Anything you say, oh divine one!
Abstinence-only education advocates are not too pleased that their federal funding is pretty much kaput (though I'm still keeping my eye on that "teen pregnancy prevention" money). In fact, they are freaking out.
Leslee Unruh, president of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse and all-around fun person to watch lose their shit, had this to say about losing federal funding:
"We've got news for the condom worshipers, abstinence education is not going away any time soon. Taxpayers will not tolerate their money being used for ideological latex-only programs and the molestation of their children's minds and future."
You know, this is why folks in the virginity movement need to rebrand their image - they can't help but reveal how radical and on the fringe they are. Most American parents want their children taught about contraception; most American women will use contraception at some point in their lives. Calling the majority of the country - who want their kids to learn medically accurate information about sex so they can make healthy decisions - condom worshipers and molesters is simply stupid.
That's why the more media-savvy abstinence-only leaders are now using more mainstream-friendly language and attempting to frame themselves as folks interested in "holisitic approaches" and "healthy lifestyle choices." In fact, last night I was on the Alan Colmes radio show (link forthcoming) debating Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA) - and Huber continued to claim that abstinence-only education did teach kids about contraception and gave them all the information they needed to make healthy decisions. It was bullshit sound bite heaven, and it was desperate. (She also referred to comprehensive sex education as condom-only or condom-centered a couple of times; classy.)
While I'm glad to see that these organizations are scrambling, I'm also a bit wary of writing them off completely - sadly, I don't think we've seen the end of Huber or Unruh. And we have to continue to be vigilant on a state and community level. Even now, in California, there's an abstinence-only debate ranging in Sonoma County schools.
So, please, keep up-to-date on what's happening with ab-only nonsense - make sure to check out Advocates for Youth's Amplify and SIECUS (in addition to us, of course!).
Thanks to Rebecca for the link.
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I could only laugh at the phrase "ideological latex-only programs"....
Talk about making yourself sound hysterical. It would probably be more useful if they kept to the hysterics all the time and show themselves up for the nutters they are....
most American women
It's more like the vast majority of women, isn't it? Something well over 90%. That's under-represented by the word "most" IMO.
Also, IIRC, California law mandates that schools not teach an abstinence-only program, so I'm not sure what Sonoma County thinks they're doing. They can include abstinence, of course. They must also provide value-neutral information and medically accurate statistics regarding contraceptive failure and whatnot.
I live in Sonoma County. For the most part they taught us comprehensive sex-ed, but the abstinence people got their say as well. Fortunately by the time we were in high school our teachers were kind enough to point out that we were "going to see a presentation by some dingbats today. You're required to go, but not to pay attention." Haha.
And Yay, Go Alice Jaffee! (We went to high school together. She's quoted in the SC article!) :D so proud.
So now "abstinence only" includes (as Huber says) information about contraception? Wow. That sounds a lot like "comprehensive" sex education. (Considering that comprehensive includes teaching abstinence too.) I wonder if it's worth it to just let them think it's their own idea?
Nah - It's annoying that "abstinence only" is presented as a synonym for what any "good, decent, moral" person would teach, regardless of what is actually being taught. People who would teach "comprehensive" are all... hippies, sluts, condom worshipers? Again, regardless of whether comprehensive encourages abstinence.
"Abstinence only" is what's truly immoral - withholding potentially life-saving information. If it weren't about SEX, would anyone agree keeping that kind of information from someone was OK?
That would be good news if by "comprehensive" they didn't mean that they probally intend to tell people that condoms fail most of the time, that HIV is small enough to leak through condoms, that birth control causes cancer and fails 40% of the time, that most doctors wouldn't use a condom on their hands to protect them from disease, that condoms break 90% of the time( and there will be no discussions of lube), that having sex will make you feel guilty(if yu're female) and guys only want to get in your pants (b/c there is no reason a young woman would desire sex on her own), that if you really love each other you'll wait, that you are worth the wait (because women are like prizes to be won),that most STIs bypass condoms, talk about how high the rate STI contraction is and relate it to sex in general as oppose to non-condom use, and that if you have sex you will get pregnant/catch syphyllis and die.
The scary thing is that's their idea of comprehensive and they'll not only have people eating it up, but I've hadenough convesations to believe that a great deal of them actually believe their "facts".
who manages the ads for this site? not trying to be antagonistic, but i'm a little troubled by the fact that there's a woman exposing her gut with type under it advertising: "lose 25lbs of stomach fat in 3 weeks" on this page. just seems to go against feminist ethics regarding engendering positive body consciousness and self-awareness.
also, am looking forward to the colmes interview link. thanks!
http://www.feministing.com/archives/016722.html
This was just posted yesterday.
thank you so much, ellestar! i'm a newbie to this site so i wasn't aware it was an ongoing concern that's been looked into. i was a initially turned off and saddened, but didn't want to completely write off this blogging community without at least asking, "hey! what's up with that?" again, thank you!
ITALIC ...these guys are nuts... ITALIC
Personally, I'm glad that Leslee hasn't been stripped of her leadership role in the ab-only movement yet. I see no logic for continuing to allow her to speak to the media, but she's actually great for us, strategically. She seems to get crazier and crazier as the years go by...which makes her anti-choice friends look crazier and crazier.
Plus, it's funny. And makes for fun Youtube videos of her greatest hits, like this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDEfjp4uznI
Ha! I had a good laugh!
"Contraceptive-only" sex education? Who's ever heard of that?
As far as I know, every program that teaches proper contraceptive use also presents abstinence as an option. But the article's word choice makes it sound like comprehensive sex-ed programs actively discourage abstinence....which doesn't even make sense.
Yes, there's definitely a flaw in her logic somewhere. What on earth could a "contraceptive-only" sex education program even teach? You are at risk for getting pregnant regardless of whether or not you are having sex? It's baffling.
When I was in high school, our sex-ed teacher taught contraceptive-only. We were made to feel that if you weren't having sex there was something wrong with you. When I suggested abstinence as a way to prevent pregnancies and STIs she laughed at me.
I hope this type of teaching is not common. It can be very emotionally damaging. True comprehensive sex-ed should include all form of contraception, and also talk about abstinence.
This is, of course, a different area (small country town in West Australia) so I don't think it's too wide spread. Just wanted to alert you that, yes, it is possible to teach contraceptive-only.
Damn, my pet birds are having sex as I type this. I guess I never sent them to enough abstinence-only sex ed classes. I'm a bad, condom worshipping, mommy!
Seriously though, I don't even know how to respond to this. It's so ridiculous, it made me laugh.
But they aren't MARRIED!
I'm wary of an uprising from the Far Right, I really am, especially after Dr. Tiller's devastating end, yet sometimes you just can't help but LAUGH!
They are LOSING any and all composure. And it's fucking HILARIOUS.
Because, for all this preaching, ultimately, whose funding was slashed? Not ours ...
"Condom worshippers?" "Latex ideology"? So, being abstinent makes you sound like you're being quoted in an Onion article? Who knew?
I'd like to know more about the rites and rituals of this faith.
hi!
Enjoyed reading your entry.
At the phrase "ideological latex-only programs" i could only laugh, too. It's unbelievable!
I'm from Germany and for me it was quite normal that we discussed the sex things our biology lessons. So I'm really bemazed every time I hear about "Abstinence only Education" or people which support that.
At the moment I'm completing an Internship at NCAC (National Coalition Against Censorship) so I've read a lot about it - certainly.
If you are interested in reading more about it you could just join our blog:
ncacblog.wordpress.com
On our blog there is shown a infographic about Abstinence-only Education. It's very interesting!
We are glad about a lot comments as well as a lively discussion!
Greetings
Jana
Abstinence isn’t the “bad” word that today’s culture makes it out to be. It’s actually the exact opposite – it’s a positive choice that teens can make to ensure a brighter and healthier future. Teens who choose abstinence don’t have to worry about STD’s or STI’s, and they don’t have to carry the emotional baggage that having sex brings. An abstinent teen can keep a clear mind to help make positive, healthy choices for their future. And most importantly, being abstinent means that you never have to live with regrets.
“Game Plan” is a great abstinence-based curriculum that many schools across the United States are using. To learn more about “Game Plan”, visit www.justsayyes.org
Presumably you would support kids being taught road safety skills. Although really young children shouldn't be going anywhere near busy roads unaccompanied, surely they should have the skills to negotiate these safely when the time comes.
Likewise abstinence. Telling young people to wait until they are ready is one thing. Deliberately witholding accurate information about contraception and sexuality is quite another. That's where abstinence-only falls down.
Uh, what? Abstinence is a good and valid choice, but I'm reluctant to believe that people who choose to abstain from sex are guaranteed a "brighter and healthier" future. And I have no idea how they have "clearer minds".
And how does being abstinent magically protect you from regret? You can regret a lot of things in life, not just sex. Hell, you can regret being abstinent.
Plus, regardless of whether or not they decide to abstain from sex, kids need REAL sex education, not only abstinence education. If they do have sex (and we all should know that kids who are taught abstinence-only have sex just as much as those who are given real sex ed) then it's important to be protected so they DON'T have to deal with the STDs and regret that you're talking about.
This is coming from someone who has actually chosen to abstain from sex.. Abstinence is a fine choice, but it's not the only choice.
Being abstinent means I'll never have regrets? You mean I won't regret dating my boyfriend that I didn't sleep with after he breaks my heart? I'll never regret deciding not to study for my Spanish test? I'll never regret telling my friend a secret that she ended up not keeping? I'll never regret choosing college X over college Y? DUDE. Staying away from sex sounds AWESOME, all I have to do is keep my legs closed and I'm set for life! It's that black and white! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention.
By the way, teenagers turn into adults. Adults can get STDs. Just where along the lines are they supposed to learn about preventing them?
Thank you! I'm 17 and I don't see how when you become 18, you're any different with sex.I always hear people going at least wait until you're 18 (because having sex at 16 and 17 is just immoral) but I'm always like, "are you magically free from STD's and unwanted pregnancies at 18 or something."
I never got why abstinence-only pushers are so into making decisions for another person's sex life. I feel giving people information on how to be safe and smart is the furthest we need to go.
Fail.
Troll.
Have you ever read Isaac Asimov's autobiography?
He handles the topic with extreme delicacy, but manages to convey that he and his first wife -- both virgins at marriage -- were completely sexually incompatible. If they had not been abstinent before marriage, it might have saved them both from decades of regret.
Have you read, "On Chesil Beach"? It's a novel by Ian McEwan about two virgins on their honeymoon in 1960. They have absolutely NO knowledge about how to discuss sex, talk about their feelings (both physical and emotional), or negotiate boundaries. It's one of the more depressing books I've read.
It's depressing because it seems like a VERY accurate representation of what marriage (or at least the early years of marriage) were often like in a time when people were actively taught to abstain from sex absolutely until one's wedding night and to speak about sex not at all. The wife has read a clinical pamphlet at some point that does not mention anything about pleasure, and is absolutely terrified about what she's going to feel. Both of them have no idea what to say to relax and reassure each other, let alone say what they want and need. Neither of them seems to know that sex is supposed to be fun and feel good. They view sex as a grim duty (on her part) and a grim conquest (on his).
Basically, that's what the abstinence-only folks want us to go back to. It's unconscionable.
Abstinence made me
regret all the awkward sex
I missed in High School.
Ugh- speaking of rebranding, I noticed that the abstinence only curriculum in the california case linked to above is called "Free to Be."
Well, that's infuriating. I wonder if Marlo Thomas knows.
As we all know, there's no possible way for a class to teach abstinence and contraception. It has to be one way or the other.
really? I didn't know this. I have taken both comprehensive and absitnence only sex-ed and in the comprehensive we were taught that abstinence is the only way to 100% way to keep from getting pregnant, std, ect but we were also taught that once you are in a committed relationship you still need to protect yourself and use contraception. It also requires you to wear the pregnancy simulator and carry around the fake baby who cries and has to have its diaper changed. The comprehensive sex ed is much better. It is still telling you that absitnence is the best policy but it gives you the tools for later in life as well. There are ways to teach both, the teachers just have to be willing to present the facts from both sides in a neutral way
I think Toni was making fun of the way these abstinence-only people seem to see the world. :)
Sarcasm :)
i wonder if they've ever even seen a comprehensive sex ed curriculum?
as someone said earlier, it is hardly "latex-only." i had a comprehensive sex ed class in middle school and high school, and what sticks out in my mind the most was that out of all the different types of contraception, abstinence, when practiced perfectly, is the only form of contraception that has a 100% success rate against STDs and pregnancy. We learned about everything else, but learning that abstinence was also a valid and intelligent sexual choice was part of our curriculum.
what the abstinence-only fails to understand: first, learning about sex is a vital and inevitable part of growing up, and second, learning about abstinence will always be a part of learning about sex.
Condom worshiper? Not in this lifetime! Necessary evil.
I wish Ms Unruh had talked to me before she made that statement, cos I'm a taxpayer and I'm all for having my hard-earned taxpayer dollars spent on condoms.
i'm a condom worshipper! as of my last test, i'm std-free... so, in a sense, condoms have saved my life... and, if i squint at that idea just right, it looks like condoms have given me life. that's why i have a shrine to them in my wallet.
Latex only? Don't we recommend polyurethane as an alternative? Geesh, we're not that closed minded.
Seriously though. What they fail to mention is that abstinence-only programs do NOTHING to help young people already having sex or planning to have sex. They refuse to protect sexually active teens and instead spew lies and degrading rhetoric at young people, especially young women and girls. The public knows it and is sick of it.
To Leslie, I have to remind her, abstinence always goes away.
what about that link? i want to hear this interview