"A Comparison of the Sexual Behavior of Virginity Pledgers...."
A study comparing those teens who made virginity pledges to nonpledging counterparts.....
From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/123/1/e110)
"RESULTS. Five years after the pledge, 82% of pledgers denied having ever pledged. Pledgers and matched nonpledgers did not differ in premarital sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and anal and oral sex variables. Pledgers had 0.1 fewer past-year partners but did not differ in lifetime sexual partners and age of first sex. Fewer pledgers than matched nonpledgers used birth control and condoms in the past year and birth control at last sex.
CONCLUSIONS. The sexual behavior of virginity pledgers does not differ from that of closely matched nonpledgers, and pledgers are less likely to protect themselves from pregnancy and disease before marriage. Virginity pledges may not affect sexual behavior but may decrease the likelihood of taking precautions during sex. Clinicians should provide birth control information to all adolescents, especially virginity pledgers."
Thank you. Take that, abstinence-only education.
It's so sad that so many tax dollars have gone to "abstinence only" education programs.
I see it like this - you make sex ed early (9 or so) and progressive (introduce more and more FACTUAL concepts as the kid ages). Simply stress that if you have doubts, you may not be ready for sex and that you should be ready to accept any consequences to your actions.
And of course, detail those consequences as well as preventative measures.
I think that if focus was put there instead of some unrealistic purity pledge, we could get kids to grow emotionally along with their natural physical growth into the realm of sexuality.
Good article.
A study comparing those teens who made virginity pledges to nonpledging counterparts.....
From the American Academy of Pediatrics:
(http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/123/1/e110)
"RESULTS. Five years after the pledge, 82% of pledgers denied having ever pledged. Pledgers and matched nonpledgers did not differ in premarital sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and anal and oral sex variables. Pledgers had 0.1 fewer past-year partners but did not differ in lifetime sexual partners and age of first sex. Fewer pledgers than matched nonpledgers used birth control and condoms in the past year and birth control at last sex.
CONCLUSIONS. The sexual behavior of virginity pledgers does not differ from that of closely matched nonpledgers, and pledgers are less likely to protect themselves from pregnancy and disease before marriage. Virginity pledges may not affect sexual behavior but may decrease the likelihood of taking precautions during sex. Clinicians should provide birth control information to all adolescents, especially virginity pledgers."
Thank you. Take that, abstinence-only education.
I'm so glad someone did this analysis. I've wanted someone to look at it ever since I found out virginity pledges were in the AddHealth study.
Sorry, don't have much of substance to add. I"m geeking out over here.
I think that if focus was put there instead of some unrealistic purity pledge, we could get kids to grow emotionally along with their natural physical growth into the realm of sexuality.
YES. It is a control thing. It is a parents-not-wanting-to-admit-their-children-are-sexual-once-they-hit-puberty thing. We need to nurture positive sexual development instead of trying to stifle it. People are sexual. Give them the tools they need to take care of themselves in this regard.
It is beyond me how people could believe otherwise. It's almost perverse, in my mind.
Thanks for this article. I'm actually currently using this dataset for things completely unrelated to virginity pledges and sexual behavior. Very interesting. I'll be sure to share this with my classes--my undergrad text mentions virginity pledges but I think it only looks in the short-term.
But yes, knowledge = power. And when you deny knowledge, well...
As a parent, I can see the line of thought.
I have a 3 year old girl. The thought that someday, she will be a sexual being terrifies me. I can't really say why. I guess it's that I know her as innocence. From day one.
However, I hope that I will remember that she won't always be so. I hope that knowledge will steer me to help her see the bigger picture with sexuality. That it's not inherently bad, but also that it's not unconditionally good. It's weird. I can see how so many parents go into sexuality denial. I just hope I don't fail her in that way. I want to be a resource, not a boogeyman.
Yeah, it's easy for me to say that having never been a parent...I can see where that comes from.
Like, I just think of all my students (7th grade), who are at the brink of this huge burst of sexual development, and it enrages me to think that they might not be getting all the information they deserve. It's a crime. We're setting them up for failure. Our educational systems fail them (sex ed and otherwise) and then we get mad at them for, well, failing.
I hope Obama gets on this issue.
I'm glad you found it useful, caroleena! ;)b
It's so sad that so many tax dollars have gone to "abstinence only" education programs.
You mean federally funded programs like this aren't effective?
Article: http://community.feministing.com/2009/01/our-tax-dollars-are-going-to-c.html
Ahhhhhh the clown took the video down! It was priceless sad and disgusting all at once....
It's so sad that so many tax dollars have gone to "abstinence only" education programs.
You mean federally funded programs like this aren't effective?
Article: http://community.feministing.com/2009/01/our-tax-dollars-are-going-to-c.html
Ahhhhhh the clown took the video down! It was priceless sad and disgusting all at once....
this makes me sad....Dye the clown had them take down the video due to copyright infringement....now I can't witness the goofiness :(
I HATE abstinence only ed. I'm in florida and there is a strict law inforcing that in schools where i am. I'm in a life management skills class this year, which is basically a coach saying dont do drugs, dont have sex, dont drink for a whole semester in 100 different ways.
We had a speaker come in a few weeks ago, to talk about HIV and such. And she was legally only allowed to tell us to not have sex. She wasnt even allowed to tell us how to use a condom correctly, much less give them out. We had to have some one guard the door and have kids promise not to say anything about it so she could tell a couple kids that seriously had questions about it.
So stupid.. ::)
michael and i just wrote a song about that article.
undersarah. thats ridiculous what your school is doing... or i guess i should say the schools of florida!! how awful to not talk about using condoms to prevent hiv, it will just encourage kids to think that condoms wont work to prevent it when really thats all you need. 25c or however much it costs for one condom and you can keep yourself from getting hiv. goodness gracious. what are they trying to do to the kids....
I HATE abstinence only ed. I'm in florida and there is a strict law inforcing that in schools where i am. I'm in a life management skills class this year, which is basically a coach saying dont do drugs, dont have sex, dont drink for a whole semester in 100 different ways.
We had a speaker come in a few weeks ago, to talk about HIV and such. And she was legally only allowed to tell us to not have sex. She wasnt even allowed to tell us how to use a condom correctly, much less give them out. We had to have some one guard the door and have kids promise not to say anything about it so she could tell a couple kids that seriously had questions about it.
So stupid.. ::)
Listen closely... that rhythmic thumping? Me hitting my head against my desk repeatedly to get Florida's stupid out of my brain.
underSARAH, you have my sympathies.
----------------
Now playing: Four Tops - Sad Souvenirs (Single Mono)
via FoxyTunes
I know, i cant believe it personally. And i think florida is 2nd or 3rd in HIV infections in teens....
You think they'd realize the whole only talk about abstenance thing isnt working by now.. (dont get me wrong, there may be a few people that go with that due to what schools tell them.. but, at some point in their lives, they're going to have to know how to use a condom....)
I know, i cant believe it personally. And i think florida is 2nd or 3rd in HIV infections in teens....
You think they'd realize the whole only talk about abstenance thing isnt working by now.. (dont get me wrong, there may be a few people that go with that due to what schools tell them.. but, at some point in their lives, they're going to have to know how to use a condom....)
and while youre having sex for the first time is not the time to learn how to use a condom. not in the heat of the moment. eek.
It's so sad that so many tax dollars have gone to "abstinence only" education programs.
You mean federally funded programs like this aren't effective?
Article: http://community.feministing.com/2009/01/our-tax-dollars-are-going-to-c.html
Ahhhhhh the clown took the video down! It was priceless sad and disgusting all at once....
You mean....this clown?
http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/AFY_Joe/2009/2/2/The-Secret-Order-of-Abstinence-Clowns
^ Scroll down for video.
Wow... Thats an incredible waste of money. Condoms are probably cheaper. ;)b
And, 7th graders?? I know i wouldnt take that guy seriously even if i was a 7th grader, and thats about the time i think kids need to really start learning about things that ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
ugh..
So much of this makes me mad.
Wow... Thats an incredible waste of money. Condoms are probably cheaper. ;)b
And, 7th graders?? I know i wouldnt take that guy seriously even if i was a 7th grader, and thats about the time i think kids need to really start learning about things that ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
ugh..
So much of this makes me mad.
come to chat!!!!
OMG KMK you just made my night! I could think of nothing better to come home to from the bars than this!! THANK YOU!!! Yes, condoms are much better than this clown teaching whatever he is he does.
What I didnt get is that "no matter how much you practice, or how many precautions you take, there are always risks" soooo. does he support absitnence from driving, playing sports, singing (i've strained my voice form singing), cooking (i've cut my fingers) should we not do anything? nooooo. thats just silly. simply because there are risks doesnt mean that you shouldnt do something.
oh but one of my favorite parts was when he says that you might be rejected, and that that is another reason to be abstinent. oh my goodness.
I see it like this - you make sex ed early (9 or so) and progressive (introduce more and more FACTUAL concepts as the kid ages). Simply stress that if you have doubts, you may not be ready for sex and that you should be ready to accept any consequences to your actions.
Although I doubt I'll ever live to see this in the schools, it is available through the Unitarian Universalist church or the United Church of Christ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Whole_Lives
My husband trains teachers for the UU version, and the church where he works has programs for first grade, fifth grade, eighth grade, and adults.
Believe it or not, despite it being a church, the curriculum is entirely fact-based and follows Planned Parenthood in teaching the difference between intercourse/outercourse and advocating outercourse as a safer option for teens, etc. The program focuses on reproductive health, but also addresses the emotional and relationship aspects of sex as appropriate to each age group. I believe the UCC version is more explicitly religious, but the UU faith doesn't even have a creed, so there's no hidden agenda. They just really want their kids to get a comprehensive sex education.
(I went through the antiquated program that was the precursor to this, developed in the 70s, myself, when I was in 7th grade. It was completely secular, but it only really addressed the physical aspects of sex.)
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