Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 30, 2008 - 18:40.
Yes, it IS illegal for children under a certain age to engage in sexual intercourse. But that doesn't mean children/teens are going to refrain from doing so altogether. If that were the case, there would be no such thing as teenage drug use or vandalization, for example. This is not an adequate argument in favor of abstinence. Parents have the right to teach their children however they choose, but is teaching them only about abstinence really working? If it were, there wouldn't be SO MANY teen pregnancies and contractions of STDs. We need to inform children/teens about contraceptives and STD protection. It is time for parents, schools, religious groups, etc. to realize that abstinence is not the only way.
Abstinence-only education does not work
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on March 30, 2008 - 18:40.
Yes, it IS illegal for children under a certain age to engage in sexual intercourse. But that doesn't mean children/teens are going to refrain from doing so altogether. If that were the case, there would be no such thing as teenage drug use or vandalization, for example. This is not an adequate argument in favor of abstinence. Parents have the right to teach their children however they choose, but is teaching them only about abstinence really working? If it were, there wouldn't be SO MANY teen pregnancies and contractions of STDs. We need to inform children/teens about contraceptives and STD protection. It is time for parents, schools, religious groups, etc. to realize that abstinence is not the only way.