Abstinence Only

There is talk in Washington about cutting funds for Abstinence-only health courses for adolescents.  Morals aside, abstinence is indeed the only effective method of preventing STDs and pregnancy.  Pregnancy is not the worst thing that can happen to a sexually active teenager, though.  A girl will live through pregnancy.  The same cannot be said for a woman (or man) who contracts an STD.

If teenagers are educated in birth control methods, all that teachers are handing them is a false sense of security.  If we tell teenagers that abstinence is a good idea but then turn around and say, "but if you must have sex, use a con.dom...." we are telling them that we know they don't really have the self-control and why bother?  Oh, we know the hormones are raging and that these adolescents are in luuuuuv.  Whatever.  Keep your knees together.

Adolescents must. be. taught. self. control.  MUST.  Self control is a necessary skill which must be taught starting at the age of two.  Do I tell my son not to hit his brother, and then say, "but if you do, hit him on the bottom, because it won't hurt him as much."  Do we potty train a child and then when he's four, put him in Pull-Ups for his first day of school, just in case?  Do we give an adolescent $40 to go buy a pair of jeans and hand them a credit card, just in case?  Do we tell the kids not to drink alcohol and then keep beer in the fridge just in case they have their friends over one night?  Why not? They're at home, after all.  What could possibly happen?

We EXPECT self control from every member of society, in every aspect of life.  We expect people to show up for work every day, expect them to take care of their children, expect them to be productive members of society (well, conservatives expect this, anyway).  We expect spouses to be faithful to each other, we expect people to not kill someone who made them mad.  We expect people not to steal, not to destroy property, and not to punch the mouthy guy in the face.  Abstinence is a huge step in developing self control.

An aside: if a Catholic couple remain abstinent through their dating years, then the periodic abstinence required to postpone a pregnancy (NFP) is not a problem, not a big deal, not a stress.  Been there, done that. 

Imagine a world where every person has sex with only the person to whom they are married.  STDs would be wiped out within a generation.  Liberals keep touting the great con.dom as the solution for the AIDS epidemic.  You know what?  I've got a fool-proof solution to the AIDS epidemic.  Stop having sex with everything that walks.  If all people would keep their pants zipped until they were in a monogamous marriage, HIV would die out on its own, without any help from the almighty con.dom. 

Parents need to control their children--even adolescents--and stop enabling them.  If my teenage daughter asks to be put on the pill, I will take away her car, her right to privacy, her bathroom door, her freedom, her bedroom door, start homeschooling, and have padlocks installed on all windows and outer doors.  I care about her that much.  My children will be taught that we expect them to remain abstinent until they are married.  They have the self-control.  I'm working on the development of it right now, as they are 8, 7, 6, and 3.  (The 7 month old is an exception.) See?  I won't need those padlocks, because I am teaching them self control now believe me, I'm really really trying and not waiting until it's too late.

I am sick and tired of Americans feeling ENTITLED to an easy life, an easy solution, an easy way out.  LIFE IS NOT EASY.  Deal with it.  Kids, keep your dates vertical.  Develop self control!