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[3phemeral]

Some Abstinence Programs Mislead Teens, Report Says

By Ceci Connolly
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 2, 2004; Page A01

Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide, that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus, and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found.

"I don't think we ought to lie to our children about science," said Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), left, who led the congressional staff analysis. (Ray Lustig -- The Washington Post)

In providing nearly $170 million next year to fund groups that teach abstinence only, the Bush administration, with backing from the Republican Congress, is investing heavily in a just-say-no strategy for teenagers and sex. But youngsters taking the courses frequently receive medically inaccurate or misleading information, often in direct contradiction to the findings of government scientists, said the report, by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), a critic of the administration who has long argued for comprehensive sex education.

...

The report concluded that two of the curricula were accurate but the 11 others, used by 69 organizations in 25 states, contain unproved claims, subjective conclusions or outright falsehoods regarding reproductive health, gender traits and when life begins. In some cases, Waxman said in an interview, the factual issues were limited to occasional misinterpretations of publicly available data; in others, the materials pervasively presented subjective opinions as scientific fact.

Among the misconceptions cited by Waxman's investigators:

• A 43-day-old fetus is a "thinking person."

• HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, can be spread via sweat and tears.

• Condoms fail to prevent HIV transmission as often as 31 percent of the time in heterosexual intercourse.

One curriculum, called "Me, My World, My Future," teaches that women who have an abortion "are more prone to suicide" and that as many as 10 percent of them become sterile. This contradicts the 2001 edition of a standard obstetrics textbook that says fertility is not affected by elective abortion, the Waxman report said.

Source

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That's going to solve problems. Certainly is. Yep.

 

[MetatronM]

This must all come from the same research that shows the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's Flood and repeatedly disproves the theory of evolution.

I wonder what else is in there.

 

[Drensch]

And yet, people are surprised when American students are behind everyone else.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

I can believe that touching a person's genitals can result in pregnancy. I suspect you'd have to be pushing them towards someone else doing a similar action to have a fair chance, though.

 

[Sullichin]

Touching ones genitalia with a cum-soaked PENIS, is what they meant to say. Details, details.

 

[gofreak]

that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus

I literally felt sick reading this.

 

[Particle Physicist]

holy fuck. can i get pregnant if i touch my own genitals?

im scared to masturbate now.

 

[LakeEarth]

If just touching your girlfriends genetals made her pregnant, why the fuck was there that much sperm in your fricken hand?

 

[hooded pitohui]

touching a person's genitals BY FISTING THEM WITH A JIZZ-COATED HAND "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found

fixed

 

[StoOgE]

What is really sad is that its the bible belt that voted for Bush do to 'moral reasons' that has the highest teenager pregnancy rates, and its because of the push for abstinence teaching only and parents pretending that sex doesnt exist. This leaves kids, who ARE going to have sex to figure things out for themselves instead of being taught how to have safe sex.

edit: did anyone actually read this thing?

 

[adam20]

Leave it to disgraceful republicans to teach our school kids nonsense.

 

[bionic77]

I can't believe no one has made a joke about the DS yet.

 

[mattiewheels]

Touch!

 

[The Shadow]

that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy,"

This is all my fault. I should have never volunteered for that study.

 

[Gek54]

I literally felt sick reading this.

More than half the homosexual males I know are HIV positive... :/ Its insane how careless they are about safe sex and there is no monogomy between them. These of course are just the majority of the ones I know.

 

[cvxfreak]

So what impregnants the woman? Skin cells?!

 

[olimario]

It's true.
Touching genitals will lead to arousal.
Occasionaly arousal will lead to sex.
Some sex will lead to pregnancy.

Touching CAN lead to pregnancy about as much as eating chocolate can.

 

[Hitokage]

It's true.
Touching genitals will lead to arousal.
Occasionaly arousal will lead to sex.
Some sex will lead to pregnancy.

Touching CAN lead to pregnancy about as much as eating chocolate can.

Then why not just say SHOWING SKIN CAUSES PREGNANCY AND DEATH.

Sperm + egg + proper conditions = pregnancy. Basic biology here. Oh wait, can't use that with the antiscience crowd.

 

[olimario]

Then why not just say SHOWING SKIN CAUSES PREGNANCY AND DEATH.

Sperm + egg + proper conditions = pregnancy. Basic biology here. Oh wait, can't use that with the antiscience crowd.

I'm on your side. I said that Touching can cause pregnancy about as much as eating chocolate can.

 

[Sirpopopop]

It's rare when Hito is owned by Olimario.

I'm willing to forget this Hito if you pass some special privileges my way.

 

[Hitokage]

Sorry, the combination of "olimario" and him using that argument made me think he wasn't being sarcastic. So hard to tell considering I have heard it said seriously before.

 

[Phoenix]

Many American youngsters participating in federally funded abstinence-only programs have been taught over the past three years that abortion can lead to sterility and suicide,

That one is true, at least the sterility part.

that half the gay male teenagers in the United States have tested positive for the AIDS virus,

WTH? Is there a registry of all the gay male teenagers in the country? This one doesn't seem to have a basis in any reliable evidence.

and that touching a person's genitals "can result in pregnancy," a congressional staff analysis has found.

If I touch myself perhaps some sperm will be transferred - this much is true. But the probability of this happening is going to be extremely small. Pregancy is actually a difficult process - so many things have to be right for it to happen. You can go bare back (a practice I don't recommend) for years and never experience a pregnancy.

 

[UltimateMarioMan]

I'm confused!