from my own. Having earned a BA in Philosophy, I have learned a great deal about critical thinking and logical arguments. I've learned the importance of listening to and learning from others ... as well as having the ability to let things go and, at times, agree to disagree.Another interesting component of my work is that I sometimes receive interesting messages. While most of the people who contact me are interested in knowledge or want to ask me a question, that's not always the case. What follows is an email conversation I've recently had with someone (we'll call him "T") who found me via my website:
[box] Does the Orillia Youth Centre promote sex education or counsel teens to have an abortion?[/box]
[box] Hi T,
When I was affiliated with the OYC, they promoted education. My role at the OYC was to offer sex education.
Comprehensive education includes knowing about all options. But no, they do not counsel teens to have abortions. That is a personal choice.
I suggest talking to someone at the OYC if you have further questions or concerns.
Candice[/box]
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Candice,
I do not agree with sex education, including the use of contraception. You
are helping to destroy the innocence of young ones. Please stop.
T
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What do you think happens when kids don't learn the realities of their own bodies? They experiment and - whoops! - 14 and pregnant.
I am empowering youth to make decisions and protect themselves from pregnancy and potentially fatal infections. I'm teaching them how to be healthy, productive and responsible members of society. If anything, I am helping to preserve their innocence -- how innocent is a 15 year old mother?
Perhaps you should educate yourself. I have a lot of accurate and easy to understand information on my website.
Thanks for your feedback,
Candice
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Abstinence is the only way. Sex is reserved between a husband and wife for the primary purpose of having children. This is what was taught in the past and history is the proof that the teenage problems we have today were virtually non-existent. Your method only encourages them to have sex which leads to all these problems.
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[box]
Sorry, I don't wish to waste my time on a senseless argument that will get
us nowhere. Think what you may, but you are out of touch with the realities
of the world if you seriously believe what you're saying.
You are fighting a losing battle. Good luck.
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[box]
God will win the battle for us. You are fighting a hopeless fight and
endangering your soul to eternal damnation. Turn around while you still
can.
[/box]
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Thanks for the heads up. I will take my chances.
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The question from the pro-abstinence perspective is if sex ed causes more sex. I learned about drugs in school and it didn't teach me to go out and do them. If I did though, I would know about clean needles and which drugs are more addictive than others. It doesn't have to be a debate of pro-premarital sex vs. anti-premarital sex. I think compiling some research about sex ed not causing more kids to have sex would make for a great follow up article.
ReplyDeleteThe fact is that learning harm reduction strategies are not a free pass to let go of your own personal morals and values. All Christians stray from their belief of the righteous path, sexuality related or not, at points in their lives. Putting youth who fall off their path in harms way is not a religious virtue. I think there is room in the lives of people who have religious beliefs surrounding sexuality for both absence education and sex education.
Teaching about contraception was not associated with increased risk of adolescent sexual activity or STD. Adolescents who received comprehensive sex education had a lower risk of pregnancy than adolescents who received abstinence-only or no sex education.
ReplyDeleteAbstinence-only education did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in vaginal intercourse (OR(adj) = .8, 95% CI = .51-1.31, p = .40), but comprehensive sex education was marginally associated with a lower likelihood of reporting having engaged in vaginal intercourse (OR(adj) = .7, 95% CI = .49-1.02, p = .06).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18346659
Thank you for your insightful comments, Kristin! I particularly appreciate the way you balance religious beliefs with empowering and educating youth. Your idea for a follow-up article is excellent and I have added it to my list of topics!
ReplyDelete