Comments about ‘Utah House passes abstinence-only sex education bill’

Because it's worked so well in the past!

Re: xscribe
"Because it's worked so well in the past!"

The role of parents is to teach their children morality and the role of schools is to teach our children reading, writing, and arithmetic. The last thing children need is some teacher who is confused about his own sexuality trying to teach it to them.

Are you kidding me? They want teen pregnancy, abortions, and a trail of ruined lives to result for Utahns? You will never, ever stop sexual activity. It has not been done in human history. Even church leaders in every religion, including the dominant one here in Utah, have had failings in this area. On top of that, the LDS Church has a doctrine that complete and full knowledge in all things is essential. Does this mean nothing? Or is this about imposing a particular religious perspective on the people by the government, even a religious view not actually lived and accepted by the majority of LDS people in Utah? What folly!

"The role of parents is to teach their children morality and the role of schools is to teach our children reading, writing, and arithmetic."

WoHoo, I agree with Rifleman. A rare occurrence.

We dont need to teach sex ed, including abstinence NOR do we need to have prayer in school.

Re: xscribe 7:39 a.m. Feb. 23, 2012
"LDS Church has a doctrine that complete and full knowledge in all things is essential"

Yes, the LDS Church believes that it is the role of parents to teach their children about sex and the concept of moral cleanliness. It leads to happiness before and after marriage. It certainly isn't the responsibility of schools to teach that sex is a recreational sport.

The National Center for Health Statistics reported that Utah has the lowest percentage of out-of-wedlock births in the United States. We must be doing something right.

isn't 'abstinence-only sex education' actually an oxymoron? an abstinence-only message is an absence of sex education. it's like saying 'just don't drive' equals driver's education.

well it will help keep low wage scale in utah because they will keep the babies and quit school and make more poverty and under educated population so they can give sweet deals to outside companies.

It is the duty of all parents to teach children how to value and the care for their bodies, a.k.a. their earthly temple. Abstinence-only education fails the children whose parents are not providing that duty to their children. Abstinence is part of the family planning process, before marriage, but there are many situations, after marriage, where it is not ideal for a woman to become pregnant. Doctors are not always the best place to learn about contraception. When my own daughter went in for gyn exam, before her marriage, first, her doctor laughed that she was still a virgin and second, he was so inept at fitting her for her contraception choice that she came out of the office in tears. I made a second appointment, in a different community, and the older, female doctor was very respectful and informative. Fortunately, my daughter had a caring mother and was educated enough to know that she had choices beyond what her first doctor had indicated. Other young people are not as lucky. We have our bodies for a lifetime. We are entitled to know how they work. We don't make our children safer by keeping them ignorant. Teach correct principles and then let them govern themselves.

This makes sense, teenagers are well known for their capacity to listen to and follow the advice of parents and teachers. Besides, I have nothing against natural family planning, some of my closest friends were conceived that way. /wait a minute...

Abstinence-only education does not lower the rates of teen sex, pregnancy and abortion. It hasn't in the past and chances are it will not work here.

Every state that has passed abstinence-only education has higher rates of teen pregnancy, HIV and sexually transmitted infections than states that have a comprehensiveness sex education curriculum that includes topics like condoms and contractions. This has been demonstrated by study after study after study.

If the goal is to actually reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy, abortion and STDs, then our Utah Lawmakers have just committed a massive FAIL. They clearly care more about good appearance than good results.

Sure, for some people, abstinence-only education feels really, really good from an ideological perspective, but its track record is absolutely DISMAL.

Seems we have big government intervention here- leave it at the district level- closer to the voters- if your school district wants abstenance only vote in school board members that will do that- state mandate is just one more instance of big government in your lives and I thought Utah dislikes big government and intervention- ooohhh right we only dislike it when it comes to things we dislike- otherwise government can step in and control my life all it wants- cannot have it both ways

Abstinence only teachings, do not work.

One example is:

** Bristol Palin has book deal' - By Hillel Italie - AP - Published by DSnews - 03/01/11

Bristol Palin, 20, has become a celebrity in her own right, through her broken relationship with her child's father, Levi Johnston... - article.

Abstinence promotes unwanted pregnancies.

My example to support this is:

** Judge releases beaten teen, citing state's abortion law' - By Emiley Morgan - Published by DSNews - 10/14/09

A 17-year-old girl who paid a man to beat her in the hopes of terminating her pregnancy has been... - Article

A girl who paid a man to BEAT her, until she lost her pregnancy.

That was here.

In Utah.

Rifleman correctly cites Utah's pregnancy rate. 8:59 a.m.

Another method to prevent unwanted pregnancy?

** Teen pregnancy, abortion rates at record lowâ â By James Kelleher â Reuters â 02/08/12

Chicago â Birth and abortion rates among US teens feel to record lows in 2008 as increased use of contraceptives sent the overall teen pregnancy rate to itâs lowest level since at least 1972, a study showed Wednesday. â article

Birth control.

And this was from a few DAYS ago.

There, I think I made my point without trying to be offensive, use name-calling, and be a part of civil conversation.

Pagan.

"Abstinence only teachings, do not work."

They worked for me just fine. It depends on the person.

I expect we'll be seeing a rise in unintended pregnancies in the not-so-distant future.

Stupid gets as stupid sows.

@Rifleman;

Sex Education isn't about "morality", it's about EDUCATION.

To Midwest Mom | 11:44 a.m. Feb. 23, 2012

Exactly right. Sadly, its the youngsters whose parents refuse to let them have comprehensive sex education who, for a large part, get into trouble (out of sheer ignorance) Sad.

-Rifleman

"The National Center for Health Statistics reported that Utah has the lowest percentage of out-of-wedlock births in the United States. We must be doing something right."

As the saying goes - If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Why would we want to trade our (clearly) successful sex education curriculum for one that has been proven to INCREASE out-of-wedlock births? (Abstinence-only)

Their is absolutely no logic behind this bill. Our state representatives let us all down on this one.

Re: Ranch
"I expect we'll be seeing a rise in unintended pregnancies in the not-so-distant future."

Actually you're wrong. The National Center for Health Statistics reported that Utah has the lowest percentage of out-of-wedlock births in the United States. The majority of Utahns believe that abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage is the recipe for happiness.

Abstinence only worked so well for Palin's kids.......

@Rifleman

"The National Center for Health Statistics reported that Utah has the lowest percentage of out-of-wedlock births in the United States."

What this tells me is that people are more pressured to get married due to pregnancy than in other states. Are there statistics for births _conceived_ in vs out of wedlock?

I feel that sex education should be part of health classes. I'm curious what topics will be covered in classes. Will STDs be brought up at all? Will pregnancy, in general, be discussed or are we just going to keep up with the "babies come from storks" theory? How ignorant do we have to keep kids? Where is the boundary set?