From: jwhite@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Joseph White)
Newsgroups: misc.kids,alt.kids-talk,alt.parents-teens,misc.education
Subject: Re: Minors right of access to contraceptives?
Date: 14 Apr 92 19:33:20 GMT
Reply-To: jwhite@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Joseph White)
Followup-To: misc.kids
Organization: Annapolis Detachment, CDNSWC Code 2723 
	      (formerly David Taylor Research Center, Annapolis MD)

In misc.kids, mhn@cs.brown.edu (Marian H. Nodine) writes:

>Well, as an advocate of abstaining from sex until marriage (but *not*
>as a Catholic) I do not really see why I am in the dark ages.  However,
>from this perspective I do wish to share my opinions on the original
>post.

You are only in the dark ages, if you refuse to believe that other people
have a right to hold an opinion that is different from yours.  I am
not saying that I disagree with you, I actually agree with you, at least
where minors are concerned.  But, no matter what you advocate, you can
not ignore the reality of the situation.  The reality is that, no matter
what you personally believe, people, including minors, are going to have
sex outside of marriage.  I think that it is for the greater good of
society, that the minors, who unfortunately are not currently made totally
aware of the consequences of their action, should have the opportunity
to aquire condoms, without their parents consent.  If their hell bent
of having sex, having their parents say they can't get free condoms,
most likely is going to stop them.  On the other hand, knowing that
condoms are available, isn't going to make them have sex.



>
>First, I would like to see more sex education in the schools, but
>not just at the level of what happens biologically and how to use
>contraceptives.

Here, Here!!!   Having total sex education, will not incite the masses
to act like rabbits!  I seem to remember, from my collage human sexuality
class, that Sweden, has a more involved sex education class/process
than the US does, but they have less of a problem with it than we do.
Only when people totally understand the consequences of their actions,
can they really decide what they are going to do.  I have heard a Planned
Parenthood radio add recently, that starts off with a true/false sex
quiz,  with questions like "true or false, there is a time in a women's
cycle when she can't get pregnant?", all of the answers are false, but
they don't ever say it!  They go on to say that no question is stupid,
and they are there to answer them.  Unfortunately, I know that all of
the questions are false, they were covered in the human sexuality class,
but there are alot of people, who will here the questions and answer
true, true, true, true; and think that they have nothing to worry about!
They could revamp their add, and say "all of the answers are false,
if you have these or any other questions about sexual activity, no question
is too simple or stupid, give us a call".

>of effort.  Many parents aren't really very responsible about teaching
>their kids about sex themselves.

That is probably, the key to solving the whole problem, parents need
to start educating their kids, starting at a very early age.  If the
kids, ask a question, the parents need to answer it in a way that the
child will understand.  They don't need/want the full blown details.
Teach the kids the proper names of their genitalia, it's a penis, not.
a pee pistol!  When they ask, where their brother/sister came from,
tell them the truth, the baby grows in the mothers uterus, and after
nine months, is born.  Don't say "the stork brought them".  To those
parents who say, "but I don't know how to tell them,or what to tell
them", stop watching TV, and read!

ALL education starts in the home, don't depend on the school system
to teach it for you.

Joe White
Father of: Joshua Douglas (3 years, 11+ months, born 4/25/88) and
	   Hillary Shannon (11 days, born 4/3/92, was due 3/17/92)
Xref: sparky misc.kids:13132 alt.kids-talk:652 alt.parents-teens:697 misc.education:1948