Comments on: Sex Ed http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed The Weblog of Erik J. Barzeski Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:23:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: misha dudek http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10869 misha dudek Tue, 07 Jun 2005 20:53:14 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10869 I think sex ed should not be taught to kids 12 or younger.they start trieing it and by the time they reach 14,most of them aren't virgins!!!!!I find that truly disturbing.i am only 13!no sex talk,please! I think sex ed should not be taught to kids 12 or younger.they start trieing it and by the time they reach 14,most of them aren't virgins!!!!!I find that truly disturbing.i am only 13!no sex talk,please!

]]> By: Phillip Hutchings http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10868 Phillip Hutchings Mon, 16 Aug 2004 03:22:06 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10868 <blockquote>A young adult is a 23-year-old. The word "adolescent" simply means "one who is growing" or "one who is not yet grown."</blockquote> I am 20, and I no longer consider myself a 'young adult'. I find it quite offensive that I would be judged as anything other than an adult. I can buy alcohol, cigarettes and even get a mortgage. I didn't get in to any relationships until 17, and held off on sex until 19. Why? I didn't (and to a degree still don't) see them as relevant. I personally attribute this to my upbringing - at an early age (11) I went through a fairly comprehensive sex ed course. I knew about what happens, and it wasn't that interesting. Of course, if I was interested I would have known about condoms and things. The bottom line is that no degree of telling people not to do something will stop them (when your mum told you not to eat the biscuits what did you immediately want to do?). The only way to lower the teen pregnancy rate is to make them aware of the consequences and the preventative measures they can take. Of course, we could remove the glamour that surrounds sex, but the media won't like that as it makes things sell… Phillip Hutchings said on August 15, 2004:

A young adult is a 23-year-old. The word "adolescent" simply means "one who is growing" or "one who is not yet grown."

I am 20, and I no longer consider myself a 'young adult'. I find it quite offensive that I would be judged as anything other than an adult. I can buy alcohol, cigarettes and even get a mortgage.

I didn't get in to any relationships until 17, and held off on sex until 19. Why? I didn't (and to a degree still don't) see them as relevant. I personally attribute this to my upbringing - at an early age (11) I went through a fairly comprehensive sex ed course. I knew about what happens, and it wasn't that interesting. Of course, if I was interested I would have known about condoms and things.

The bottom line is that no degree of telling people not to do something will stop them (when your mum told you not to eat the biscuits what did you immediately want to do?). The only way to lower the teen pregnancy rate is to make them aware of the consequences and the preventative measures they can take.

Of course, we could remove the glamour that surrounds sex, but the media won't like that as it makes things sell…

]]> By: Neil Earnshaw http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10867 Neil Earnshaw Fri, 13 Aug 2004 10:28:42 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10867 Gather a group of 100 15 year-olds together and I'll bet you find some that come across as ten year-olds, while others have the maturity of an 18-20 year-old. I'm willing to bet that the latter are the ones that have been treated with respect by their parents. When it comes to teaching my kids the Facts of Life (not just sex), I follow my father's example: If you're old enough to ask, then you are old enough to get a straight answer. I don't try and program them with my moral values, instead I try and present many people's points of vie, <em>then</em> tell them what I think. The only issue that I actively take an unbalanced view about is religion. All the schools in my town are Church of England schools and they continually pump God, Angels and Jesus into their heads, against my will. I believe you should let people make up their own minds about the religion-thing when they are at an age when they can make their own decision to believe, or not. So I go to great lengths to tell my kids about other religions, about the history and politics of religions, about the fact that there are good nuggets in those stories, about the fact that religion has been used to justify both good and evil actions, about the fact that a lot of it made sense when it was codified, but that we live in a different world now and we have to take that into account. I don't rant <em>against</em> religion, though I am, fiercely; I try and give them a bigger picture than the state-sponsored, school programmers do and advise them to make their own minds up when they know a lot more. Gather a group of 100 15 year-olds together and I'll bet you find some that come across as ten year-olds, while others have the maturity of an 18-20 year-old. I'm willing to bet that the latter are the ones that have been treated with respect by their parents.

When it comes to teaching my kids the Facts of Life (not just sex), I follow my father's example: If you're old enough to ask, then you are old enough to get a straight answer. I don't try and program them with my moral values, instead I try and present many people's points of vie, then tell them what I think.

The only issue that I actively take an unbalanced view about is religion. All the schools in my town are Church of England schools and they continually pump God, Angels and Jesus into their heads, against my will.

I believe you should let people make up their own minds about the religion-thing when they are at an age when they can make their own decision to believe, or not. So I go to great lengths to tell my kids about other religions, about the history and politics of religions, about the fact that there are good nuggets in those stories, about the fact that religion has been used to justify both good and evil actions, about the fact that a lot of it made sense when it was codified, but that we live in a different world now and we have to take that into account.

I don't rant against religion, though I am, fiercely; I try and give them a bigger picture than the state-sponsored, school programmers do and advise them to make their own minds up when they know a lot more.

]]> By: Neil Earnshaw http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10866 Neil Earnshaw Fri, 13 Aug 2004 09:43:04 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10866 Sadly, your opening paragraph about the attitudes to drink and sex in Europe do not apply to the UK. Here in Britain: No-one gets educated about sex... so we have the highest teenage pregnancy and abortion rate in Europe.You can't drink in public until you're 18 and the pubs close at 11:00... so there's a culture of binge drinking that makes the centers of some cities no-go areas for people just out to have a nice evening. Sadly, your opening paragraph about the attitudes to drink and sex in Europe do not apply to the UK.

Here in Britain:

No-one gets educated about sex... so we have the highest teenage pregnancy and abortion rate in Europe.You can't drink in public until you're 18 and the pubs close at 11:00... so there's a culture of binge drinking that makes the centers of some cities no-go areas for people just out to have a nice evening.

]]> By: Josha Chapman-Dodson http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10865 Josha Chapman-Dodson Fri, 13 Aug 2004 03:00:38 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10865 does any get the double dutch reference? does any get the double dutch reference?

]]> By: Gabe http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10864 Gabe Thu, 12 Aug 2004 16:33:12 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10864 I'm about 4 months away from becoming a parent myself, so I have a particular interest in this subject. Too many times I've seen parents who have told their children, daughters primarily, that sex was wrong, evil, etc. It was the thing not to do. Usually, these kids were very troubled when it came to discussing sexuality without a giggle when they were in their late teens. That's pretty sad. I'm plan on being very honest and open with my daughter on the subject because I want her to not be afraid of something that is natural. I'm not going to tell her to specifically wait until marriage, but I'm not going to tell her hump everyone in sight either. Being open and honest about sex, and teaching your values without being condesending is key to healthy view about sex. I'm about 4 months away from becoming a parent myself, so I have a particular interest in this subject. Too many times I've seen parents who have told their children, daughters primarily, that sex was wrong, evil, etc. It was the thing not to do. Usually, these kids were very troubled when it came to discussing sexuality without a giggle when they were in their late teens. That's pretty sad.

I'm plan on being very honest and open with my daughter on the subject because I want her to not be afraid of something that is natural. I'm not going to tell her to specifically wait until marriage, but I'm not going to tell her hump everyone in sight either.

Being open and honest about sex, and teaching your values without being condesending is key to healthy view about sex.

]]> By: Mitch Plains http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10863 Mitch Plains Thu, 12 Aug 2004 14:40:46 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10863 Clef, not to get too picky, but what part of the Constitution authorizes the <i>federal</i> government to provide sex education to the populace? Whether you prefer condoms or abstinence, it ain't the <i>federal</i> government's business. Clef, not to get too picky, but what part of the Constitution authorizes the federal government to provide sex education to the populace? Whether you prefer condoms or abstinence, it ain't the federal government's business.

]]> By: Clef http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10862 Clef Thu, 12 Aug 2004 05:13:26 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10862 Yet you are voting for a man who has removed all references to condoms from all federal websites in favor of abstinence only, and bans federal funding to programs which are not abstinence only. I still don't get your Bush vote, sorry :) Yet you are voting for a man who has removed all references to condoms from all federal websites in favor of abstinence only, and bans federal funding to programs which are not abstinence only.

I still don't get your Bush vote, sorry :)

]]> By: Josha Chapman-Dodson http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10861 Josha Chapman-Dodson Wed, 11 Aug 2004 20:16:19 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10861 Double Dutch. Double Dutch.

]]> By: Erik J. Barzeski http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed#comment-10860 Erik J. Barzeski Wed, 11 Aug 2004 14:18:07 +0000 http://nslog.com/2004/08/11/sex_ed/#comment-10860 If I'm still "pretty young" myself, then perhaps that qualifies me more to talk about what works on teens. My attitude will never allow me to reasonably compare sex ed to potty training. If I'm still "pretty young" myself, then perhaps that qualifies me more to talk about what works on teens. My attitude will never allow me to reasonably compare sex ed to potty training.

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