# The whole "abstinence only" thing seems to be going well. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 19, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280 "2005-03-19T06:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/41 "2005-03-20T14:16:34Z")
> [@istara](#): > > Given the greater risks of anal sex - and the fact that young people are LESS likely to use a condom for anal sex (because pregnancy is a more immediate concern for them than STDs, and **you can’t get pregnant up the bum** ) - is this really where True Love Waits wants to be heading? Careful there - you certainly \*\*can \*\*get pregnant from anal sex. It’s much less likely, but semen from the leaking santorum can and does enter the vaginal canal on occasion. One of my friends, a sweet Christian girl who was “saving herself” enjoyed frequent and raucous anal sex with her boyfriend for the very reason stated in the OP. Result? Matthew Joseph. Cute kid. Shotgun wedding. 18 years old. (The groom was 43 and a Grade-A jerk. It was quite the scandal.) ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/42 "2005-03-20T14:23:57Z")
> [@Apos](#): > > Abstinence only: get your anal warts while they’re hot! Y’know, I was going to have breakfast… Where’s that vomit smilie? ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/43 "2005-03-20T14:29:04Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > And if the research quoted in the article is correct, and 99% of people who don’t make abstinence pledges have sex before marriage, your cause might be kinda fucking hopeless, no? I think Catharine Maria Sedgwick’s definition of a “puritan” applies here: Someone who insists that good be done, even if evil ensue. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/44 "2005-03-20T15:01:22Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > Because then they might realize that teenagers have been having sex for _thousands of years_, so stopping this tendency might prove slightly difficult. I have to call you out on your so-called “facts” here. You’re wallowing in illogic. Think about it: If teenagers have sex for thousands of years, then they’re not going to be teenagers anymore, right? Instead they’ll be really really old people having sex. [Lady’s Man]OK, that’s digustin’[/Lady’s Man]. Anyway, learned years ago that if you want to have hot monkey sex of the most perverted and satisfying nature, seek out Catholic girls. Fastest growing religion in the world, dude! ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/45 "2005-03-20T20:20:35Z")
I haveto assume that the abstinence only crowd is motivated by religeous beliefs. So what part of the Bible is the readon for the belief that there shouldn’t be any humping before marriage? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/46 "2005-03-20T20:32:17Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > Hey now, **Evil** , don’t go getting us disappeared or anything. 😉 To put is less succinctly then, my point was that there might be a “Law of Unintended Consequences” effect from all that abstinence-only stuff, and to show how a hypothetical degenerate would find it appealing. That good enough for ya? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/47 "2005-03-20T21:00:42Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > To put is less succinctly then, my point was that there might be a “Law of Unintended Consequences” effect from all that abstinence-only stuff, and to show how a hypothetical degenerate would find it appealing. Ah, the “hypothetical degenerate”… I have this “friend”, see… nudge nudge 😉😉 Just joshin’ with you, **Evil**. Actually making fun of this board’s hypersensitivity toward references to underage sex (which, given what little I can glean of some recent bizarre happenings, is actually understandable). ---
**Author:** ![FaerieBeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@FaerieBeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FaerieBeth)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/48 "2005-03-20T21:00:47Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > I think Catharine Maria Sedgwick’s definition of a “puritan” applies here: Someone who insists that good be done, even if evil ensue. Hey! Better that evil should ensue rather than penis… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/49 "2005-03-20T21:02:18Z")
> [@FaerieBeth](#): > > Hey! Better that evil should ensue rather than penis… Well, if good be done and penis ensue… win win! ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/50 "2005-03-20T23:35:55Z")
My province is in the process of reforming sex education. The number of parents (and other “concerned citizens”) that are completely hysterical just blows my mind. “Oh my gawd, they’re going to tell kids about orgasms and masturbation and oral sex. They have the nerve to mention pleasure. They have no right to teach the children that such things exist. It’s wrong wrong wrong!” Here’s a [link](http://www.parentingdecisions.com/sex-ed.htm) to some of the uniformed. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/51 "2005-03-20T23:37:33Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > My province is in the process of reforming sex education. The number of parents (and other “concerned citizens”) that are completely hysterical just blows my mind. > > “Oh my gawd, they’re going to tell kids about orgasms and masturbation and oral sex. They have the nerve to mention pleasure. They have no right to teach the children that such things exist. It’s wrong wrong wrong!” > > Here’s a [link](http://www.parentingdecisions.com/sex-ed.htm) to some of the uniformed. That should read _uninformed_. Bwahahahaha :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/52 "2005-03-20T23:51:54Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > My province is in the process of reforming sex education. **Cyros** , do you find that there is a kind of visceral reaction in parents against the idea that their kids are sexual beings? My kids are stepkids, and maybe that makes a difference, but my mate is very cool about this and we both agree that they are all going to understand what sex is and not get freaked out about it. We accept the fact that the little ones are going to engage in “sex play” of some sort somewhere along the line, and that the older ones already have. We understand that masturbation becomes part of their lives at puberty, and though it’s not something we chat about over breakfast, we make decisions regarding room assignments and privacy rules accordingly. Personally, I don’t see how anyone can expect their kids to stay safe in this world if they don’t know what’s what from a very young age. The way we see it, kids need to understand something about sex before they hit puberty, and they have to feel as comfortable as possible talking about it with us – or at least one of us – when they need to. This is not a value I inherited. I come from a hugely dysfunctional family, and much of that dysfunction revolved around sex. It was a don’t-ask-don’t-tell household, as were the households my parents came from. I’m determined that my kids not go through the same thing I did. But I don’t really understand where these attitudes come from. (My dad lives with us, and I still don’t dare broach the subject with him – there’d be no point.) If you care to elaborate, either here or in another thread, I’d be interested. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/53 "2005-03-20T23:53:11Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > Didn’t young adults and /or teens have a lot less sex before marriage back in the 50’s? No pledges were made, it was a more conservative time. Maybe there are so many std’s around nowadays because more young people are having sex? As for STDs, I remember coming across some military material talking about what soldiers should do if they contracted a venereal disease. We’re lucky that antibiotics had come into widespread use by WWII, or else I imagine quite a few more men would’ve brought clap back to their sweethearts. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2005, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280/54 "2005-03-21T08:03:43Z")
> [@violacrane](#): > > That’s quite a slur on Essex girls, to say nothing of the folk of Sussex and Middlesex. Presumably these translate as internet (“e”) sex, dubious (“sus”) sex and vaginal sex? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-whole-abstinence-only-thing-seems-to-be-going-well/295280.md?page=2)