*Shudders at the thought of Barebacking* I'd definitely use a condom there...

We could find out by creating some sort of questionaire.

Arguing that abstinence is protection against sexually transmitted diseases is like arguing that cancer wouldn't exist if no one smoked. Now abstinence is of course effecient against teen pregnancies, but condoms would still be the better way to go IMO. However, pushing abstinence is a great way for the government, in this case, to dodge the the issue. Add a month of sex ed to the corriculum instead! And even if you wait until you're married to have sex you still aren't protected against diseases. Makes me wonder if politicians know what HIV is. :rolleyes:

Well, the point that abstinence doesn't protect against STDs is well-taken. The "alternative things" teens can do that don't count as "sex" (including the four or five varieties of acts known as "sodomy"), which in my experience are regularly relied on by young lasses wanting to keep both their "virtue" and their boyfriends, certainly can transmit STDs. Some are even more efficient means of transmitting STDs than sex is (anal intercourse, for instance). Of course, whether these things fit the Christian Coalition's definition of "abstinance" is a whole other question. ;)

However, I am extremely dubious to your assumption that teenage kids don't understand this stuff and that schools don't teach it.

Of course no one in tarnation would have ever talked me into performing any of those acts with a condom anyway. ;)

Wouldn't the Christian Coalition be against anal sex anyway, abstinence or no abstinence.

Well perhaps not understanding is taking things a little too far on my behalf. On the other hand we could broaden the target group from teens to the population in general. Misconceptions would be a better word. After all, AFAIK, all they teach is that sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted when having unprotected sex. That's it. No explanations as to how and why. But I still claim that many people are very unenlightened when it comes to this diseases. For instance, the notion that homosexuals can infect you with HIV merely by talkng to you is still believed by a fair amount of people. We need to have a dialogue with our young about this huge problem, whether it comes from school or the parents. No matter where it comes from, I would prefer professionals, there is a need for education about STD.

As for your last paragraph, I hear you mate! ;)

You mean that your Government doesn't provide free condoms to all who want them?

Why would they need to when every college campus, planned parenthood facility, and night club has a box of freebies for you to take?

And why should the government provide free condoms? It doesn't provide me a free toothbrush and toothpaste, despite the fact that a very high percentage of people have some sort of gum disease. Of course, it does put flouride in the water. Which one is more analogous to providing free condoms?

If it's a choice between providing free condoms or treating STDs and dealing with unwanted pregnancies, I'd say providing free condoms was a great deal cheaper!

They're bloody expensive to buy here anyway, I usually get a few from the doctor when I'm down there, save me a bit of cash.

I really think it all comes down to education and access to confidential contraception advice. It astounds me the amount of naivety there is about conception and how STDs are transmitted. Pushing abstinence as a solution is never going to work, it might be easy to think at age 13 that you're not going to have sex until you're married, but at 15 or 16 that can easily go out the window.

I don't think preaching abstinence is healthy, mentally or physically. There is nothing dirty, sinful, or wrong about consensual sex, and I think that notions of abstinence just lead to people being repressed and having hang-ups. It's far more important to make sure people have access to contraception and sex education, to help them make sensible and safe choices.

Hear, hear! ::raises glass in Epona's general direction::
Religion aside for a moment, America in general has a LOT of growing up to do when it comes to sex. Too many people think of sex as dirty or 'sinful' or something that should be uncomfortable to discuss. Yes, it's personal, but that's no reason to not discuss things that need to be discussed.

Epona's post has good points, but none of which indicate to me why it is the gummint's job to provide these profilactics. ;)

Ok, then look at it this way. Government money spent on condoms is better spent than on the Strategic Heluim Reserve or the Halibut Commission or Bush's reelection.