Why does sex education fail so often?

[montana]

Spain might hold the religious morality on the "teenage pregnancy" issue over Blighty, but, how do they account for the 1 million unmarked graves on their land ?

I agree with what MTG says, *perverse* springs to mind.

l think the real debate should be on the "amount" of people getting pregnant and not so much on the age of them becoming pregnant.

l think mostly the stats are blown out of all proportions by the press.

We also have known for many yrs from "stats" that *Glasgow* is the heart disease capital of the world. l don't see Tommy & Jock ever easying off on the fry ups.

Likewise with British Teenagers.

[PI Guy]

What i meant was when the cervical cancer jab was announced, there was a bit of "daily mail" type hysteria that it encouraged sex in teens (cant get it if you dont have sex).

i dont see any difference between that and contraceptive jabs.

[mind the gap]

What i meant was when the cervical cancer jab was announced, there was a bit of "daily mail" type hysteria that it encouraged sex in teens (cant get it if you dont have sex).

i dont see any difference between that and contraceptive jabs.

The cervical cancer vaccine is offered to teenage girls as a preventative measure because rates of cervical cancer have rocketed.

It does not mean that girls who have the vaccine are any more or less likely to rush off and have underage sex, it just means that if they do, and if as a result, are exposed to the virus which causes one kind of cervical cancer, they are protected from it.

Sadly, the threat of cervical cancer seems even less of a deterrent to sexually active teenagers than the threat of an unwanted pregnancy; it's a bit like telling them that if they smoke, then at some point in the future they are at increased risk of developing lung cancer and/or heart disease. Many don't do 'in the future' too clearly. They are immature adults, when all's said and done. Not all adults have a perfectly developed sense of cause and effect, do they? In fact, many adults find the present baffling, so what hope is there for the poorly educated and the emotionally immature to understand the long-term consequences of their actions?

[jta]

Spain might hold the religious morality on the "teenage pregnancy" issue over Blighty, but, how do they account for the 1 million unmarked graves on their land ?

I don't see that what happened during Franco's period of dictatorship in Spain has any bearing on the question we are discussing. Another thread......maybe.

[jta]

In fact, many adults find the present baffling,

Now that describes me to a 'T'

[mind the gap]

Now that describes me to a 'T'

You and I both, then. Better lay off the JD! Or does it help you see more clearly?!

[jta]

Warble...........On a cleeeear daaaay, I can see foreeeeevah.

[Rodent1]

That would be 'catholic' with a small c, then would it, Rodent?

Hmm okay let's do it with a big "C" instead shall we ?!

The Rodent

[mind the gap]

Hmm okay let's do it with a big "C" instead shall we ?!

The Rodent

It's up to you. You wrote it. The punctuation makes a difference to its meaning, that's all.

[jta]

Sorrell you say you are quite young, lets hear what you think are the most pressing preoccupations of today's youth, if you are the closest in age to them, then your views will probably have more validity than those of us old fogeys.

[mind the gap]

Sorrell you say you are quite young, lets hear what you think are the most pressing preoccupations of today's youth, if you are the closest in age to them, then your views will probably have more validity than those of us old fogeys.

He's young and carefree. He's out having a good time!

[jeffrey]

My, my, you lot have had a busy time discussing sexual activity- "something for the weekend", indeed.

Different viewpoint, if I may:
The spread of AIDS/STD could be curtailed- and unmarried pregnancies avoided- by sexual continence. If no-one ever had sexual connection with anyone except exclusively with his/her own spouse, virtually all those problems would gradually vanish (as would adultery, lone parentage by design, the frequent violence engendered by real/imagined unfaithfulness, the generationally-recurring grinding poverty [not just money but also poverty of ideas and ideals], and over-population). Similarly, envy and dissatisfaction are rooted in an unstable society; stability of family life is the best cure for those ills.

No- I cannot guess how to bring that happy state about.

[mind the gap]

My, my, you lot have had a busy time discussing sexual activity- "something for the weekend", indeed.

Different viewpoint, if I may:
The spread of AIDS/STD could be curtailed- and unmarried pregnancies avoided- by sexual continence. If no-one ever had sexual connection with anyone except exclusively with his/her own spouse, virtually all those problems would gradually vanish (as would adultery, lone parentage by design, the frequent violence engendered by real/imagined unfaithfulness, the generationally-recurring grinding poverty [not just money but also poverty of ideas and ideals], and over-population). Similarly, envy and dissatisfaction are rooted in an unstable society; stability of family life is the best cure for those ills.

No- I cannot guess how to bring that happy state about.

I don't think anyone would disagree with your conclusion, Jeffrey. The trouble is, it presupposes a society which is much more reflective, more caring, less selfish and materialistic than our present one.

agent 46 commented once (on the thread about Shannon Matthews) that he thought there was a growing tide of selfishness in this country, and I think I agree. I wonder whether the pendulum will swing back again?

Or is it just nostalgic to think 'traditional family life', where divorce was rare, was ever ideal? Some would argue it just trapped women and children - and I suppose, some men - in violent and unhappy relationships.

Some of the children I teach seem to thrive in their 'new' families (parent + step parent + children from previous relationships of either/both). Some get very confused and spend half their lives not knowing where their schoolbag is because (for whatever reason) they go backwards and forwards from one home to another in a state of total disorganisation. They are the ones I feel most sorry for as their chances of succeeding in school are hugely reduced by it.

[Impartial Advice]

I'm a young guy and can totally relate to the 'peer pressure' but luckly have enough self confidence to do the 'right things'. I work with many young single mums- town on east coast half way england up and pretty famous for teenage pregnancy! While Rodents observations on housing do regrettably account, IMHO, for some pregnancies I would also agree that lack of education/common sense accounts for far more. I work closely with many health professionals and often see that lack of self confidence and a poor level of education coupled with a lack of ambition leads to most of the teenage pregnancies.

I would say that the pregnancies are a result of a social mindset where there is often no ambition to get out of the 'Income Support cycle' and following their parents/elders example of shortsightedly 'living for the moment' in every aspect of life (including financial and we know whats happening there) and the pregnancies stem from this. I would say that pregnancy is a by product of this rather than the reason for it.

It's hard to explain in words... not my strong point!

By the way I was brought up VERY strictly and the 's' word was never mentioned other than it shouildn't be done. I while i do have a far more liberal view (and can honestly say it was probably OTT) but it hasn't done me any harm and think that the previous generation has a lot to answer for with the 'problems' with many of 'this' generation.

My sex education at school was pretty useless and left more confused that I entered but the only thing I can really remember was one of the oldest male teachers stating that 'the CSA is the scariest STD' at the end!!

[jeffrey]

ifferent viewpoint, if I may:
The spread of AIDS/STD could be curtailed- and unmarried pregnancies avoided- by sexual continence. If no-one ever had sexual connection with anyone except exclusively with his/her own spouse, virtually all those problems would gradually vanish (as would adultery, lone parentage by design, the frequent violence engendered by real/imagined unfaithfulness, the generationally-recurring grinding poverty [not just money but also poverty of ideas and ideals], and over-population). Similarly, envy and dissatisfaction are rooted in an unstable society; stability of family life is the best cure for those ills.

It would also stop (or vastly reduce) rape and other sexual offences; porn websites; paedophilia and its associated websites; celibate clergy's child abuse scandals (true or not: see "Doubt", a new film on this); the need for CSA- the list is potential very long.