseases, reports Reuters.

The report is published in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. Researchers used data from a 2002 federal survey.

This study follows a series of reports released in 2007 that highlighted the ineffectiveness of abstinence only education programs in delaying or preventing teen sexual activity or pregnancy.

Tags: u.s.a., education, abstinence-only sex education, sex education, abstinence, comprehensive sex education, teen pregnancy

Virgin or Slut: Pick One

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 13:58:34 GMT

clipped by: Rasmus
clipper's remarks:

The message to young men is more subtle. In this fairy tale written, produced and directed by abstinence-only advocates, teenage guys are both potential villains -- the oversexed, hormone-crazed young men who must be refused continuously by good girls -- or potential knights in shining armor -- saving enough money from their summer jobs to buy sparkling rings that will save their sweeties from the hell of slutdom.
In between pornified culture and purity balls, in between the slut and the virgin, the stupid, lascivious dude and the knight in shining armor, in between the messages directed at young women -- your body is your power vs. your body is dangerous -- and young men -- your gaze is your power vs. your gaze is dangerous -- are real young people trying to develop authentic identities and sexual practices. And they are struggling mightily.
(L.c.)

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Welcome to contemporary American adolescence, where sexuality is either up for sale or moralized into nonexistence.

On the one hand we have a hypersexualized and pornified pop culture -- thongs marketed to tweens, Victoria's Secret ads with models who don't look a day over 13

-- all for instantaneous love with a petite model. The message to young women is loud and clear: Your body is your power. Flaunt it. Use it. Get attention. The message to young men is also unmistakable: Your gaze is your power. Your role is to judge and comment on women's bodies. As a man, you are inevitably obsessed -- sometimes stupidly so -- with the female form.

On the other hand, we have a federally funded (over $1 billion thus far) abstinence-only sex education program

Here, the message to young women is also resolute: Your body is dangerous. Control it. Ignore it. Don't ask any questions. Teen girls are cast as asexual princesses happily trapped in towers, guarded by their Bible verse-spouting fathers.

Tags: usa, sex, sexuality, relationships, teenagers, teen sexuality, stds, sexual health, sex education, abstinence only

Myths & Facts about Sex Education

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:07:59 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: Continuation:

X The Claim: Parents want abstinence-only education to be taught in schools.

X The Claim: For every $1 spent on abstinence-only programs, the federal government spends $12 on comprehensive sex ed programs.

X The Claim: Condoms have a high failure rate in preventing unintended pregnancy.

X The Claim: Condoms do not protect against human papillomavirus (HPV).

X The Claim: Condoms are not effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and other STIs.

X The Claim: Contraception is unreliable and ineffective.

Clip Source: www.advocatesforyouth.org

federal policy makers have provided large amounts of funding for abstinence-only education – programs that ignore youth’s basic human right and the fundamental public health principle of accurate, balanced sex education.

This document explores some of the claims that have been put forward to support federal funding for abstinence-only education rather than for comprehensive sex education

The Claim: Research shows that abstinence-only education delays sexual initiation and reduces teen pregnancy.

The Claim: Abstinence-only programs are responsible for the recent dramatic decline in teen pregnancy.

The Claim: Virginity pledges (public promises to remain a virgin until marriage), a common component of abstinence-only programs, delay the onset of sexual activity and protect teens from STIs.

The Claim: Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs reflect American values.

The Claim: Abstinence-only programs provide accurate, unbiased information about reproductive health.

Tags: abstinence-only-until-marriage, adolescent sexual behavior, contraception, sex education

ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 16:44:29 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G

Clip Source: www.advocatesforyouth.org

Today, youth face serious sexual health issues and too often encounter barriers to the information and services they need. Youth-serving professionals—educators, health care providers, and others who work directly with youth—often need accurate information about the situations of young people and about the issues and barriers youth face. This section provides direct links to accurate, up-to-date information about:

Abstinence

Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs

Adolescent sexual behavior & contraceptive use

Adolescent sexual health in developing countries

Advocacy

Cultural competency

Dating violence & child abuse

Emergency contraception

European approaches

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender & questioning (GLBTQ) youth

HIV/STI prevention and treatment

HIV vaccines

Parent-child communication

Peer education, youth development & youth adult-partnerships

Sex education

Teen pregnancy prevention

Youth of color.

Tags: abstinence-only-until-marriage, sexual behavior, sexual health, violence, child abuse, contraception, homosexual, bisexual, hiv/sti, sex education

Critic Of Sex Education Book Refuses To Return Library Copies

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:33:06 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks:

About the book, including tips for parents, other caregivers, and educators.

“It's Perfectly Normal” tops ALA's 2005 list of most challenged books. American Library Association

Concerned Women for America, Commentary: "It's Perfectly Normal" to Corrupt Children

Clip Source: www.wmtw.com

LEWISTON, Maine -- A Lewiston woman who said she was "horrified" by the content of an acclaimed sex education book has checked out copies from two libraries and refuses to give them back.

JoAn Karkos made her feelings known in letters to the Lewiston and Auburn public libraries. Each letter was accompanied by a check for $20.95 to cover the cost of the book, "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex and Sexual Health."

In one letter, Karkos wrote, “I have been sufficiently horrified of the illustrations and sexually graphic, amoral, abnormal contents. I will not be returning the books.”

Lewiston library director Rick Speer returned the check, along with a form Karkos could use to request that the book be removed from the shelves.

Tags: sex education, education, sexuality

AMERICA’S TEENS LEFT BEHIND - On the Extension of Title V Abstinence-Only Programs

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:36:13 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G

Clip Source: www.advocatesforyouth.org

Does a teenager, aged 15-19, growing up in Georgia have to move to New Jersey in order to avoid misinformation that HIV is spread through “sweat or tears?” Will the 1,703,000 teenagers that age living in Texas, President Bush’s home state, continue to be told that HIV can “pass through” condoms? And what about the over 50,000 girls, ages 15-19, growing up in Nebraska? Will they be taught to be submissive out of fear that their “prince” will marry another woman?

These are the questions that America’s youth now face because the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives chose to extend the discredited Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for two more years.

To date, eleven states (CA, CT, MA, ME, MT, NJ, NY, OH, RI, WI and WY) have rejected the Title V abstinence-only funding.

But what about the 14,301,000 teens living in the thirty-nine other states? What will they learn?

Tags: sex education, usa, hiv, bushistic ideology, democrats

Body acceptance, teen pregnancy and abortion rates in the USA and in Europe

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:32:58 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: See also: Advocates for Youth - Press Releases -

Clip Source: www.clothesfree.com

Teen-agers in the United States are far more likely to get pregnant and get an abortion than their counterparts in Western European countries.

Planned Parenthood officials believe that's because Europeans talk to their teen-agers about sex differently from Americans, viewing it as a public health issue rather than a moral, religious or political matter.

For European youth, it's clear in their minds that sexuality and sexual relations are a normal, healthy part of being human - and it's not something you do when you're young.

European teens are taught that sex "is a healthy party of who you are, but it has responsibility."

"Talking about sex in a realistic and sensitive way is still in the closet in America,"

It's morally wrong to send young people into the adult world without the knowledge, skills and values to deal with sexual issues responsibly

The great unknown is whether an approach that works in European cultures will work in the United States

Tags: sexuality, marriage, youth, teen pregnancy, teen abortion, usa, morals, ethics, body acceptance, sex education

Fox and CBS Refuse To Air Condom Ads

Thu, 12 Jul 2007 11:31:03 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Fox and CBS networks recently refused to broadcast condom advertisements.

According to The New York Times, FOX's decision was based on their policy that condom ads "must stress health-related issues rather than the prevention of pregnancy." In other words, TV execs feel entitled to glorify sex, but not educate viewers about the realities of it.

This is not just about network skittishness over abortion politics. It's not even about reproductive choices and education more broadly. This is about the battle over who controls women's lives.

When women have the power to choose when they conceive, they also have the power to lead healthier, more effective and ethical lives. They have an essential tool to be contentious about where they put their energy, how they forward their causes and careers, and when, if they are so inclined, they bring a very wanted and valued baby into the world. Birth control is nothing less than the key to composing a fulfilling, female life in the 21st century.

Tags: condoms, cbs, fox, media, birth control, contraceptive

The Expensive Failure of Abstinence Education

Thu, 31 May 2007 19:33:27 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

Last month's resignation of Wade Horn, former assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and point man for conservative social policy, came just as support was crumbling and mistrust mounting for a costly and, many would argue, unsuccessful initiative -- abstinence education.

Horn shepherded a host of contentious initiatives

But it was Horn's approach to sex education, with its prime emphasis on virtue, that drew the most opposition and suffered the most discrediting setbacks in the form of political defection and unfavorable research findings.

Under Horn's leadership, abstinence education became "abstinence until marriage" or "ab-only" education, meaning that the curricula went beyond discouraging teen sex and instead targeted all sex outside marriage without explaining the preventive role of contraception. ("Abstinence-plus" education also discourages teen sexual activity but offers information on contraception and STD prevention.)

Tags: abstinence, usa, sexual abstinence, sex education

Answering moral restrictiveness and expectations by reactance

Tue, 15 May 2007 03:07:46 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G

Clip Source: nomorequo.blogspot.com

"The Romeo and Juliet Effect." Essentially, it's an example of Psychological Reactance, whereby rules and restrictions actually make you more prone to resist them.

Saudi Arabia's oppressive sexual environment has been written about several times in recent days. In fact, this recent Atlantic Monthly article claims that heterosexual sexual relationships are so heavily regulated that it's easier to be a homosexual (because people won't suspect).

-Abstinence-only education - If abstinence-only education was shown to work, I might even be a fan of it. But studies have shown that it's not only riddled with inaccuracies, it's completely useless in accomplishing what it sets out to do.

Christians aren't supposed to have sex until they are married. In recent years, many have made it official by taking a pledge of abstinence. However, studies have shown that Christians, even those that take the pledge, are just as likely to have sex as non-Christians.

Tags: abstinence, ethics, psychologie, religious education, sex education, virginity, youth, psychology

Report Underscores Need for Comprehensive Sex Ed

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:10:14 GMT

clipped by: Johanna_G
clipper's remarks: See also:
Five Years of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education: Assessing the Impact
By Debra Hauser, MPH, Vice President, Advocates for Youth
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/stateevaluations/index.htm

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

True or False?

Adolescents who've participated in school programs advocating sexual abstinence until marriage -- and teaching nothing about ways for sexually active people to avoid AIDS and unwanted pregnancies -- are less likely to have sex than other teenagers.

Well, after paying a whopping $1.5 billion for "abstinence only" programs, we taxpayers finally have a conclusive answer: False.

A congressionally mandated study that tracked 2,057 kids for several years -- until, on average, they were almost 17 years old -- found that most (51 percent) started having sex, regardless of whether they'd been taught "abstinence only."

Just 49 percent of each teen group remained abstinent.

And the sexually active in both groups, on average, first had intercourse at 14.9 years old.

Sexually active teens aren't doing nearly enough to protect themselves. Each year, one-quarter of them contracts a sexually transmitted disease. And about 800,000 teenage girls a year get pregnant.

Tags: abstinence, sex education, usa, youth