tagged w/ Abstinence-Only
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Did you know that 49% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended? I sure didn't.
Thankfully, people like Krystale Littlejohn and Professor Paula England of Stanford University's Sociology Department - are looking into how we can change that statistic:
With studies indicating that lower-educated women and women in their 20s account for more than half of all abortions, the Stanford researchers want to know why more women in those groups are not consistently using birth control, especially when they don't want to get pregnant.
"We're trying to figure out where the system is breaking down," England said. "You need to get to the point where contraception is so convenient and user-friendly that people who don't want to get pregnant use it all the time."
The researchers want to know if the inconsistencies in birth control use are because of a lack of information, services or self-control. They want to know if the cost of contraception is a factor. They want to know if partners are uncooperative when it comes to wearing a condom.
And they're asking how women learn about birth control.
I'm willing to bet that the last decade of abstinence-only education has a little something to do with these numbers - but I'm sure access and cost are also factors. If you've ever gone without birth control...care to share why?
http://www.feministing.com/archives/021636.html
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/june/birth-control-study-061610.htmlDid you know that 49% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended? I sure didn't.... more
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What is it like to grow up gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in America's heartland, the Midwest? In a region fiercely loyal to traditional values, growing up "other" can be a battle for basic civil rights and resources. Watch Jac Stringer, the young, passionate advocate and director of the Gender Queer Coalition, as he fights to make a safe space for those of us whose sexual preferences and identities weren't made with a cookie-cutter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiQuFu36cxQWhat is it like to grow up gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender in America's... more
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Unless you've been living under a cultural rock, you probably know that New Moon, the second installment in the wildly successful Twilight human-vampire romantic saga, opens Friday.
This time around, brooding vampire Edward must compete with werewolf Jacob for the attentions of Bella, the human heroine of the books and movies.
But with its sexy-but-chaste leads, this teen bodice-ripper series may be sending its target audience of teen and tween girls a mixed message, some fans say.
Then And Now
Back in the '70s and '80s, Hollywood preached a clear message in its teen horror films: have sex and die; stay a virgin and live.
"Let's look to Halloween," says Kevin Doughty, 17, referring to a classic example of the genre. "Jamie Lee Curtis, virgin through the entire movie. Lived."
A student at Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley, Calif., Doughty thinks the Twilight films promote conflicting values. Bella and her vamp boyfriend, Edward, don't have sex, but in one scene, Edward comes into her room at night to watch her sleep in her underwear.
" I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore," Edward says to Bella. "Then don't," she responds.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120499965Unless you've been living under a cultural rock, you probably know that New Moon,... more
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We've all heard about the major disappointment of yesterday's Senate Finance Committee meeting. But the defeat of the public option wasn't the senators' only poor decision of the day. As the Associated Press reports, the committee spent the evening approving a measure to restore $50 million of federal funding to abstinence-only sex education. That's right, folks: These 23 senators think it's more important to devote several million dollars to teaching your children lies than to provide a realistic public alternative to a healthcare hell created by private insurance companies. Are you pissed off yet?
more at link...We've all heard about the major disappointment of yesterday's Senate Finance... more
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What kind of lessons can we learn here? During the Bush era, when abstinence education received increased funding, reports of teen pregnancy and STDs "rose sharply," according to a new report from the CDC. Birth rates had been in decline since 1991, but that trend has reversed in more than half the states since 2005, according to the Guardian. The report also finds that syphilis has increased by 50 percent among adolescent girls and that gonorrhea and AIDS among teens are on the rise as well. Abstinence education advocates say the problem is not the failure of their curriculum, but that they need more money to promote their "no sex before marriage" message.What kind of lessons can we learn here? During the Bush era, when abstinence education... more
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Pope Benedict XVI embarked on his first missionary journey to Africa, and had not yet touched down in Cameroon when headlines flashed around the world screaming; "Pope says condoms won't solve AIDS." Quickly, the pundits and commentators went to work vilifying the Holy Father.Pope Benedict XVI embarked on his first missionary journey to Africa, and had not yet... more
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jlaws
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4 years ago
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The Roman Catholic pope has come under renewed criticism after saying that condoms are not the solution to Africa's HIV epidemic.
Pope Benedict XVI made the remarks as he started a seven-day tour of the continent on Tuesday.
An estimated 22 million people in Africa have HIV, the virus that leads to Aids.
Three-quarters of all Aids deaths in 2007 were in sub-Saharan Africa.
"You can't resolve it [Aids] with the distribution of condoms," the pope said. "On the contrary, it increases the problem."
He will later travel to Angola on a tour that aims to raise awareness of Africa's key problems - famine, poverty and armed conflict.
!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Pope Benedict XVI's ignorant comments also raise awareness of Africa's other key problem, religion.The Roman Catholic pope has come under renewed criticism after saying that condoms are... more
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The religious right loves to spread the misinformation that condoms are ineffective. The CDC has tested latex condoms exhaustively and concludes that, when used correctly, condoms are very effective at preventing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases.The religious right loves to spread the misinformation that condoms are ineffective.... more
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amien
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4 years ago
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John McCain is a strong supporter of abstinence- only sex education in the schools — a program that has been shown to be loaded with gross misinformation, and totally ineffective to boot. And he voted against programs to help prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.
John McCain is a strong supporter of abstinence- only sex education in the schools... more
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Max Siegel is a 24-year-old gay man living with HIV. Max contracted HIV from his first sexual experience at 17 years old but his story starts even before that.Max Siegel is a 24-year-old gay man living with HIV. Max contracted HIV from his first... more
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amien
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4 years ago
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"With most candidates for high public office, the question is whether one agrees with them on the major issues of the day. With Ms. Palin, it’s not about agreeing or disagreeing. She doesn’t appear to understand some of the most important issues.""With most candidates for high public office, the question is whether one agrees... more
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The majority of American parents support comprehensive sexuality education that includes information on abstinence as well as contraception, sexual health care, relationships and more. So why are we still pouring millions of federal dollars into failed abstinence-only programs?The majority of American parents support comprehensive sexuality education that... more
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amien
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4 years ago
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Okay, the video and sound are crappy (shot on my RCA EZ201, so what're ya gonna do?), the performance could be better, and the whole thing could be considered a cheap shot. But I woke up this morning and had to get this off my chest, so enjoy it for what it is.
As always, your comments are invited.Okay, the video and sound are crappy (shot on my RCA EZ201, so what're ya gonna... more
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The Fresh Focus Sex Ed Video Contest was organized in conjunction with the recent San Francisco Sex::Tech Conference in San Francisco. Sex::Tech '08 was the Inaugural STD/HIV Prevention Conference focusing on Youth and Technology. The Fresh Focus Sex Ed Video Contest asked people between the ages of 15 and 30 to make a video response to one of the following themes:
1. What was your sex ed like? Did it rock or did it suck? Tell us why.
or
2. What should sex ed be like in the future?
This is a compilation of some of the finalist in the contest.
The Fresh Focus Sex Ed Video Contest was organized in conjunction with the recent San... more
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WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 ? The birth rate among teenagers 15 to 19 in the United States rose 3 percent in 2006, according to a report issued Wednesday, the first such increase since 1991. The finding surprised scholars and fueled a debate about whether the Bush administration?s abstinence-only sexual education efforts are working.
The federal government spends $176 million annually on such programs. But a landmark study recently failed to demonstrate that they have any effect on delaying sexual activity among teenagers, and some studies suggest that they may actually increase pregnancy rates.
http://hs.riverdale.k12.or.us/~hfinnert/exhib_06/carolinep/abstinence.gif
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 ? The birth rate among teenagers 15 to 19 in the United States rose... more
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It jumped 3% from 2005 - 2006.
Those abstinence-only programs are really working!
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It's mostly the Ridiculous Right, but a few Dems are lining up to cock-block the whole nation.
It's mostly the Ridiculous Right, but a few Dems are lining up to cock-block the... more
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What should they teach in sex ed class - abstinence, contraception or both? Joe gets to the bottom of things in his own educational video and snags a guest appearance by Bino White.What should they teach in sex ed class - abstinence, contraception or both? Joe gets... more
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You can see the original PSA at www.4parents.gov (Warning: will make you feel angry and creeped-out.)
But this parody is so perfect! Has a great message and the kids are hilarious. Yay kids! You can see the original PSA at www.4parents.gov (Warning: will make you feel angry... more
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