Taboo or Truth?

I get tired of the radio playing the same tunes over and over and over and over.... so I like to listen to podcasts when I travel for work.  My favorite podcast is called "Stuff Mom Never Told You" by the How Stuff Works crew.   I find their discussion hilarious and their topics interesting.  I usually end up sitting in the car and just giggling for the entire thing.

Recently they had a podcast that discussed Sexual Education in schools.  I recommend going to iTunes and downloading them because I am just touching on my personal opinion :)

I think Sex Ed is a VERY important part of school curriculum.  It's crazy to me when I hear friends say that it was NEVER discussed in school!  That they never had a day dedicated to it or a class discussion.  It irritates me when I find out that they were taught Abstinence only.  First off - there's no proof that abstinence only education delays sexual activity.  And if you aren't teaching your kids about sex then I guarantee you they are learning about it from someone else, the tv or the internet.

My school in Oklahoma had the puberty talk in 5th grade, the condom and sexual safety talk in 6th grade, then finally the birthing video and sex education course in HighSchool. My senior year in high school all the girls and guys were divided and bussed to a "Sex Ed Field Trip" ... it was a full day event where they discussed/showed-scary-pictures-of STD's, pregnancies, genitalia, etc.  They talked about the different kinds of sex and the risks associated with each one.  They also had an anonymous question and answer session where girls asked everything from menstrual questions to sex toy options.  Believe it.  Being the prude little 18 year old I was, I was horrified.  But it gave me knowledge that I think was crucial to being a female and knowing what to expect from here on out. 

Virginity pledges generally delay sexual activity for about 18 months if it is a tight group such as a youth group but the pledge does not have ANY effect statistically on contracting STD's.  That's right folks ANY effect.  That means that although you may delay your kids from starting their sexual revolution, you're not saving them any of the woes that come with the territory.  When I was a kid, I took a virginity pledge with my church.  I wore that ring on my finger until it split in half my freshman year of college... that's right ... it just randomly split in half.  Maybe that was God's little message?  Maybe. 

Did you know 1 in 4 college students will contract an STI by the time they graduate? That is some scary stuff right there.  Especially with all the booze floating around during that time.    I think when it comes to Sex Ed, health and safety should be identified and discussed rather than just scare tactics about pregnancy and STDs.  Not only the likelihood of how often condoms work but also about various options of female contraceptive.  I didn't have the "sex talk" with my parents (other than the virginity pledge) until I was 18!  18!  Seriously.  I had heard about things at school since I was 12.  A little delayed there but nice attempt.

The Kaiser Family Foundation found that 98% of parents they polled want HIV and AIDS discussed and 85% say they want condoms discussed.  The US has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the developed world!  Sex should not be taboo.  It should be discussed maturely and honestly.

Well those are my two cents.  End Rant ;)

This little video from Disney was a standard puberty education tool from the mid 40's through 1960.  Besides being hilarious, please take notes of the topics addressed around 7 minutes.  As in, showering, exercising and making yourself beautiful.  Hilarious.