AG-R Gangs Up on Feingold

The AGN had two people slamming Allen Feingold's very good column on abstinence. No supporting column.

Kenja Purkey, Exec. Dir. of "Worth the Wait" HERE and Faye O'Brien-Usala HERE (Who throws out a bunch of stats with no sourcing)

To be fair, I think Ms. O'Brien-Usala's great point about abstinence being one response to an overall issue got lost by some wandering thoughts. Getting your point across in a limited column is not easy under the best of circumstances.

A quick search of the Amarillo Globe Republican's archives found MULTIPLE pro-abstinence articles, and a handful of opposing opinion darn their liberal bias! CLICK HERE
______________________

Ok, Abstinence. Cool if it actually worked. CLICK HERE
(user: dailykos/pass:dailykos)

This study was of 20k teens from 1997-2002 and found that the rate of sex from pro-abstinence and those who did not take a pledge of abstinence was essentially the same. The virginity pledges did not work.

The big issue is one of teen pregnancy, unmarried moms, and STD's right? We all agree that these are bad for the kids and society.

THE REAL ISSUE is . . . why are abstinence programs AGAINST talking about condoms and birth control?

Two points:
1. If, "Knowledge is power. . ." as Kenja Purkey says then why not explain it ALL?
2. If MY TAX MONEY is going to abstinence-only folks, to the tune of 1 BILLION BUCKS, why can't we the people have a say in the messaging the peeps who spend this $$ use.

60 minutes did a great segment on the abstinence pledges. onegoodmove has the video (scroll down and click on the pic of the girl and guy)

SUMMARY
-Virginity Pledgers 1/3 less likely to use condoms when having sex. 1/3 more STD's 1/3 more pregnancy.
-Virginity Pledgers more likely to engage in oral and anal sex to "preserve" virginity. They do not get STD tests because they did not really have sex in their minds.
-88% of Virginity Pledgers break their oaths, and have sex before marriage.

The abstinence only dude, Denny Patton, founder of the "silver ring thing" has gotten 1 million of your tax dollars.

Watch the 60 minutes segment. He clearly LIES to kids about condoms. He states that they do not work. Not that abstinence is better, but that CONDOMS ARE NOT SAFE. He talks about telling his own daughter not to use a condom AT ALL if she wants to engage in pre-marital sex.

Do the abstinence-only folks think that these confusing messages help our kids? Why not tell kids, "Wait until marriage because you cannot get pregnant or a disease that way. There are bad diseases out there. Getting pregnant as a teen will make the rest of your life tough. If you do have sex, use a condom EVERY TIME."

What do you think? Click "Comment" below

-Prodigal Son