The simple reality is that teenagers have sex despite our best efforts and intentions as parents. Always have, always will. News flash: even the “best” kids don’t always listen to their parents and don’t always tell their parents everything they do. Parents and other role models need to help kids understand the consequences related to sexual activity, but that’s often times not enough. Fact is, based on all available evidence and common sense, that the availability of effective birth control reduces teenage pregnancy rates and occurrences of STDs and does not result in an increase in sexual activity. All this is true without regard to a moral or religious need to believe that teenagers don’t have sex and/or that birth control is a bad thing.

Go Pats!

angryoldfatman said:
dakine, are you drunk or high or something?

My guess would be “something”, AOFM.

The biggest problem here for those who tried to make the truly bizarre claim that teen pregnancies were more common in the 50s is the complete dependence on one out of context sentence from a webpage. The dependence is even more problematic when that sentence is clarified by the pages’ entirety.

If anybody had here bemoaned the rate of birth of 50s married couples, then Rusty, Chappy and Dak, et al might have a point.

As I outlined, what was tried here would be the same as lumping police in with criminals to determine how often guns are used to commit crimes since both groups carry guns.

On the other hand, the gang has helped to very vivid illustrate the lesson this blog entry highlights. Some people will try to lie with numbers – or, as in this case, misrepresent a tiny out of context snippet from some webpage – and hope you don’t ask any questions.

Buck had these two posts on this thread:

Why are the schools involved in birth control?
Can’t you find a Walgreens or CVS every 100 ft, everywhere in the country. RX birth control aside, I don’t see the problem with kids having access to birth control. My high school didn’t give out condoms, foams, or sponges,but some how some way, students were able to get birth control for friends, family, or retail outlets. Schools being involved just creeps me out.

You know what I mean. Glad you’re having a good day though Bear.

It looks to me like Buck agrees with peep, mostly.

Put the bong down and go outside, dakine.

skma said:
This is where our schools really have an opportunity to provide a positive influence. Rather than handing out condoms, teachers/school administrators (as well as scout leaders, coaches, church members, and other adults who have close interactions with teens) could be modelling and encouraging moral behavior.

Can’t improve much on that. The public school system’s encouraging and enabling of bad behavior certainly isn’t the way to go.

On November 3rd, 2007 at 2:10 pm, dedalus said:
How do we address teens who get little or no guidance at home?

This is where our schools really have an opportunity to provide a positive influence. Rather than handing out condoms, teachers/school administrators (as well as scout leaders, coaches, church members, and other adults who have close interactions with teens) could be modelling and encouraging moral behavior. Parents of teens can certainly influence the friends of their children, though it does require some willingness to risk being politically incorrect…

dakine said:
purple, sometimes you just need to know when to quit dude.

Laddie, if you check you will see after I pointed out the patently false use of one sentence in your wild, failed attempt to prop up your Santa-like fantasy, I was finished. That my incredibly obvious point cannot be refuted speaks for itself.

But I suspect that wasn’t the first time you’ve been rendered silent by logic and clear thinking.

Had anyone complained here about all the 1950s-70s girls who were getting married and rasing families you might have stood a fighting chance; wasn’t to be though.

Sorry “dude”. (Eye’s rolling – what, I’m explaining things to a Valley Girl??)

dedalus said:
The home is the first and best choice, but what if the home is a disaster?

Not politically correct, dedalus, but the very best way to remedy that has always been to remove children from unfit homes.

The problem is this issue isn’t being handled at home where it belongs.

Agreed. A decision about birth control should be handled at home and not in the school.

How do we address teens who get little or no guidance at home? A teen who may have a single mom who was herself a teen mother. From a societal standpoint, do we benefit from a program that makes an attempt to reduce teen births.

The home is the first and best choice, but what if the home is a disaster?

As a parent, it’s my job to teach my kids about sex, how to be safe and smart and most importantly RESPONSIBLE for their actions. My kids are only 9 and 12 and we’ve already discussed the fact that if they don’t want the responsibility of a baby they best decide if sex is worth that potential side effect of it.
It’s my job to make sure that if my daughter really and truely needs to be on the pill that she hears all of her options and all potential side effects. Luckily she will know that and not seek it out at school because any school (or planned parenthood) that attempts to circumvent my role will find themselves at the end of a lawsuit.

The problem is this issue isn’t being handled at home where it belongs.