Abortion

I have no clue why so much of American society treats sex like a 12 year old would.

Mini Ditka writes:I wonder how Jesus would feel about his supposed followers refusing to help fund groups that are trying to distribute condoms to people in African to save thousands and even millions of lives?

Mini Ditka writes:There is no good reason to limit responsible sexual behavior.

A condom does not prevent the spread of the Aids virus. It would be like trying to stop a BB with a tennis racket. The virus can easily penetrate the pores in the latex.This idea of patching up flawed human moralities with a band-aid approach to the problems is very humanistic. (IMHO, very flawed!)

Sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV
Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In addition, correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including discharge and genital ulcer diseases. While the effect of condoms in preventing human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is unknown, condom use has been associated with a lower rate of cervical cancer, an HPV-associated disease.

A condom does not prevent the spread of the Aids virus.

The key word is responsible. When kids are told that sex is natural and normal, they treat it like a snack...like eating candy instead of preparing a wholesome meal.Casual relationships slowly kill the soul. There is nothing healthy about becoming briefly intimate with all of the girls at the club!Young Adults need to be taught that intimacy is not cheap. It is more than pleasent, and it is designed to be lifelong.

Experts from the U.S. in adolescent health, teen journalists, and graduate students participated in the study tour and worked together to write a report of their findings. The three countries visited--The Netherlands, Germany, and France--all have significantly lower rates of STDs and teen pregnancy than does the U.S. In these countries teens are older, on average, than teens in the U.S. when they have their first sexual intercourse.

Adolescent sexual health in these countries is based on values of rights, responsibility, and respect. Government and the general society consider it not only a duty to provide accurate information and confidential contraceptive services to the young, but also that provision of such services and information to adolescents is part of their rights. There is no attempt to motivate behavior of teenagers through a collective effort to demand abstinence. Thus, the goal is not to prevent adolescents from having sex but to educate and thereby empower them to make responsible decisions. By respecting the independence and privacy of adolescents the expectation is that, in return, the majority will act responsibly to try to avoid pregnancy and STDs. The more tolerant attitude toward sexual expression of teenagers also makes it easier for them to get the services they need. Teenagers do not have to feel guilty or ashamed of using contraceptives. In fact, they will more likely feel they have been irresponsible if they fail to use it.

A similar approach has also been adopted in the Nordic countries, and it also has not led to promiscuity. In the Nordic countries as well as the previously mentioned study tour countries, public health policy is based on public health research and input from well-trained sex educators, not on political or religious definitions of moral behavior. In addition, these countries provide national health insurance that covers most of the costs of contraceptives and related services. The low cost and easy accessibility of services help adolescents take advantage of preventive health measures.The Netherlands deserves attention, for it is the western country that has had the lowest rates of unplanned pregnancy, abortion, and teen pregnancy for quite some time (Jones et al., 1988; Ketting, 1994; Ketting & Visser, 1994; Singh & Darroch, 2000). In 1995 the teenage abortion and pregnancy rates in the U.S. were about seven times that of The Netherlands (29.2 vs. 4.0 and 83.6 vs. 12.2, respectively; Singh & Darroch, 2000). Dutch policy makers use research, pragmatism, and an ethics approach that tries to teach responsibility in sexual decision making as the basis for their sexual health programs. The goal is to allow an open discussion about sexual issues and encourage adolescents to talk about sex and topics that interest them. The attitude of the government is that both the public and families have a responsibility to help young people avoid unwanted pregnancies and STDs. The goal is to instill a sense of responsibility in the young and to give them the knowledge to act accordingly. It is also important that the general public is tolerant and accepting of teenage sexual experiences. The view is that it is impossible and quite ridiculous to try to prevent teenagers from having sex. Thus, the sensible action is to prepare them to act responsibly. Contrary to the view held by many in the U.S., this liberal attitude seems to be consistent with the findings that Dutch teenagers have fewer partners than their American counterparts and have their first sexual intercourse at an older age--15.8 for USA and 17.7 for The Netherlands (Berne & Huberman, 1999). Condom use does not vary greatly in the two countries but what distinguishes The Netherlands is that sexually active young adults use more effective contraception such as the pill at a much higher rate: 67% of sexually active female adolescents used the pill at their most recent intercourse in contrast to 20.5% in the U.S.(Berne & Huberman, 1999).

Research (Rademakers, 1994; Vanwesenbeeck, Van Zessen, Ingham, Jaramazovic, & Stevens, 1999) in The Netherlands in the 1980s and 1990s supports the view that adolescents with good interactional competence skills are better at avoiding high-risk sexual behavior. In the Rademachers study, girls who had experienced an unwanted pregnancy had given the boy control over taking initiatives in decisions regarding both the use of contraceptives and choice of sexual activity. More recent research by Vanwesenbeeck et al. (1999) and Papp, Kontula, and Kosonen (2000) supports the importance of good interactional skills for avoiding and reducing risk behavior. Thus, a major topic to include in sex educational curricula is the teaching of interactional competence skills to both girls and boys.A comparative study of family planning services in the U.S., Great Britain, The Netherlands, and Sweden provides insight into the difference in effectiveness of such services. Cromer and McCarthy (1999) conducted interviews with 75 key informants (clinicians, politicians, public health administrators, social and behavioral scientists, and antiabortion activists) in these four countries. Interviewees were asked to describe the optimal family planning services for adolescents. These included comprehensive and multidisciplinary care provided in confidence by nonjudgmental staff with good counseling and communication skills. Interviewees in The Netherlands and Sweden described good coordination between family planning services and local schools, whereas informants in the U.S. reported parental resistance to such coordination. Government support and funding were considered to be adequate in The Netherlands and Sweden but in the U.S. informants felt they received very little governmental, medical, or familial support for their work. Family planning staff in The Netherlands and Sweden had high job-related prestige and had a positive view of their work situation. This feeling was lacking in the U.S.

Mini Ditka writes:Please stick to judging your own morality. You certainly have no right or authority to judge anyone elses.

I certainly have a right to decide how my tax dollars will be spent, though.