Bush Advocates Abstinence - Only Education

[Khephra]

Bush Advocates Abstinence - Only Education
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: February 13, 2004


Filed at 8:30 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is proposing to double spending on sexual abstinence programs that bar any discussion of birth control or condoms to prevent pregnancy or AIDS despite a lack of evidence that such programs work.

A study by researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on declining birth and pregnancy rates among teenagers concludes that prevention programs should emphasize abstinence and contraception.

``Both are important,'' said Dr. John Santelli, the lead author of the study, which has not been published.

In Minnesota, a study found that sexual activity doubled among junior high school students taking part in an abstinence-only program. The independent study, commissioned by the state's health department, recommended broadening the program to include more information about contraception.

more......................

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Sexual-Abstinence.html

[SCDem]

1. So Bush's daughters are virgins then?

Come on give me a break

[saltpoint]

2. Bush's handlers are telling him to pander to --

-- the Far Right on stem cell research, sexual abstinence, and so forth.

A real leader doesn't let Machiavellian nutcases do his thinking for him.

But then, we're talking about Dubya.

[stanwyck]

12. This strategy works

I know. I'm from Georgia and we have a useless governor right now because the flaggers showed up to vote for the Confederate flag. And since abortion just isn't bringing them out like it used to, Rove + Co. have to come up with some get out of bed and vote hot buttons. The Bushies need every single vote. Nobody can stay home on election day. That means rallying the fundies. I guess they're counting on enough of the squishy middle undecideds to fall their way.

[flakey_foont]

3. Abstinence?

then how is it that we're all still getting screwed?

[havocmom]

4. Welcome to DU, concerndparent

looking forward to reading your posts!

bush* as poster boy for abstinence? They gonna hold him up as a threat of all the bad things indulgence can lead to?

When did shrub abstaine from anything other than being honest, honorable and serving the interests of this nation?
edit: typos

[central scrutinizer]

5. mounting evidence

My favorite line from Al Franken's book Lying Liars, etc., is from the chapter on abstinence education. He quotes from some testimony, "there is mounting evidence that abstinence only programs don't work." Then to make sure you get the joke, he repeats the phrase, "yes, he really did say, 'mounting evidence.'"

[Ripley]

6. Teenage sex, steroids, marriage as a "sacred" institution...

Gee, I'm glad things are so hunky-dory in the country today that these are our government's top priorities. :eyes:

[PA Democrat]

7. Private v. Public Morality

I've come to the conclusion that the neo-cons are concerned only with the PRIVATE morality of individuals, i.e. what you are doing in the privacy of your own bedroom, etc.

But somehow, PUBLIC morality does not enter the equation when neo-cons make policy decisions, i.e., cutting education spending, cutting veterans' benefits, waging a pre-emptive war based on cooked intelligence, lying about who reaped the bulk of benefits of Bush's tax cuts, etc.

[Khephra]

8. kick

[skippysmom]

9. what fools

Let's not give them any knowledge about how to protect themselves from pregnancy and disease? Brilliant. :eyes:

[wabeewoman]

10. Yep, the party of personal responsibility

as long as you do it our way.

[llmart]

11. I really wish ole'

Bar and George, Sr. would've practiced some "sexual abstinence". Saved our country a whole lot of heartache if they would have.

[stanwyck]

13. Will the Super Bowl halftime show

run in political ads by the Rovians as an example of our liberal values run amok? Seems the shocked (shocked!) fundies can't get enough of that stuff. Repression breeds psychosis.

[fob]

14. I agree. bush* shouldn't procreate under any circumstances!

Well, anymore than he already has.

[snippy]

15. If Bush advocates abstinence he should stop screwing the American people.

[depakid]

16. Repeatedly tell a teen not to do something- brilliant strategy

Whoever devises these schemes has obviously has never raised teenagers or else had a very unhappy adolescence themselves. Scientific evidence aside (actually, there isn't any valid evidence), it's just plain common sense that having schools stress that sex is forbidden only makes it that much more alluring. The result?

More money down the drain- just like DARE- which after all these years has failed to produce significant results in any study.... So like an ignorant, moralizing Republican to put kids whose families won't talk about sex at risk for their own political purposes.