Here’s a conversation topic in keeping with Mother’s Day:
Can teen mother Bristol Palin (whose mom is governor of Alaska), teach abstinence?
The folks who brought you National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day thought so because they made Bristol their poster child, er, poster mom. She said, "Regardless of what I did personally, I just think that abstinence is the only way you can effectively, 100 percent foolproof way, you can prevent pregnancy."
My mom had another foolproof way. She told me to take an aspirin on my dates…and hold it between my knees.
Why bother with abstinence-only sex education? Research shows that these programs, which were used throughout the Bush 2 administration, did NOT reduce teen pregnancies.
And yet, there is a great need for effective education. Of all the first-world countries, the United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancies. About 750,000 American teens get pregnant every year. Eighty percent do not marry the child’s father.
Ask your friends and family these conversation questions:
- Do you think that others learn from hearing people, such as Bristol Palin, talk about their mistakes?
- Have you learned from what people say or from what they do? Can you give examples?
- Why do you think just-say-no sex ed bombed?
- If you were in charge of a program to reduce teen pregnancies, what would you do?
Here’s a closing riddle for you:
What do they call people who use the rhythm method of birth
control?
The answer is hiding in here: pxaxrxexnxtxs
Tags: abstinence-only sex education, Mother's Day, National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Day