abstinence "education" is not education

it is, of course, very important for all people--including young women--to know that they have choices, and to have the emotional and practical skills they need to make good choices. Teaching abstinence, however, is not teaching people how to think, nor is it teaching people to treat their sexuality positively.
Teaching young people, especially young women, to "just say no" simply perpetuates the idea that sex is dangerous, and that sex is something that females have and males want. Women need to know how and when to say yes to sex just as much as they need to learn how and when to say no. Teaching the one without the other creates distortions in relationships and self-concept.
in all other areas of life, we rarely tell young people what to do; we more often teach them how to think and make good decisions. Let's do that around sexuality as well--teaching young people to make good sexual decisions, rather than teaching them a fixed set of responses.
For more information on comprehensive sexuality education, I am please to refer interested parties to: <www.SIECUS.org>, America's most respected source of information on the topic.

Replies:

Re: abstinence , by José Ribeiro, 11/15/99 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 11/15/99 Re: abstinence , by Sweet, 12/10/99 Re: abstinence: Reply to Monica, by Pat, 06/30/00 Re: abstinence: Reply to Monica, by Monica, 07/03/00 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 11/15/99 Thatīs what education is all about!, by JoseīRibeiro, 11/16/99 Re: Thatīs what education is all about!, by Monica, 11/16/99 Re: Thatīs what education is all about!, by josé ribeiro, 11/17/99 Re: Thatīs what education is all about!, by Monica, 11/17/99 Re: relationships and sexuality , by josé ribeiro, 11/18/99 Re: relationships and sexuality , by Monica, 11/18/99 Re: abstinence , by Kimberly, 4/6/00 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 4/6/00 Re: abstinence , by Sean M. Benedict, 4/8/00 Re: abstinence , by Kimberly, 4/8/00 Re: abstinence , by Sean M. Benedict, 4/9/00 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 4/10/00 Re: abstinence , by Kimberly, 4/10/00 Christian Counselor, by Marty Klein, Ph.D, 4/11/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by Kimberly, 4/26/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by Monica, 4/28/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by Kimberly, 5/2/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by Sean M. Benedict, 5/4/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by Kimberly, 5/7/00 Re: Christian Counselor, by jacksteel50@yahoo.com, 05/07/01 Re: "Grow Spiritually"?, by A.Quest, Ph.D., 07/26/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Jane, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by A.Quest, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Jane, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by A. Quest, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Jane, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by A. Quest, Ph.D., 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Jane, 07/27/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by MOnica, 07/29/00 Re: Skepticism Is Not Cynicism, by A. Quest, Ph.D., 07/29/00 Re: Skepticism Is Not Cynicism, by Heather, 07/30/00 Re: Skepticism Is Not Cynicism, by Quest, 07/31/00 To Dr. Quest, by Monica, 07/31/00 Re:To Dr. Quest, by Quest, 07/31/00 Re: To Dr. Quest, by Quest, 07/31/00 Clients' beliefs and values, by Heather, 08/02/00 Re: Clients' beliefs and values, by Quest (Still Here), 08/02/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by More Quest, 07/29/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Jane, 07/30/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Lindsay Smith, 04/28/01 Trying to Make Effable the Ostensibly Ineffable , by Quest, 04/29/01 Re:Trying to Make Effable the Ostensibly Ineffable , by Jane, 05/02/01 Re:Trying to Make Effable the Ostensibly Ineffable , by Quest, 05/03/01 Re:Trying to Make Effable the Ostensibly Ineffable , by , 05/04/01 Re:Trying to Make Effable the Ostensibly Ineffable , by Jane, 05/04/01 Woops...I used ambiguous phrasing, by Quest, 05/05/01 MEDITATION & SPIRITUALITY, by Lindsay Smith, 09/01/01 Re:MEDITATION & SPIRITUALITY, by Lindsay Smith, 09/02/01 Crazy Horse for PResident!!, by Monica, 07/31/00 be careful of assumptions, by Marty Klein, 08/01/00 Re:be careful of assumptions, by Monica, 08/02/00 Re:be careful of assumptions, by Quest Again, 08/02/00 Raspberries!!, by Monica, 08/03/00 Reply, by Quest, 08/04/00 "Spititual Growth"--Still Reading, by Jane, 08/04/00 Re:Correction, by Jane, 08/04/00 Re:, by Lindsay Smith, 04/28/01 Re:Raspberries!!, by Jane, 08/04/00 Re:Raspberries!!, by Monica, 08/10/00 Re: Beside the Point, by Quest, 08/10/00 Re: Spiritual Growth?, by Dr. Barbara Young, 02/01/01 Re: abstinence , by Dog, 4/8/00 Re: abstinence , by dog, 4/9/00 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 4/11/00 Re: abstinence , by dog, 4/11/00 Re: abstinence , by Monica, 4/11/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Heather, 4/13/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Monica, 4/13/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Alex., 5/7/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Sean M. Benedict, 5/8/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Monica, 5/8/00 Re: abstinence & partner age differences, by Alex., 5/8/00 marriage and life expectancy, by Alex., 5/8/00 Re: Thatīs a question of happiness!, by José Ribeiro, 4/18/00 Re: Thatīs a question of happiness!, by Monica, 4/19/00 Re: abstinence , by sharon, 3/8/00

| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |

Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.