(Why, that second number just keeps getting bigger, doesn't it? Fartknocker. Oh well. I'll catch up soon enough.)
Warning--this post is quite blunt about sexual health. I try to be as coy as possible, but I can't be for everything. No graphic descriptions are included.
Read two articles this morning, and they make me super happy as one of those "sexual health" feminist loons :P
Article 1: U.S. Abortions Declining, Study Finds
Article 2: HPV Shot Doesn't Encourage Sexual Activity in Young Girls: Study
To me, these articles show that we're moving in the right direction in sexual health education. I'm of the opinion that knowing how things work prevents more stupid mistakes based on hearsay.
I never actually got "the talk" as a kid. All I knew was that when men and women were naked together, if they were kissing and legs crossed...then came baby. It was only when I was learning about my lovely monthly visitor that I learned exactly what happened. Mainly because I was freaked out by how tampons worked and was liked, "But why would you ever want to do that to yourself?" I was quickly informed how similar to the birds and the bees it was, if you catch my drift.
And my sexual education, surprisingly, actually talked about contraception. Looking back, it's one of the things my school was actually good with. While some might not agree with the method we learned about the technical parts (girls read aloud about boy reproductive systems, and vice versa; if you laughed, you had to start your paragraph over), it worked. And our book talked about the percentages of effectiveness of all types of contraception, from abstinence's 100% all the way to using nothing of 15%, and everything in between. While not everyone that went through my school's health class remembered this information (as evidenced by some of the unintended pregnancies), you can only lead a horse to water, you know?
The area of being informed about one's sexual health is one I think both sides of the spectrum on the issue of abortion can come together on. Mainly because knowing what causes pregnancy helps to prevent it, therefore lowering unintended pregnancies and less abortions. And a lot of people I know who are pro-choice push sexual education and access, as that would give women more involvement in their sexual health.
The second article is important, because it shows that talking about your reproductive system doesn't turn on a switch in teenage brains to make them have sex.
If one wants to abstain from sex, that's their choice. Being informed about what happens does not taint someone or make them animals. Hell, it helps when they do decide to have sex, whether that be within the marriage bed or not. It also helps outside of the making babies part, and knowing when there might be something wrong with your body.
I know that this post was quite soapbox-y. But honestly, I really do believe that reproductive knowledge would help across the board. There's always room for less ignorance in the world, am I right?
Warning--this post is quite blunt about sexual health. I try to be as coy as possible, but I can't be for everything. No graphic descriptions are included.
Read two articles this morning, and they make me super happy as one of those "sexual health" feminist loons :P
Article 1: U.S. Abortions Declining, Study Finds
Article 2: HPV Shot Doesn't Encourage Sexual Activity in Young Girls: Study
To me, these articles show that we're moving in the right direction in sexual health education. I'm of the opinion that knowing how things work prevents more stupid mistakes based on hearsay.
I never actually got "the talk" as a kid. All I knew was that when men and women were naked together, if they were kissing and legs crossed...then came baby. It was only when I was learning about my lovely monthly visitor that I learned exactly what happened. Mainly because I was freaked out by how tampons worked and was liked, "But why would you ever want to do that to yourself?" I was quickly informed how similar to the birds and the bees it was, if you catch my drift.
And my sexual education, surprisingly, actually talked about contraception. Looking back, it's one of the things my school was actually good with. While some might not agree with the method we learned about the technical parts (girls read aloud about boy reproductive systems, and vice versa; if you laughed, you had to start your paragraph over), it worked. And our book talked about the percentages of effectiveness of all types of contraception, from abstinence's 100% all the way to using nothing of 15%, and everything in between. While not everyone that went through my school's health class remembered this information (as evidenced by some of the unintended pregnancies), you can only lead a horse to water, you know?
The area of being informed about one's sexual health is one I think both sides of the spectrum on the issue of abortion can come together on. Mainly because knowing what causes pregnancy helps to prevent it, therefore lowering unintended pregnancies and less abortions. And a lot of people I know who are pro-choice push sexual education and access, as that would give women more involvement in their sexual health.
The second article is important, because it shows that talking about your reproductive system doesn't turn on a switch in teenage brains to make them have sex.
If one wants to abstain from sex, that's their choice. Being informed about what happens does not taint someone or make them animals. Hell, it helps when they do decide to have sex, whether that be within the marriage bed or not. It also helps outside of the making babies part, and knowing when there might be something wrong with your body.
I know that this post was quite soapbox-y. But honestly, I really do believe that reproductive knowledge would help across the board. There's always room for less ignorance in the world, am I right?