Surprise, Surprise. Abstinence Only Sexual Education Backfires in Texas.

[Orbitus]

common sense would mean parents and not schools would teach the kids about sex ed

Well, when you have idiotic parents that believe in fairy tales like these bible belters, that is a MAJOR problem.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Does "typical failure rate" mean observed failure rate, or failure rate when used correctly? I ask because everything I've read says correct use has a 2-3% failure rate and the observed failure rate is ~18%.

Edit - From the CDC link provided:


Condoms have a 18% failure rate when used incorrectly, not correctly.

To get a 18% failure rate (I guess that means pregnant despite using it), given the general success chance of impregnation across all fertile age demographics, would mean that probably everyone would have to take it off after sex, turn it inside out (tape side B ), put it back on and go at it again...

In reality the chance is probably even lower, because much like the failure chance of the pill, I fear that those statistics don't account for "forgetting or mismanagement" and depending on how these numbers are gathered in the first place, it is highly questionable how much truth is in them. Even with 2% failure rate it would mean that on average every couple would have a baby that isn't wanted or the abortion clinics would have ques in front of them.. Since neither seems to be the case I question even that number.

[Julian Rayne]

To get a 18% failure rate (I guess that means pregnant despite using it), given the general success chance of impregnation across all fertile age demographics, would mean that probably everyone would have to take it off after sex, turn it inside out (tape side B ), put it back on and go at it again...

People actually do that. I'm not joking. They do.

[Blur4stuff]

even with protection a pregnancy can occur. there are a million different possibilities. everything from mistakes to a bad roll of the dice. hetero recreational sex isn't risk free unless someone is infertile or sterile.

"but people will have sex anyways..." yeah they will. doesn't make it any less true that you should only have sex if you're prepared to be a parent. even if you're wearing a condom, she's on the pill, and you both lathered yourselves in spermicide.

[Deleted]

To get a 18% failure rate (I guess that means pregnant despite using it), given the general success chance of impregnation across all fertile age demographics, would mean that probably everyone would have to take it off after sex, turn it inside out (tape side B ), put it back on and go at it again...

In reality the chance is probably even lower, because much like the failure chance of the pill, I fear that those statistics don't account for "forgetting or mismanagement" and depending on how these numbers are gathered in the first place, it is highly questionable how much truth is in them. Even with 2% failure rate it would mean that on average every couple would have a baby that isn't wanted or the abortion clinics would have ques in front of them.. Since neither seems to be the case I question even that number.

Not a lot of women have sex on their period. Tho the number is still very high, but a 1.8-2% is prob the real one.

[Deleted]

Sure, some will. But we don't just all of the sudden give up on explaining why abstinence is the most effective method of birth control just because it's difficult.

Excuse me, but you can't just disconnect it from its practical effects. Just like abstinence has caused a crapload of child abuse in catholic churches. "They just weren't doing it right" - but that's just not grasping the whole of the issue. The point is that abstinence can also potentially cause sexual tension, and sex itself becomes rebellious behaviour (in an age group that's known for... you know). The focus becomes not doing anything rather than knowing which parts to pay extra attention to.

And like you said: it's hard. But if it's so hard that it's quite simply NOT WORKING in practice, then it's not "more effective" than any other method of birth control. It just isn't. If you could disconnect it from failures, it would be; but you can't, that's not how it works.

The solution to bad grades at school is just simply the kids giving the right answers. Giving the right answers is much more effective than things like rehearsing; it's just that it's hard to do. That doesn't mean we should give up on it though. Just give the right answers.

[Cthulhu 2020]

In the urban areas, sure. Not as much when you get out into "fly over country."

CDC found it was mostly rural for highest PERCENTAGE, maybe more cases in urban areas sure, but overall percentage was lower. And besides even that, still in the bible belt.

[Cosmic Janitor]

Not a lot of women have sex on their period. Tho the number is still very high, but a 1.8-2% is prob the real one.

Not quite sure that you got that right. The fertile days are 5 days before ovulation and around until 2 afterwards. Ovulation is at around 12-14 days into a 28 day cycle. Alot of women have sex during ovulation, because that is when they are naturally horny, you are right about the period, but that happens in the first couple days of a cycle if memory serves me right,so that has no real bearing on the outcome.

I do wonder though if they normalized those statistics in some way, but I couldn't find anything.

[BellaSwoosh]

Yay, we bashinga whole state of millions of people again?

Sweet! I love generalizing people and using a crisis to push my personal agenda.

[Elegiac]

Yay, we bashinga whole state of millions of people again?

Sweet! I love generalizing people and using a crisis to push my personal agenda.

Apparently wanting medically accurate and unbiased sex education is a 'personal agenda'.

[BellaSwoosh]

Apparently wanting medically accurate and unbiased sex education is a 'personal agenda'.

No, it isn't. But distilling someone's point to something not even accurate is.

My point was that one school in Texas =/= The whole damn state. Unless you would be okay with some European looking at this and saying something like "Surprise, Surprise,Abstinence only sexual education backfires in America."

Yup, cause clearly generalizing an entire state/country etc is okay and anyone commenting on how stupid that is and how often it happens being tiring is actually making a statement on how they agree with abstinence preaching and no real sex ed...

Yup, clearly that is what I was saying. Thank you for seeing through my words to the truth. Now excuse me as I go read up on some of Hawking's stuff on Pluto, or in your words, go study the bible.

[Elegiac]

No, it isn't. But distilling someone's point to something not even accurate is.

My point was that one school in Texas =/= The whole damn state. Unless you would be okay with some European looking at this and saying something like "Surprise, Surprise,Abstinence only sexual education backfires in America."

Which I entirely would be considering how parlous it is in most of the country.

Last I recall it was the state level government passing ridiculous anti-abortion measures.

[Jakexe]

No, it isn't. But distilling someone's point to something not even accurate is.

My point was that one school in Texas =/= The whole damn state. Unless you would be okay with some European looking at this and saying something like "Surprise, Surprise,Abstinence only sexual education backfires in America."

Yup, cause clearly generalizing an entire state/country etc is okay and anyone commenting on how stupid that is and how often it happens being tiring is actually making a statement on how they agree with abstinence preaching and no real sex ed...

Yup, clearly that is what I was saying. Thank you for seeing through my words to the truth. Now excuse me as I go read up on some of Hawking's stuff on Pluto, or in your words, go study the bible.

Yeah, you wouldn't want to confirm negative stereotypes like the american's who have to defend their country no matter what the debate is actually focused on.

[BellaSwoosh]

Yeah, you wouldn't want to confirm negative stereotypes like the american's who have to defend their country no matter what the debate is actually focused on.

That's not a stereotype...

[Julian Rayne]

This a clearly a smear campaign by the lame stream media to justify the US government's nefarious plans to annex Texas.

[Jakexe]

That's not a stereotype...

hahahahaha.

First day online I see. Welcome to the internet.

[BellaSwoosh]

hahahahaha.

First day online I see. Welcome to the internet.

No seriously. With the amount of people condemning American's in general anyone who thinks that American's are fast to defend their country is the one who is new. There is even this trending thing where people stomp the US flag. Ask 10 people why we went to war and 5 would say oil and three of those will say the government did 9/11.

There is so much anti-American stuff spewed from American's that anyone who legit thinks that All (or even most) Americans are quick to defend their country is kinda dumb. Hell, it is a known fact that damn near 90% of the country hates the congress.

[Lylandra]

surprise, surprise... that's what improper sex ed does, compared to countries who favor more scientific and shaming-free sex ed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage...9,_2000-09.svg

And in this graph we have to consider that the US already did some successful campaigns which reduced the amount of teen pregnancies by 80% in some areas. Also, I guess that people living in coastal cities will have a more "modern" education than those in rural areas, so the rates there must be astonishingly high.

[Noradin]

As I said, no. I don't think that. I am postulating that the influx of infected teens from south of the border may have affected the numbers in this town. That's why I said I'd be interested to see how many of these infected teens are part of the massive border crossing that has been going on as of late.

I'd say it is a resonable guess that those immigrants have had more sex ed and thus are more knowledgeable about STD prevention than those 'legals'.

[Jakexe]

No seriously. With the amount of people condemning American's in general anyone who thinks that American's are fast to defend their country is the one who is new. There is even this trending thing where people stomp the US flag. Ask 10 people why we went to war and 5 would say oil and three of those will say the government did 9/11.

There is so much anti-American stuff spewed from American's that anyone who legit thinks that All (or even most) Americans are quick to defend their country is kinda dumb. Hell, it is a known fact that damn near 90% of the country hates the congress.

No, the stereotype of the American coming in, ignoring the actual conversation just to defend some asinine comment about America is very very common. You just did it.