Teen Sex Ed Covers the Birds and the Bees, Minus the Birth Control

As a recently graduated, sexually active teen, from a public school in southern florida, i can tell you that my sexual education had very little to do with school at all. Most of what a lot of teens learn comes straight from reading things our parents would disapprove of, talking to our friends, and yes, learning by our mistakes. We know about stds, and we know how to prevent them. its making the conscious decision to do so that seems to be the problem for a lot of us. pregnancy is a very scary thing for us, and once again comes on the tail of poor decision making. education through the school systems is great prevention, i agree. however it comes down to parents raising thier kids to make good decisions and be aware.

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My 31 year old niece got married last year and does not have any children yet. She always said the best form of birth control she ever had was when she was twelve and her parents decided to have another baby! It really showed her first hand the consequences of pregnancy and caring for a baby! She completed her education, got her masters degree, then got married.

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I agree that people who keep having babies just to get a pay check should be MADE to be fixed, BUT I also think that it would be a LOT less expensive for the state programs to pay for the tubal and vasectomy than to hand out more money to them. I do agree that a shot should be given to each child for at least until they graduate high school (and until 21 if they don't graduate) so that they don't have to worry about their stupid mistakes resulting in a child that they can't care for. The public does not want to end up having to take care of one more child that they did not create because some couple can't control themselves. Children should be protected in EVERY way that we can, by giving them a shot, telling them about STD's and pregnancy, telling girls how VERY, VERY painful giving birth is, describing-in detail-what STD's will do to a person and to their private parts. We REALLY need to stop being worried about feeling weird about talking to our kids about sex, it only feels weird if you LET it feel weird. Think about it as you would telling them how to do a math problem, or about drugs, your kids will only feel weird IF you let them see that you do. Show confidence when you talk to your kids and they will not feel weird, talk to them early, you don't have to go into detail at 5 but you can talk to them enough. You tell them about good touch bad touch, why not tell them about sex in there as well. It is OUR responsibility as parents to make sure our children are educated, not the school's!!!! I also think that EVERY girl who gets pregnant should be MADE to finish school, no DL, no job, no food stamps or WIC, no state help in ANY way if they don't finish school. The father as well, except they should be made to get a job and EVERY cent be paid to the state and put into a fund for the child. If a second child is made by either one in the next 5 years (unless they are married) they then need to be made to be "fixed". Food stamps, welfare and ANY other government asst. needs to be ONLY given to those who are doing something to better themselves, such as going to school or working a job. The parents of any child who gets pregnant or impregnates a girl needs to be fined, at least $500 per month, to help pay for the money that the government has to dish out to pay for the children that children have. We also need to impose a limit on how many children that each woman can have IF they don't have the income to support them, and the men need to be told they will be made to have a vasectomy WITHOUT being sedated, if they continue to "knock-up" women/girls. SOMETHING has to be done about children having children, if we don't do something now then we are not going to have enough room or resources on this planet for everyone.

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I think teenagers should be well educated about SEX...birth control,diseases and pregnancy and anything else that goes along with having sex by parents,school,family members,church,and anybody else who can educate them....but it is also up to these kids to chose to have or not to have sex,it's not always that their not educated it's them being stupid!!!!!!....I should know my step daughter had a kid at 16 and she told her dad she used a condom and it broke,I think more like it she used nothing at all,not because she wasn't educated,she probably chose not to use one because she was being stupid and then she didn't want to be a mother and everybody around her raised her kid and still is today and she's 29 now and her kid is 13 now.So what it really boils down to is these kids being stupid not because their not educated....at least thats what I think.

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Its never to early for any parent to talk to their preteen about sex! I am a grandparent to a 12 year old girl. She knows everything she needs to know about sex, diseases, condoms, and being called a whore when sleeping around. Some of her friends have asked me to talk about sex to them, which I do. Parents wake up, you need to educate your children on sex.

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As a Home Ec teacher who taught sex ed content in my other classes, Family Life, Parenting, etc, the kids never failed to ask questions that turned my face red. The first thing they usually said was "Oh, we learned how to make babies in PE". My reply was always, "Great, I'm going to teach you why and how not to make babies". I had students that would come back to me and say the 'why' made the difference. And, even if you believe in abstinance for your child, I did teach it, believe me there are other young people whose parents could care less. But, any system that believes that a coach teaching sex ed is better than a Home Ec teacher teaching it has rocks in their head.

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You parents are wrong, wrong, wrong. As a former "abstainer" going to (affluent suburban) high school, I can without a shadow of a doubt tell you that AT LEAST 50% of the kids who are "saving themselves" for marriage are indeed having sex. Who are they having sex with, you ask? Eachother. Absolutely. My friends and I used to giggle in Sunday School and juniors/seniors because the same kids that were praying for the "other kids" at school were the same ones we were having sex with! This is nothing new...if you believe your child is a saint then you're the only one who could use a prayer. Make sure your children know all the facts, at least my parents covered all the bases and I made sure to be safe. These kids aren't the only misinformed ones...it's equally the parents faults. The same goes for drug/alcohol education, but thats a whole other story!

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When will finally get over this. Sex is natural. It is the natural response to the most basic drive in nature. The pain-pleasure principle. Every organism will seek pleasure over pain. Why do we insist on instilling phobias, fears, inhibitions, taboos, rituals, shame, and societal isolation on our children. Be open with your children, give them the honest facts. And don't try to color that with your own moral compass. There more likely to develop a healthy attitude toward sex if it is allowed to blossom without a bunch of parentaly installed hangups. If your children are uncomfortable talking to you about sex its because every time you try to have that conversation you make it that way. Your more likely to establish the kind of rapport necessay to have a meaningful conversation on the subject if you put away the hell and damnation and meet them on their level. Laugh about it. Tell your stories, not the gory details but the mistique, the intrigue. The thrill of the hunt. The things that add value to sex. Thats going to build more self esteem and value to themselves and their bodies than trying to scare them with some flesh eating virus story.

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Schools should definitely teach kids about birth control and how to reduce the risk of catching an STD.

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Yes, let's all wait to get married first before having sex, because only sex in marriage is good and "pure". What a fairy tale land some of you must be living in!

Let's teach our kids exactly what sex is about, including birth control and how to be safe from STDs. Hiding the reality of sex from them will NOT protect them from its dangers. Preaching only adstinence will not prevent them from experimenting. We must eliminate the "forbidden fruit" stigma surrounding sex, so that kids will know and understand what they're stepping into when they choose to have sex.

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As a nurse clinician in an STD/HIV Clinic, I can assure you that your kids are having sex, plenty of it, and in every conceivable way. And they are ignorant beyond belief. I am stunned, daily to hear some of the ideas these kids have about sex, diseases and birth control. Their parents have refused to allow any sex ed in our schools except abstinence only, and it shows. It's a crime to have sex with a minor? Well, we file daily reports with the local police and I've yet to see anyone locked up, believe me. It just isn't a priority for the PD. Most of America lives in a fantasy land as far as sex is concerned. I laugh every time I hear a mother say "My daughter tells me everything!" No, she doesn't. If she did you'd be shocked.

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Teaching teenagers that sex is bad wait till you get married is crap. What do you think a child does when they are told NOT to do something? They do it. Would you rather inform your child of birth control and STD's or have them doing a random boy in the back seat of a car unprotected? All parents and school should infrom kids of the pros and cons of everything involving sex. Dont leave your child without information that could protect their lives. And NO it is not giving your child permission to have sex if you teach them about birth control. More than likely if they have all the facts they will choose to wait. HELP YOUR CHILDREN STOP SPREADING DISEASES AND HAVING UNWANTED CHILDREN BY INFORMING THEM.........

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Seems to me that teaching the birds and bees to teens without including birth control is more of an encouragement to breed than if you also taught them about birth control!

Hey, here's how you do it! Go for it! Ah, don't pay any attention to that stupid birth control stuff! Just go and bang your brains out.

Seriously, how stupid is that???

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MyHealthySexLife is a recommended booklet that not only provides the necessary info, but contains information about STDs, Birth Control, Urinary problems, male and female problems, and is available in both English and Spanish from SeniorCitizenLocalWeb..

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In todays environment, it is important for the teens to know everything they can about sex; the STDs, as well as the ways to not get pregnant. The parents should take the time to talk to their children, but now a days they don't even find time for family dinners; so the job of parenting has been left to the educational system. The instruction in sex education should include all forms and stages of the sexual encounter even pregnancy

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The biologic function of reproduction can be taught and understood to its ultimate satisfaction but nothing can be taught that will overcome the innate need for sexual gratification. Books have been written on the reasons but not one yet has stopped two people who have that innate need in action. Not understanding biology nor having immaculate morality will stop it when its ready to be expressed. Best thing that can happen is to give all the information and then hope for the best.

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Why does no one think the PARENTS should take the lead in providing sex education for their children ? I agree that value is added when the school offers the classroom atmosphere. The kids may feel more comfortable talking about it with their peers present.

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I lost my virginity in the back seat of my moms 1972 Impala in a church parking lot while she was in the church at an AA meeting.
My parents were married for life. But I never learned how to have a relationship. My girl friend and I were planning to get married as soon as I finished army basic training. I came home on leave from basic and she married the mailman, her dad Marty told me.
That really messed me up.
It would have been helpfull in high school if allong with sex ed, if they would have talked about relationships and invited the girls to join us.
I have never been able to feel that kind of love again that I had with Debbie Lynn, and I want to so bad. I just keep praying.

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my high school tought abstanince only. it dosent do anything for the kids honestly. our school has around 20 pregnant girls a year, and many more that have abortions. [our school has on avg. 900 in each graduating class] point is, no matter what the school teaches, there are still going to be kids having sex, so yes, there should be sex ed classes talking about protecting yourself agianst pregnancy and stis. look around at teens, even pre teens on the internet. they think they are old enough or want to be loved/are in love, and want to have sex or a baby, yet they post questions about the most simplest things. one asked if they could get preg from oral, another asked if they could have sex then take a a months amount of birth control pills in a week could they keep themselves from getting pregnant, some think that they cant get pregnant by pulling out. etc. schools need to teach everything there is about sex, if they did the world will be so much better. maybe even less pregnancys/abortions. maybe if teens knew things about sex, they would want to wait.


and for everyone saying if you are abstanite you dont have to worry about stis and everything, that is a bunch of b.s. you can get hiv and aids from needles and many other things. [from drugs, drs, tattoos, etc] you forget to inform about that.

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