A Project Wrap Up

To conclude this blog on the debate of abstinence only sex education. I will finish the steps TOWARD demonstrating authority over and argument.
4. Is the government justified in deciding what a child should learn about sex safely?
In a world where religion plays a role in politics school subject matter is a resource of political agendas not a child's well being.

5. the main players
1)those who oppose abstinence only education
a)Population Control
-better/ more planned pregnancy
- less abortions
b) right to education
- women/men need to know how to prevent
- all encompassing education necessary
- no blissful ignorance
c) Civil separation of church and state
- abstinence is forcing religion on students
- sex education is not a bible lesson
D) Medical
- prevent STD's
- tell of risks of sex

2. Those who are in opposition of all encompassing sex education.
A) religious
- Preach Abstinence as only because bible
- no need to teach it because they will wait
- various denominations
B) Moral
- teach promiscuity
- sex is repugnant

5. The true controversy is really does teaching birth control methods encourage increased promiscuity.

This ultimately leads to a negative peace.

6. Those who are in support of education which implies abstinence as the sole means of pregnancy prevention.
Those who support the entitlement of students to the right to a full range sex education fro healthy choices.

7. Historically:
Those who support abstinence only site the bible as their reason, in that one should save themselves for marriage.
Those who are in support of teaching contraceptive use site statistics in reducing the rate of stds and pregnancy.

8.Jumps in the sides logic.
Their goal in abstinence only education is to reduce promiscuity, not pregnancy or std reduction. this is a moral issue not a schooling issue.
The opposition who believe that sex education should include contraceptive use use statistics that only show correlation on causation in pregnancy and std rates not how many students have sex.

9. they both want the same thing: safe and healthy children

10. The president has given extra money to states that mandate abstinence only education. Some states have been forced to teach this to receive needed money.

11. Because this issue is intertwined with politics, the debate has never been ended. In hopes to get votes one side will choose a view, and to get the opposite voters, the other candidate will take the opposing side.

12. Why must one side win?
Could children choose which they prefer?
would a new format find a compromise?

13. What if any is the benefit between exposing students to education both including the benefits of abstinence as well as safe sex, in lowering rates of teen pregnancy and stds.

So ultimately could there be a win/win situation?
Until the religious aspect is removed from the political landscape, and the state no longer runs public schools, this issue cannot be solved. The best effort to appease both sides is to allow children to choose.

whos involved in the fight!

Proponents of abstinence-only sex education argue that this approach is superior to comprehensive sex education for several reasons. They say that sex education should emphasize teaching a morality that limits sex to that within the bounds of marriage and that sex outside marriage and at a young age has heavy physical and emotional costs

Opponents to abstinence only argue that such programs fail to provide adequate helpful information to young people and verge on religious interference in secular education. Critics dispute the claim that comprehensive sex education encourages teens to have premarital sex. The idea that sexual intercourse should only occur within marriage also has serious implications for certain types of people for whom marriage is either not valued or desired, or is unavailable as an option, particularly homosexuals living in places where same-sex marriage is not legal or socially acceptable.

-Wikipedia

New Information

I found this journal article via the library's website. It was written by Terry Parker from Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education. He stated that "Schools and communities must acknowledge that the majority of American young people will be sexually active prior to their high school graduation. Accordingly, schools and communities must respond proactively by providing students with the comprehensive sex education curricula they need to prevent the detrimental outcomes of their sexual behavior. Denial that young people are sexually active, or failure to provide scientifically validated curricula, may jeopardize the future of this generation and those that succeed it." He also included that all of the below topics are necessary for effective sex education.

* Focus on reducing one or more sexual behaviors that lead to unintended pregnancy or HIV/STD infection;
* Are based on theoretical approaches that have been demonstrated to be effective in influencing other health-risk behaviors;
* Give a clear message about sexual activity and condom/contraceptive use and continually reinforce that message;
* Provide basic information about the risks of adolescent sexual behavior and about methods of avoiding intercourse or using protection against pregnancy and STDs;
* Include activities that address social pressures that influence sexual behavior
* Provide modeling of and practice with communication, negotiation, and refusal skills;
* Employ a variety of teaching methods designed to involve the participants and have them personalize the information;
* Incorporate behavioral goals, teaching methods, and materials that are appropriate to the age, sexual experience and culture of the students
* Last a sufficient amount of time to complete important activities adequately and
* Select teachers or peer leaders who believe in the program they are implementing and then provide them with training.

analysis of my bias

As a middle class, white girl my biases come from various aspects. I feel that every person is responsible for their own actions. I feel that my actions and hard work resulted in my admittance to a good university. I believe in the American work ethic, those who are responsible and effectively use their resources have an equal opportunity to succeed. In order for all to succeed I feel it necessary for all people to have sex education. I feel that teen pregnancy limits opportunity, because my parents were older, successful professionals. Both had four year degrees from Universities, and my mother had masters in Pharmacy and Business Management. This example set, has lead me to believe waiting to have children encourages economic success and stability. My bias is that of my parent’s actions. I believe that women can succeed much more economically and professionally if they are educated in regular academia and more importantly sex education, than those who are impregnated early on preventing further education. Leaving all religion beliefs out, those who chose not to listen about use contraceptives can risk the chance of having a child, or practice abstinence. But the question is who loses, if we do teach.

history

"In 1995 Rep. Robin Hayes introduced a bill requiring that public schools in North Carolina teach an abstinence-only sex education curriculum. Despite heated debates, both the house and the senate passed the bill. As a result, since the 1996-97 academic year, over 100 out of the 117 school systems in North Carolina have taught abstinence-only until marriage in their healthy living/sex education courses. "

In today’s blog I will cover the history of Abstinence only sex education in North Carolina. The debate began in the 1960’s, when sex education was suggested to be taught in public schools. In the early 90’s the republican sweep of congress and conservatives shift in to power, begin the movement from sex education to instilling family values. In 1996 Congress passed section 510 of the Social Security Act guaranteeing $50 million annually over for abstinence-only education grants to the states. In the current budget year proposed by President Bush, abstinence-only education has three times the amount of funding it once had in 2001. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 35% of school systems in the United States have abstinence only programs. Then North Carolina followed suit, with the passing of Robin Hayes bill. His goal was to “put a moral compass back in the schools and get teens past these mixed messages and answer the question of teenage pregnancy.” In summary the programs enacted are to show the problems of all other forms of contraceptives, and that abstinence id the only fool proof method to prevent pregnancy and STD’s.

http://www.siecus.org.

let take a look at one side

In the state of North Carolina, where it is illegal for public school teachers to teach sex education besides abstinence, students are not being equipped with enough information to make responsible sex choices. Almost one half of all pregnancies in the US are unplanned. one third of those pregnancies are unwanted, and a third of the unwanted pregnancies are aborted. therefor one eighteenth of all pregnancies in the united states are aborted. These could be prevented if youth, which would carry on into adulthood, were taught how to prevent pregnancies and equipped with the necessary resources.

Links for research and help on this topic

Helpful links!

Overviews

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/communitiesresponding4.pdf
This is a guide for sex education teachers and parents. It gives broad overview of many topics including emergency contraceptives, statistical research and moral dilemmas teens and parents alike face in the discussion regarding the “birds and the bees.” It is from a not for profit organization serving as teen advocates in many issues.

Sex Education

http://www.avert.org/sexedu.htm
This is a web site that is for a AIDs and HIV charity based in the UK. This area of the site describes what should be included in effective sex education. “Effective sex education develops young people's skills in negotiation, decision-making, assertion and listening. Other important skills include being able to recognize pressures from other people and to resist them, deal with and challenge prejudice, and seek help from adults through the family, community and health and welfare services.”

http://www.bigeye.com/sexeducation/index.html
This is a site that claims to be unbiased and a strict resource for sex education information. It has a plethora of alphabetized links that cover everything from sex activism, contraceptives, the history of sex, to legal matters concerning sex.

http://www.realsexedfacts.com/
This site is aimed at those teens that may have questions about sexuality. The site suggests that teens have a discussion with a trusted adult before relying on the site alone. While some articles seam to offer relationship advice, the necessary and blunter information is easily accessible.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1622610
This is a NPR news article discussing a recent national poll canvassing the issue of sex education and what types are acceptable. Over forty percent of high schools teach abstinence plus programs and president bush has pushed for an increase in funding for abstinence only programs.

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/parents/index.htm
This is a somewhat liberal non-for-profit organization acting as advocates for youth. They believe that teens who are education about sex by there parents or trusted guardians will make better choices regarding sex and even wait to participate in sexual activity than those uneducated.

Contraceptive Availability

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1513169
This is a link to the Journal of General Internal Medicine. A study outlined involves the importance of gynecologists as well as sexual health services in her primary health provider may significantly reduce the number of unwanted pregnancy. This site is very unbiased and paid for by the US government.

http://vb3lk7eb4t.search.serialssolutions.com/?V=1.0&N=100&L=VB3LK7EB4T&S=AC_T_B&C=sex+education+
This is a link for UNC libraries listing 3 articles that discuss the health and statistical results of sex education and contraceptive availability. It is research based through the library, so it is unbiased and factual.

http://www.jstor.org/view/01903187/di975748/97p0404m/0
This journal article effectively proves through experimentation that women who know a family planning outlet are much more likely to practice contraception, than those who do not. This could be a major proponent for educating teens for available clinics and local doctors.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T5P-4J32JMW-2&_user=130907&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2006&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=4efda0fbf46b1de85b27516d674c8b7e
This is a scientific journal article showing the availability of emergency contraceptives in the greater Pennsylvania area. While not applicable in North Carolina, this article points out some discrepancies in the current system of distributing EC, one of limited access.

Emergency Contraceptives

http://www.contraceptiononline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?tk=9&dpg=4
This site depicts the history of the drug Preven. Most importantly it states how a drug advisory committee suggested the move to make Preven over the counter, and more accessible. This is a site that is medically based but focused on the use of contraceptives.

http://www.prolife.com/MorningAfterPill.html
A blatantly biased ProLIfe website, pointing out the discrepancies of the “morning after pill.” This site points out all the possible side effects and unwanted effects of this pill. It is a very outright Christian based touting WWJD.

http://ec.princeton.edu/news/preven.html
New release touting the FDA approval of Preven, morning after pregnancy prevention pill. "It is estimated that nearly 50 percent of all abortions and unintended pregnancies in this country could be avoided if women had access to emergency contraception.” This article is produced by Princeton University so it is unbiased, just intended to inform the public.

http://www.drugs.com/mtm/preven-ec.html
This is general information on Preven. It is unbiased and medically based. It describes the effects and direction of use.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/birth-control-access-prevention/ec-otc-6515.htm
The best site out there! It is through planned parent hood a group that focuses on pregnancy assistance. This site is slightly left wing biased, but only looking to help women lead healthy lives.

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/news-articles-press/politics-policy-issues/birth-control-access-prevention/bc-assault-6552.htm
This is a biased attack on President Bush’s family planning agenda, or lack there of. However slanted, information is true and facts can be helpful.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/11/846
This is an article from the New England Journal of Medicine. It is unbiased and medically based. The statistics support the availability of the drug preven. “As of 1994, nearly half of all women of reproductive age in the United States had had at least one unintended pregnancy.”

http://www.obgyn.net/newsheadlines/womens_health-Contraception-20031218-18.asp
This is from Obgyn.net, an unbiased medical site, informing women and doctors about women’s health and wellness. “There's no evidence that access to emergency contraception makes women more careless about regular contraception, says Felicia Stewart, MD, of the University of California.”

Posits

What, if any, is the casual relationship between the free availability of Contraceptives including condoms and forms of hormones to teens for little or no cost and the STD and pregnancy rate.

What if any are the casual relationship between teaching only abstinence rather than safe sex and the rate of teen promiscuity?

What if any are the casual relationship between offering the morning after pill over the counter and the change in abortion occurrences?

In my opinion....

While this site will attempt to discuss the topic of sex education in a politically correct and impartial manner, through unbiased research, direct linkage and avoiding jumps in logic. I am however, very liberal in this reguard. I truly feel that the state of North Carolina has dropped the ball in imposing the law that mandates abstinence only sex education classes. Would you rather these kids learn it from the “experienced girl” in tenth grade who has gone “all the way,” or a mature adult teaching responsible and inherently more reliable methods. This imposition from the right winged religious extreme, imposing moral dilemmas on children in public school is intolerable. Not only are the children being hurt by illegal abortions and disease, but tax payers are as well. Times are a changing, and now the law needs to as well. At least let’s research the relationships statistically and outweigh cost and benefits between educating, and providing contraceptives. As an adult I feel I was robbed of my right to free education, not reading or arithmetic, but rather health decisions that could make far bigger impact on my life than the ideals of Socrates.

The point

I will be discussing the relationship between sex education and provided contraceptives in secondary school and the reduced amount of both teen pregnancy and sexual disease.