Does teaching "Abstinence Only" Reallly Work?

Question

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Answer 1

For some, but for the majority no. The only thing you are doing by teaching abstinence ONLY is sending kids out to have s*x without knowledge of the consequences or protection.

Why can't s*x ed be taught giving all options abstinence and responsible protected s*x? That's how it should be IMO.

Answer 2

NO WAY! The very idea is ridiculous.

Answer 3

No. We teach kids to drive safely and I still see them running red lights and speeding.  

Answer 4

Yes when your parents are home to enforce it.  

Answer 5

You can't teach "abstinence" to horny teenagers.  

Answer 6

teaching abstinence is one thing but boys and girl but s*x is something they are independently faced with.  parents cannot actively prevent their kids from having s*x.  all they can do is "have talks"  the kids will make the decision for themselves.

Answer 7

Palin's daughter's example obviously tells us, not

Answer 8

I refused to go to my school's Abstinence assembly because they're promoting s*x as a bad thing in which it should be something you should never do until you're much, much older. I personally don't believe that there is anything wrong with having s*x, even in teen years, as long as both partners are mature enough, use safe measures not to get pregnant, and don't go behind their parents back.

This whole Abstinence thing also just shows how outside organizations feel that they should take control as parents and say what is right from wrong, etc.

Answer 9

No, it never does.

Answer 10

Political views aside.. I don't think so.

If you tell someone "the ONLY way to prevent pregnancy and STD's is to not have s*x!"  and are not clear about the truth of the matter -- that birth control is widely available, condoms can prevent most diseases..

Kids have s*x anyway.  

If they don't know about ways to prevent diseases and pregnancy, or are never exposed to it regularly, and are never told how to go about getting birth control/condoms..  

Think about it.

They do it anyway.

Would you rather they do it atleast somewhat safely.. or just go have s*x with absolutely no protection?

Sure, you have your few people that actually wait til they are married..  but what about the rest of them?

Obviously not "condoning it" is NOT WORKING.

I come usually from the Pregnancy section.   I am 4 months pregnant with my first child.

I see question.. after question.. after question.. from teenagers asking  "Can I get my girlfriend pregnant if there was no penetration?"   "I'm (insert despicable age, such as 13) years old and pregnant, help!"  "Can I get pregnant if the condom breaks?"  "Does the pull-out method work?" "If I missed 4 pills of birth control can I get pregnant?"  "Could I be pregnant?  I missed my period!"  

Not only are they not thinking about protection from STD's and pregnancy.. they obviously do not even understand HOW PREGNANCY AND s*x WORKS!!

Please.

PLEASE.

Republicans.  Non-republicans.  Chimps.

EDUCATE YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT s*x!!!

Answer 11

Obviously not.  

Answer 12

NO! I went to a Catholic grade school, and if I were some kind of dumb *** I would have thought that only married people can get pregnant, cause that's seriously what my eighth grade religion book made it sound like.

Being in an abstinence-only class also didn't stop me from having s*x before marriage. But I WAS safe about it, only because I'm intelligent enough to take care of my body, and I had an extremely caring boyfriend.

Answer 13

The only thing that works is what you put effort into.

Answer 14

Nope.  It actually increases a teen's desire to experiment with s*x, being that they're told it's evil to have s*x before marriage.

Answer 15

It has for many

Answer 16

We'll never know that the alternative works either because when "properly educated" kids use condoms or don't; it all ends up the same.  If they chose not to use a condom, they have the self-indulgent luxury of being able to abort the baby...the numbers have been and always will be skewed.

Answer 17

Strap a condom on!!!

Answer 18

Not even G.W. Bush has promoted abstinence only.  

Most conservatives just want abstinence to be taught ALONG with regular s*x education as another option.  I think it is SMART to cover everything.  

Answer 19

Nope. Palin doesn't believe in birth control and believes in abstinence only education. See her group: "Feminists for Life".

Answer 20

Yes, certainly