As we continue to hear stories, statistics, personal experiences, and research on the ineffectiveness of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Sex education, it is harder and harder for me to comprehend how so many staunch advocates of this harmful type of education are still pushing. Therefore, many like me are still having to "push back", meaning advocating medically accurate sex education. I was doing just that on Friday, sitting behind a table at a public event, promoting safer sex and sex education, when the funniest thing happened...
A young girl (college aged) walks up to the table. I say hello to greet her and notice her T-Shirt. It wasn't a flashy shirt, but the text caught my eye. In large letters it read "I Stop at Third Base" with smaller type under indicating the t-shirt came from a particular "1987 Abstinence Conference." My first thought was that I really wanted this t-shirt, for the irony, and had a little laugh to myself. my second thought was, I remember 1987 quite well, but I doubt this young girl does, or was she even born yet? Assuming her clothing choice was made out of irony, I decided to strike up a conversation.
I said, nodding to her shirt, "So, you don't look old enough to have attended a 1987 conference."
She looked at me, never cracking a smile and said, without any intonation in her voice, "No, I was conceived there."
Seriously. Never laughed so hard in my life! This, my friends is yet one more testiment to the ineffectiveness of Abstinence Only Sex Education.
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Was this the shirt?
http://www.bustedtees.com/gavemyword
If it was, props to that girl for a great comeback!
abrune posted at 10:26 AM: "She looked at me, never cracking a smile and said, without any intonation in her voice, 'No, I was conceived there.'
"Seriously. Never laughed so hard in my life! This, my friends is yet one more testiment to the ineffectiveness of Abstinence Only Sex Education."
Either that or the effectiveness of "Abstinence-Only" Sex Education in promoting unprotected marital sex...?
"Either that or the effectiveness of "Abstinence-Only" Sex Education in promoting unprotected marital sex...?"
I know I have seen stats that show that people who sign abstinence-only pledges are more likely than their peers to have unprotected sex. When you aren't planning on having sex at all and get caught up in the moment, guess what? no one has protection. And if you believe sex before marriage is wrong and therefore vow to never do it again you're not going to go out and buy condoms or other birth control, BUT you are likely to end up with another irresistable opportunity to have sex again. It's how several of the girls at the Christian high school in my town ended up pregnant and I hear that the story is the same across the country.
About the shirt anf response, this was fabulous! Priceless!
AnotherJenn commented on August 25, 2008 10:20 PM: "And if you believe sex before marriage is wrong and therefore vow to never do it again you're not going to go out and buy condoms or other birth control"
...or if you believe sex during marriage is right and therefore vow to keep doing it and meanwhile were taught in sex ed that contraceptives are useless...
Lots of people have pointed out how "Abstinence Only" Sex Ed doesn't prevent unwanted pregnancy for people who try and fail in meeting the "no extramarital sex" standard. I was adding that it doesn't even prevent unwanted pregnancy for people who try and succeed in meeting the "no extramarital sex" standard.
chuckle, chuckle :)