TokyoNiGHTS

I think its about time some parents get off their high horse about teens being talked to about sex and start allowing much more sex ed in schol

http://www.thisislondon.com/news/art...9?source=Metro

Parents can continue to be naive about whether or not their kids are having sex, and then they'll have to be faced with the consequences of what that boys family is having to go through (and whoever he contracted it from).

Lexis

This is just so pathetically sad.

We have the knowledge, the resources and the perfect oppurtunity to deliver quality sex education to young people and somehow, we're still failing.

katelyn_casablancas

wow.....people really do need to do something about it.

TheAngel

I fail to understand why people believe that sex education should be left in the hands of the educational system. The fact remains that parents will never agree on a form of sex education so it should be up to the parents, unless the government wants to butt heads with organizations outside of school, both political and religious, about things like that, then let them fund the programs. Other than that, let the parents handle it they way they want to.

mh67511

While the schools do need to do a better job of starting sex education earlier, all the blame can't be placed on them. This kid did not get HIV because the school failed to teach him about it; he got it because he was sluttin' around. And what about the fact that the parents failed to teach their kids basic knowledge, let alone some morals and values! I don't know of a single person who thinks it morally ok to be sleeping around when you are 14.

I'd also like to know who termed it "daisy chaining?" Let's not kid ourselves with cutesy terms; these kids are sluttin' around plain and simple. I assume the kids call it this, but let's not egg them on.

I don't place all the blame on that boy. Now I don't think he's completely blameless; at age 14 I certainly didn't think sleeping around with multiple people was ok, but I also didn't know that much about STD's. I knew they existed and I knew they were bad, I didn't know much of the details.

Sad situation; kids these days just don't grasp the fact that your actions can stick with you the rest of your life.

TokyoNiGHTS

Ofcourse, but the question is would he have got it if he knew that it wasn't just something old people got? It's still possible, but there's also a chance that he wouldn't have knowing the consequences. The possiblity is really the only chance you can give them, and its better than them not knowing obviously where they'll definetly run wild. Sex ed obviously wouldn't eliminate people sleping around, but it could cause some people to think twice about doing it which is what needs to happen.

Parents in this case seem to be as hard headed as the kids. The parents refuse to believe their sweet little angel of a kid would have sex, and their kid believes they're invincible, and they'll never get HIV. Put the 2 together and you've got a mistake waiting to happen.

In Fair Verona

I agree. I really wouldn't trust my mother to teach me about sexual education. I mean, she doesn't even want to go into detail herself, she's always "Don't have sex. Ever." It's pretty much left at that. Not even a reason why and it really sets the temptation for me to rebel. I think I could list more reasons for why I am not doing it at the present moment than she could.

I understand though that you can't really force a kid to sit through sexual education which a parent is set against. That's trouble for the schools. Parents are always going to be really stubborn (My mom also almost didn't let me watch the puberty video with all the other girls in 5th grade).

However, while I think that sex ed. programs could definitely step up (Aim for Success is the most useless program ever, especially when it's referred to as 'aim for some sex' by students); at the same time... You'd think students would be smart about it. Perhaps it depends on the person, but even if the sex education hasn't been top-notch, it's been repetitive, just like the DARE programs and after hearing it so many times, if people are still going to inject heroine and engage in unprotected sex, than so be it - clean the gene pool. It's their prerogative and their consequence.

The improvements I would make is to stress on SAFE sex rather than abstinence. People are going to do it. You really can't stop it so you might as well make sure that they are doing it right. If people start getting real about it, it might not be such a temptation to teenagers. The programs we have now are so ambiguous for unexperienced virgins, if anything it's arousing curiosity and they act incredibly condemning towards sex before marriage, which may not be every student's beliefs. I'm waiting for the right person and the right time, I don't think I'm going to hell if I don't have a government-issued piece of paper at the time. I would cut that and just be honest and frank.

One of the best sex-education seminars I've seen at my school was in middle school where we saw close-up pictures of gentalia infected by different STDs. Thinking back on it, it seems kind of harsh to show that to middle schoolers, but it works and we're more impressionable then. If those images won't make you put on a condom, then you have a God-complex.

Lexis

Leaving it to parents as several problems - they may not know the facts themselves, they may feel uncomfortable going into detail to name just two. Schools are the best place to provide sex education as (in theory and discounting some of the more unreliable abstinance only programmes highlighted in Waxman's report a few months ago) teachers can hopefully give the best possible explanations. We had a woman who worked for a sexual health clinic come in and speak to us which I think was really valuable - she was close to our age and didn't patronise us.

Cantbehrit

I think it needs to be a group effort & there needs to be an understanding between the school and the parents.

There definitly needs to be more Sex ED in schools - and it needs to be realistic. Abstinence is great and should always be taught - BUT the fact is kids are going to have sex, get pregnant and get STD's. With the appropriate teaching the last two don't have to happen.

I personally will NOT have my daughter learning the first thing about sex from a teacher in a class full of other students. It will come from me & in detail. I have no problems talking to my daughter & we have already had the inappropriate touch talk and she has already asked me plenty of questions about my body. Granted, she is only 7 but as like my mother who was always open and honest I will be too.

Of course I would love to be able to say - don't have sex and then she just doesn't but who wants to take that chance. I did wait until I was 18 and felt completely ready & a lot of it had to do with the way I was raised.

** Edited to say: Where are these kids at by the way though? With my family I never would of had the opportunity to go to a bunch of houses to sleep with different people. My friends had to come see me & I was never left home alone. My mom would of found out the second I did anything - and I mean that.

Cantbehrit

ROCKSTAR

Why are people so obsessed with sex anyway? What's the big deal? My God, I keep reading about kids having sex, orgies, whatever and I can't understand why would they put their health and their life in danger just to do it. Screw that!

This whole sex culture really upsets me because whenever somebody dies of AIDS (or gets an STD), which is in itself a horrible way to die, nobody can do anything about but cry. There's no reason to be putting your life in danger and especially to have unprotected, crazy sex. This is not a movie where everything is funny and cool.

Parents should allow sex education in school without a doubt! What's the worse that could happen? Everybodys having sex anyway! And they will pay for it.

TheAngel

The problem is that sexuality is a survival trait. In prehistoric times having as much sex as possible was important to the survival of the species and it's still in some ways a genetic surival trait. People are born with sexual urges and the like, it's just that teenagers are deciding not to supress or control them and are simply giving into them. Television, movies, games, and music are more sexually driven and it's not as taboo as it once was.

Miss_Priss

I think that one reason that sex is such a huge part of our society has to do with a few things. I think that most teens just don't care about religion at this point in their lives, and that is the one leg that abstinence only supporters all over are standing on. I personally am not having intercourse, nor have I ever, but I have no qualms in doing so once I am ready. I have gone to the "lady doctor" and intend on using condoms and birth control pills when I do begin.

Every reason that anyone has ever told me for abstinence is based on the bible. I'm not religious. I do not plan on waiting until marriage to have sex.

Many teens don't know that they can contract STDs from oral sex and seven out of ten teens have sex before they graduate highschool (more probably participate in oral sex), so tons think things like "well I'm on the pill so I'm safe" only thinking about pregnancy, as if that is their greatest worry. Teenage boys are also almost "expected" to have mulitple sex partners and don't fill in those OTHER partners so teens just don't know who they're sleeping with.

I think that Sex education should slowly be introduced from elementery school. Now, I'm not saying "This is sex!" and showing a video age 7, but I think that from a young age All children should begin to learn the essential differences in males in females. At 11 or 12 they should begin learning about the dangers of sex and a not long after begin learning about how to protect themselves.

We need to Face that 11 and 12 year olds are having sex. We need to face that some 75% of children who "pledge abstinence until marriage" won't follow that. And that most teens see little problem with oral sex. WE need to acknowlege that comprehensive sex education does not mean that more teens re gonna have sex. If teens want to, they will, and the only thing that teaching them how to protect themselves is going to accomplish is just that. Fewer STD transmissions, fewer pregnancies.

I don't understand how conservatives can even think that encouraging abstinence only education is at all the best method.

Galaxia21

So true.

Yeah, no matter what nickname they give it.. it's just sluttin' it up.

It's been 10 years since I was 14 but it's still shocking to me just how much things can change in that length of time... Sex wasn't going on, except for a few instances, at my school. There sure weren't orgy parties going on.... Can you say ruined reputations??


I think parents need to help teach their pre-teens and teenagers with having more self respect and a better self image. I think many parents now just want to be in denial that kids are experimenting sexually at younger ages.. like if they just don't think about it then it can't happen with their child. They need to have "the talk" with their children earlier on and make sure to let them know that they are much much more than what they can offer sexually... and that at this point in their lives they shouldn't be giving that much thought, much less acting on it..

Things can be tough as a teen but that is why you need to know who you are and what you want.. these things are what are important and once you know these then you aren't going to throw away who you are or you life for anything so silly as "daisychaining".

GrhmLz

Well, I am definitely not against sex education in the school system. But I feel the responsiblity lies with the parents first.

I am a person of spiritual/religious faith who follows the doctrine that sex outside of marriage is wrong. If I decide to get married and have children, they will learn about sex education from me before entering the school system. I will raise them in the faith and explain it to them from the faith perspective and if I do a good job hopefully they will use good judgment when they enter the outside world. But that is all i can do is teach the right thing and I will have done my job. The rest will be up to them. I do not have a problem with them learning about different forms of birth control or the possible contraction of STD's. All of that is just educational information. However, I do not believe that the teaching of abstinence should be abolished either. That is still educational information as well. Anyway, it is my belief that parents that follow the faith and rules of abstinence should not feel threatened by sex education in schools because if you do your best in the home to provide them a strong moral foundation they will make the right decisions. My parents raised me in the faith and I received sex education in school. It didn't change my moral foundation that it is still wrong to have sex outside of marriage.

Milt Palacio

As long as live in a free society, teenagers will always have sex. Best thing to do is stress sex education and teach them as much as possible. Increase access to different types of birth control and the morning after pill.

Stressing these things will lead to decreased STD's, decreased unwanted pregnancies, and decreased abortions.