quote:

---

If you find out your son or daughter has already had sex, it's important for you to take them to a health care professional to be screened for pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases. Be sure to tell your teen that having multiple partners in their lifetime can be one of the biggest threats to their physical and emotional health. Tell them it's not too late to stop having sex, that it's never too late to make healthy choices. They are worth it! If your teen decides to stop having sex, some tips you can give them for sticking to their decision to wait are shown below. These tips can also be useful if your teen has not had sex yet.

Be Supportive: Be available, treat each other with respect and trust.

Ask Questions: Ask your teen questions about their opinions, friends, school or movies, but let them tell their story.

Goal Setting: Ask your teen about their goals, both for the long range and for the short term.

Encourage, Educate and Empower: Give your teen the support, information and skills to be successful.

---

Hmmm... Very loaded phrasing in my opinion. But they don't tell you what to do if your child decides not to stop. Apparently at that point, just keep telling them it's not too late to stop. Thanks.
 

---

Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
 
There are some major problems with abstinence-only education.
 

---

Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
 

quote:

---

However I disapprove of calling homosexuality a lifestyle choice

---

Here's my question...Why is it bad to say that homosexuality is a choice?

edit: I believe abstinence should be taught. I also believe it's important to help teens understand sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases. The problem is that these two methods of teaching almost completely conflict with one another in the minds of most. People seem to think that if you teach a teenager about sex, they're going to have sex as a direct result. For some reason, other people think that not teaching them about sex and the danger of irresposibility will cause them to not have sex at all. I don't think either view is completely truthful. I think that people are underestimating teens and their ability to be responsible in many cases. Sure, there are the stupid kids out there who don't give a crap and think that nothing they do will affect their lives. But I don't think they are in the majority.

[ April 01, 2005, 10:07 PM: Message edited by: Boris ]
 

---

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 
First of all I don't think homosexuality is a choice, and all too often that is used condescendingly to blame homosexuals for problems inflicted upon them. "Well you know, you shouldn't complain, you chose to live that way."
 

---

Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
 
Mildly irresponsible? More like detrimental. Using a tiny bandaid normally used when cutting oneself shaving for a gaping, life-threatening wound.
Yes, abstinence is the most effective way to avoid pregnacy and sexually transmited diseases. But this doesn't mean a person shouldn't know how to use a condom and that kissing doesn't spread AIDS.
It doesn't mean that they shouldn't know the honest facts about sex, sexuality and all of the things that come with it.
 

---

Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
 
Well when I was first naming the thread it was something like "this is the most stupid thing I have ever seen" or something similar. But I didn't want to come out swinging quite that hard. Figured more people would respond if I toned it down.
 

---

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
 
You can argue that some people may "choose" the homosexual lifestyle for various reasons, but by and large it's not a choice - my buddy didn't choose it and I'm going to assume neither Telp or Karl consciously chose their orientation.

I'm heterosexual - I didn't choose what turns my head and while I enjoy a nice set of curves, it wasn't a conscious choice.

I didn't wake up one morning and decide, "Ok, I'm going to be straight." But there's no denying that's the side of the fence I'm on.

-Trevor
 

---

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
Best strategy: Just go on all your kids' dates with them. This works. You don't even have to sit between them.
 

---

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
 
Your poor kids.
 

---

Posted by Megan (Member # 5290) on :
 
And yet, what a funny image...

Makes you look at Geoff in a whole new light.
 

---

Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
 
This thread is a good companion thread to mothertree's thread.

I was going to say they should be consolidated, but I don't really think so. Though they are talking about the same site, they are approaching the issue from different perspectives. I'm going to watch them both.
 

---

Posted by JonnyNotSoBravo (Member # 5715) on :
 

quote:

---

Makes you look at Geoff in a whole new light.

---

I know! Geoff had his father go on all his dates with women?! He's such a papa's boy!
 

---

Posted by Raia (Member # 4700) on :
 
It also makes you look differently at his women... suddenly, they're all going on dates with Orson Scott Card. I bet that's something they didn't bargain for.
 

---

Posted by Boris (Member # 6935) on :
 
*is weirded out because that's the first OSC post I've ever seen*
 

---

Posted by Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (Member # 7476) on :
 
OSC spends all his time on the other side. I guess he loves topics about himself
 

---

Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
 
Oh, man. That is so cold.

The other side is where people post questions about me, to which only I have the answer.

And once I'm there, I look at other posts, too.

I just want people to talk about me. Is that so wrong?

[ April 02, 2005, 02:54 PM: Message edited by: Orson Scott Card ]
 

---

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :
 
Yeah, it is wrong - they're too busy talking about your books to be bothered with you.

-Trevor
 

---

Posted by mimsies (Member # 7418) on :
 

quote:

---

I just want people to talk about me. Is that so wrong?

---

oops, I mean "There there now. It's OK. You're OK."

[ April 02, 2005, 02:59 PM: Message edited by: mimsies ]
 

---

Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
 
Authors? I haven't noticed any authors around here.

[ April 02, 2005, 05:03 PM: Message edited by: dread pirate romany ]
 

---

Posted by blacwolve (Member # 2972) on :
 
yes
 

---

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
****shhhhhhh****


[ April 02, 2005, 05:37 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
 

---

Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
 

quote:

---

Best strategy: Just go on all your kids' dates with them. This works. You don't even have to sit between them.

---

quote:

---

The other side is where people post questions about me, to which only I have the answer.

---

Oh, I don't know. Sometimes your wife gets there first.

Which is why my husband is not allowed on Hatrack.
 

---

Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 

 

---

Posted by dread pirate romany (Member # 6869) on :
 

quote:

---

Best strategy: Just go on all your kids' dates with them. This works. You don't even have to sit between them.

---

I could see my husband doing this.
 

---