Hey Virginia,

I really hate being preached at like that.

Who are you to tell me what's morally right and wrong? How do you claim the right to teach my kids what's moral? Can you explain that please?

Am I a "Bad Person", an "Evil Republican", or, worst of all, part of the "Religous Right" if I disagree with you?

I accept what your 10 year old study says (though I'd like to read it for myself, is it available online?). Every study of sexual behavior I've ever read was done by people who agree with you, so their results are unsurprising. Why don't you tell us about the results for the other 1000 kids in the study? Are you trying to say the program didn't work because all the kids didn't remain abstinent? That would be naieve.

Virginia, do you think it's good for high school kids to have sex? Do you think it's inevitable?

If you think it's inevitable for some, should all kids be subjected to the same "information" ?

Do you think teaching "abstinence" has any merit? Do you think teaching abstinence in conjunction with "prevention" information and condom demonstrations might present a mixed message?

Do you think it might undermine the abstinence message?

Do you think the abstinence message might be better presented by a group like Worth Your Wait, that really believes in it?

Wait, Virginia, I forgot, you believe you have the "truth about sex" and anyone who says differently is "morally wrong".

I'm sure you think you believe in "diversity" too.

Too bad you really don't.

The study that Virginia is referring to can be found at: www.mathematica-mpr.com/publicatios/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf

This study was authorized by congress (pre-Nov 2006) and conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. The results were issued last month by the Department of Health and Human Services. This study was conducted by scientists using accepted experimental design and controls. The main result of the study was that there was no decrease in teen sexual activity as a result of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. The scientists that conducted the study and I imagine the congress that requested it, expected there to be an improvement in teen sexual behavior. Previous studies had measured INTENT, which we as parents and educators have done a good job of getting across the message of abstinence as the best choice. Unfortunately, BEHAVIOR can be completely different, especially for teens. Behavior is what this study measured. The study has alerted the public to the health risks that teens are taking by not having a comprehensive sex education program. If a teen makes an impulsive choice, don't we want them to know that correct and consistent use of condoms will protect them 97% of the time? We can warn them all we want about the dangers of that 3% but as we all know teens can be impulsive. This is not a political issue. It is a public health concern.

In response to Cheryl, let me start by saying that the Mathmatica Study is old, only studied 4 abstinence programs which is less than 10% of all abstinence programs.

WYW covers so much more than abstinence. We talk about safe dating tips, media influence, abusive relationships, puberty, self-control, respect for authority, and how your everyday actions affect your long term and short term goals.

When DARE goes to schools, do they pass out clean needles and encourage "safe, healthy drug use" as an inevitable result? NO. Worth Your Wait is not harming the teen health outlook, but working to improve it. No mixed messages, just truth.

Dear Dan,

A scientific study on behavior requires 10 years of study. It is not OLD, only complete.

What qualifies the WYW presenters to teach biology, sociology, and psycology in the VA state public school system?

Drugs and tobacco are clearly a not now, not ever abstinence message. Sexual activity, on the other hand, is part of a healthy marital relationship.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Borgman

Since when was it the government's role or right to educate children in the first place? Answer: Since they started telling you and your children that it was (in a classroom).