| We hope you enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Abstinence Programs Faulted | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 2 2004, 02:07 PM (528 Views) | |
| gvok | Dec 2 2004, 02:07 PM Post #1 |
|
Unregistered
|
Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says By Ceci Connolly Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, December 2, 2004; Page A01 Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found. Those and other assertions are examples of the "false, misleading, or distorted information" in the programs' teaching materials, said the analysis, released yesterday, which reviewed the curricula of more than a dozen projects aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Washington Post) Several million children ages 9 to 18 have participated in the more than 100 federal abstinence programs since the efforts began in 1999. Waxman's staff reviewed the 13 most commonly used curricula -- those used by at least five programs apiece. The report concluded that two of the curricula were accurate but the 11 others, used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, gender traits and when life begins. In some cases, Waxman said in an interview, the factual issues were limited to occasional misinterpretations of publicly available data; in others, the materials pervasively presented subjective opinions as scientific fact. Among the misconceptions cited by Waxman's investigators: • A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person." • HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears. • Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse. One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion, the Waxman report said. "I have no objection talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," Waxman said. "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science. Something is seriously wrong when federal tax dollars are being used to mislead kids about basic health facts." When used properly and consistently, condoms fail to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) less than 3 percent of the time, federal researchers say, and it is not known how many gay teenagers are HIV-positive. The assertion regarding gay teenagers may be a misinterpretation of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that 59 percent of HIV-infected males ages 13 to 19 contracted the virus through homosexual relations. Joe. S. McIlhaney Jr., who runs the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which developed much of the material that was surveyed, said he is "saddened" that Waxman chose to "blast" well-intentioned abstinence educators when there is much the two sides could agree on. McIlhaney acknowledged that his group, which publishes "Sexual Health Today" instruction manuals, made a mistake in describing the relationship between a rare type of infection caused by chlamydia bacteria and heart failure. Chlamydia also causes a common type of sexually transmitted infection, but that is not linked to heart disease. But McIlhaney said Waxman misinterpreted a slide that warns young people about the possibility of pregnancy without intercourse. McIlhaney said the slide accurately describes a real, though small, risk of pregnancy in mutual masturbation. Congress first allocated money for abstinence-only programs in 1999, setting aside $80 million in grants, which go to a variety of religious, civic and medical organizations. To be eligible, groups must limit discussion of contraception to failure rates. President Bush has enthusiastically backed the movement, proposing to spend $270 million on abstinence projects in 2005. Congress reduced that to about $168 million, bringing total abstinence funding to nearly $900 million over five years. It does not appear that the abstinence-only curricula are being taught in the Washington area. Waxman and other liberal sex-education proponents argue that adolescents who take abstinence-only programs are ill-equipped to protect themselves if they become sexually active. According to the latest CDC data, 61 percent of graduating high school seniors have had sex. Supporters of the abstinence approach, also called abstinence until marriage, counter that teaching young people about "safer sex" is an invitation to have sex. Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that Waxman's report is a political document that does a "disservice to our children." Speaking as a pediatrician, Golden said, she knows "abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs and preventing pregnancy." Nonpartisan researchers have been unable to document measurable benefits of the abstinence-only model. Columbia University researchers found that although teenagers who take "virginity pledges" may wait longer to initiate sexual activity, 88 percent eventually have premarital sex. Bill Smith, vice president of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a comprehensive sex education group that also receives federal funding, said the Waxman report underscored the need for closer monitoring of what he called the "shame-based, fear-based, medically inaccurate messages" being disseminated with tax money. He said the danger of abstinence education lies in the omission of useful medical information. Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess." |
| | Quote | ^ | |
| Admiralbill_gomec | Dec 2 2004, 02:29 PM Post #2 |
|
UberAdmiral
|
Ahhhhh, another gem from the Washington ComPost...
If it can be spread through saliva, it can be spread through other bodily fluids such as sweat and tears. Other than that, so what? I think the programs should be more accurate, but this article, as typical with the Washpost, wants to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
Does this guy teach abstinence? Nope. Why is he used as a source? Typical. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| gvok | Dec 2 2004, 02:35 PM Post #3 |
|
Unregistered
|
Iteresting that you always feel the need to hinge your arguements on the source rather than the substance. What about all the other misleading information discussed in the article? |
| | Quote | ^ | |
| Fesarius | Dec 2 2004, 03:04 PM Post #4 |
|
Admiral
|
But when Magic Johnson continued to play basketball, the public was told that this could *not* occur. Both could not have been correct. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Admiralbill_gomec | Dec 2 2004, 03:08 PM Post #5 |
|
UberAdmiral
|
I always consider the source and the substance. In this case, because PRESIDENT Bush supports abstinence education, and the Post disapproves. You, on the other hand, dismiss anything I have to say without fail. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Admiralbill_gomec | Dec 2 2004, 03:09 PM Post #6 |
|
UberAdmiral
|
They were lied to. The NBA should have been ashamed for that, but for them it was all about ticket sales. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Wichita | Dec 2 2004, 03:16 PM Post #7 |
|
The Adminstrator wRench
|
COMPLETE ARTICLE Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says By Ceci Connolly Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, December 2, 2004; Page A01 Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found. Those and other assertions are examples of the "false, misleading, or distorted information" in the programs' teaching materials, said the analysis, released yesterday, which reviewed the curricula of more than a dozen projects aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), left, who led the congressional staff analysis. (Ray Lustig -- The Washington Post) In providing nearly $170 million next year to fund groups that teach abstinence only, the Bush administration, with backing from the Republican Congress, is investing heavily in a just-say-no strategy for teenagers and sex. But youngsters taking the courses frequently receive medically inaccurate or misleading information, often in direct contradiction to the findings of government scientists, said the report, by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), a critic of the administration who has long argued for comprehensive sex education. Several million children ages 9 to 18 have participated in the more than 100 federal abstinence programs since the efforts began in 1999. Waxman's staff reviewed the 13 most commonly used curricula -- those used by at least five programs apiece. The report concluded that two of the curricula were accurate but the 11 others, used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, gender traits and when life begins. In some cases, Waxman said in an interview, the factual issues were limited to occasional misinterpretations of publicly available data; in others, the materials pervasively presented subjective opinions as scientific fact. Among the misconceptions cited by Waxman's investigators: • A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person." • HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears. • Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse. One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion, the Waxman report said. "I have no objection talking about abstinence as a surefire way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," Waxman said. "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science. Something is seriously wrong when federal tax dollars are being used to mislead kids about basic health facts." When used properly and consistently, condoms fail to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) less than 3 percent of the time, federal researchers say, and it is not known how many gay teenagers are HIV-positive. The assertion regarding gay teenagers may be a misinterpretation of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found that 59 percent of HIV-infected males ages 13 to 19 contracted the virus through homosexual relations. "I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), left, who led the congressional staff analysis. (Ray Lustig -- The Washington Post) Joe. S. McIlhaney Jr., who runs the Medical Institute for Sexual Health, which developed much of the material that was surveyed, said he is "saddened" that Waxman chose to "blast" well-intentioned abstinence educators when there is much the two sides could agree on. McIlhaney acknowledged that his group, which publishes "Sexual Health Today" instruction manuals, made a mistake in describing the relationship between a rare type of infection caused by chlamydia bacteria and heart failure. Chlamydia also causes a common type of sexually transmitted infection, but that is not linked to heart disease. But McIlhaney said Waxman misinterpreted a slide that warns young people about the possibility of pregnancy without intercourse. McIlhaney said the slide accurately describes a real, though small, risk of pregnancy in mutual masturbation. Congress first allocated money for abstinence-only programs in 1999, setting aside $80 million in grants, which go to a variety of religious, civic and medical organizations. To be eligible, groups must limit discussion of contraception to failure rates. President Bush has enthusiastically backed the movement, proposing to spend $270 million on abstinence projects in 2005. Congress reduced that to about $168 million, bringing total abstinence funding to nearly $900 million over five years. It does not appear that the abstinence-only curricula are being taught in the Washington area. Waxman and other liberal sex-education proponents argue that adolescents who take abstinence-only programs are ill-equipped to protect themselves if they become sexually active. According to the latest CDC data, 61 percent of graduating high school seniors have had sex. Supporters of the abstinence approach, also called abstinence until marriage, counter that teaching young people about "safer sex" is an invitation to have sex. Alma Golden, deputy assistant secretary for population affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement that Waxman's report is a political document that does a "disservice to our children." Speaking as a pediatrician, Golden said, she knows "abstaining from sex is the most effective means of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, STDs and preventing pregnancy." Nonpartisan researchers have been unable to document measurable benefits of the abstinence-only model. Columbia University researchers found that although teenagers who take "virginity pledges" may wait longer to initiate sexual activity, 88 percent eventually have premarital sex. Bill Smith, vice president of public policy at the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, a comprehensive sex education group that also receives federal funding, said the Waxman report underscored the need for closer monitoring of what he called the "shame-based, fear-based, medically inaccurate messages" being disseminated with tax money. He said the danger of abstinence education lies in the omission of useful medical information. Some course materials cited in Waxman's report present as scientific fact notions about a man's need for "admiration" and "sexual fulfillment" compared with a woman's need for "financial support." One book in the "Choosing Best" series tells the story of a knight who married a village maiden instead of the princess because the princess offered so many tips on slaying the local dragon. "Moral of the story," notes the popular text: "Occasional suggestions and assistance may be alright, but too much of it will lessen a man's confidence or even turn him away from his princess." |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| gvok | Dec 2 2004, 03:18 PM Post #8 |
|
Unregistered
|
|
| | Quote | ^ | |
| Wichita | Dec 2 2004, 03:20 PM Post #9 |
|
The Adminstrator wRench
|
Personal Response In the years that I was on the Pregnancy Prevention Task Force in my community, I did not come in contact with this curriculum so I can't comment. The various programs generally used their own agencies materials or bought an educational program. HIV spread through saliva is highly unlikely, but not impossible. I teach CPR - that's how we approach it. End of Personal Response |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Dandandat | Dec 2 2004, 03:23 PM Post #10 |
|
Time to put something here
|
That is misleading, HIV can be transferred though any body flowed, some are just more potent then others. It takes massive amounts of close contact sweet and/or saliva to effectively transfer the HIV viruses. Any member of the NBA playing with Johnson really had nothing to worry about as the chances of transferring HVI through sweet when playing a Simi-non contact sport is virtually nil. What I would have been worried about in the case of Johnson is the possibility that he might have gotten cut while playing the game (it happens all though its rare) of cores I am not a doctor and this is just my limited understanding on the subject. I could be wrong. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Wichita | Dec 2 2004, 03:26 PM Post #11 |
|
The Adminstrator wRench
|
Personal Response From this paragraph, it was clear something was left out. I wasn't going line by line to find out what wasn't copied. BTW, anyone else find Waxman's outrage somewhat hilarious? He was Clinton's chief supporter in the House on the definition of "is". Telling kids oral sex wasn't sex didn't do anyone any favors either. :rolleyes: End of Personal Response |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Admiralbill_gomec | Dec 2 2004, 03:26 PM Post #12 |
|
UberAdmiral
|
Dante, did you know that the way HIV+ convicts at Riker's Island keep the cops away is by spitting at them. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Dandandat | Dec 2 2004, 03:43 PM Post #13 |
|
Time to put something here
|
- Why is Waxman trying to push his beliefs on me, he may feel that we should not be lying to our children, but that might not be my choice. We federally fund abortion for those who choice it even if they are underage and their parents no nothing about it. Why not have the flip side for those who choice it? Is Waxman anti-choice? Btw, maybe not on this particular subject, but I lie to my kid (and young family members) about subjects all the time. For example I lie to them about drug use, and cigarette smoking (like saying that if they try these things they will become adicted right away - thats not nesiserly true) as I do not want them to ever try it. Their are some things you just need to exaggerate and over emphases to get an underling point across. these people think this subject is that way, who am I to tell them they are wrong for believing that, if I did I would be pushing my beliefs on them and that wouldn’t be progressive of me would it. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Dandandat | Dec 2 2004, 03:47 PM Post #14 |
|
Time to put something here
|
That may be true, in the case of HIV if I where a police officer I would not even come close to taking my chances on the idea, and especially not with low life inmates. But according to the medical science that I have seen it is every difficult to get HIV through saliva. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Minuet | Dec 2 2004, 04:54 PM Post #15 |
|
Fleet Admiral Assistant wRench, Chief Supper Officer
|
How is he trying to push his beliefs on you???? He stated quite clearly that he has no problem with abstinance programs. His only problem is with programs that lie being paid for by federal dollars. If you choose to exagerate or lie at home that is your choice. But the government has no right to fund programs that are not factual. Plain and simple. Not everyone wants to lie to thier children and the government does not have the right to make that choice for you. |
| Offline | Profile | | Quote | ^ |
| Go to Next Page | |
| « Previous Topic · Politics and World Events Forum · Next Topic » |



3:19 AM Jul 11