Protect And Serve (Contraception Education)

     This is kind of related to my post the other day "Playing Poker And Losing More Than Your Money"

     I was reading different news online today and found this article. These are the types of things that sadden me.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51607674-78/slide-state-presentation-contraception.html.csp

You don't have to click on the link cause here is the article, but I wanted you to be able to so you could get it right from the horses ass, I mean mouth.

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School districts told not to use contraception presentation

Two Salt Lake County school districts that had hoped to use a contraception presentation scrapped by state education officials were told Tuesday to back off.

The Utah State Office of Education (USOE) sent a letter to superintendents, charter directors and curriculum directors throughout Utah Tuesday afternoon that said, “We ask that you inform your schools that this draft must not be used.” USOE sent the letter after learning that Granite and Salt Lake City school district review committees — consisting of parents, teachers, district officials and medical professionals — had decided to allow high school teachers to use the slide show in sex education instruction.

USOE developed the slide show to address concerns that some teachers are afraid to teach students about contraception because they worry they’ll be accused of advocating its use — which is against Utah law. The state sent a draft of the slide show to some district health specialists and other groups for comment, but ultimately abandoned the idea after complaints from some lawmakers, activists and state school board members.

The presentation consists of 21 slides that explain different types of contraception, failure rates and side effects. It also describes abstinence as the only 100 percent effective method to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

“When we took a look at it we had complaints that some of it was too detailed. Other reviewers complained it was not detailed enough, so our leadership just made a decision the draft was not doing what we wanted it to do, and it was better left to [districts and charters] to make decisions on what they want to use,” said Brenda Hales, state associate superintendent, who sent the letter Tuesday. “It wasn’t intended to be used in its current form.”

Ron Burnside, a curriculum specialist in Granite who was part of the group that helped develop the slide show, said Granite now likely won’t use it. He said he might try to meet with some of the district’s health professionals to discuss whether they should try to find a different way to help teachers present the information.

He said he thought it was a good presentation.

“In a touchy subject such as this, you have some teachers who aren’t sure what they should and shouldn’t say,” Burnside said. “With this, it goes through it, so they don’t feel uncomfortable in what they can and can’t present.”

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     Now, How could teaching adolescences about contraceptives be a bad thing? First, they are gonna bump uglies no matter what. Second, if they have knowledge and access to protection, we can decrease the staggering numbers of teen pregnancies and STDs. Not only does STDs affect them, but what happens if it's the double whammy? Infected and impregnated? Now you have an infant that has a large chance of being born with a disease. AIDS? You might be old enough to remember your mommy before she passes. And what kind of memory would that be? That would set the stage for the rest of your life.

     These kinds of stories just infuriate me to no end. When I was a teen, I knew about birth control pills and condoms mostly. I passed condoms out to my friends. Most of them didn't even like to ask at first because of the embarrassment felt. And this is a little personal, but one time when I was a young adult and was in a relationship, when it came down to business with him for the first time (not virginity first mind you), he actually unrolled the condom before trying to put it on! It wasn't his fault, and he was soooo embarassed when I corrected him, got another one and had to show him. Needless to say, because of crippling humiliation associated with sex, the first time was a day or two later, after he got over feeling like he'd done something stupid.

     The law needs to do something, NOW! Right fucking NOW! I am getting so sick of watching, reading, and hearing about the fears and ignorance that our older generation is pouring all over us. If the school won't teach your kid, you do it. If you can't handle it, fucking bring em to me. I'll set out some folding chairs and some freaking cookies and have my homie innomen (if he'd be cool with it, and I'm pretty sure he would) set me up a power point and teach everyone. You can do it without embarrassment, disrespect, or crossing any lines of inappropriateness. 

     I know some of you out there in reader land might be like, "damn, calm down" or, "I don't have any kids", or, "I'll teach my kid, the rest is someone else's problem." WRONG! Every potential boyfriend/girlfriend your kid has, has the potential to infect/impregnate them. We can teach them and teach them, but when some other teen who is easy on the eyes, doesn't know anything about anything, and is weird every time your educated teen brings up safe sex comes along, you know there is a 50/50 chance that a poor decision could be made. It might not end up bad, but all that will do is encourage them to mess up more. 

     Teens have self esteem issues as it is, without someone to make them feel uncomfortable for being smart. And yes, they do feel uncomfortable for being smart sometimes. My friend, for example(again), innomen was one of the smartest dudes I knew as a teen. You know what he got for it? A terrible high school experience. After school was done, every time he explained something, even to people who ask the damn question, he would get rolled eyes or exaggerated sighs of boredom. Just to make him feel out of place. It's no damn wonder he was so cynical. Some days, I'd come rolling in and be like 'la la la, what's up dude" and he would sound like the dog on wacky races (razza frazza...). All that for being a curious and outspoken individual. Someone with endless potential, surrounded by people that (metaphorically) stomped him to the ground. Then after all that, they'd say "what's eating him?" ARGHHH!

     Teach your kids something. Teach yourself something. Let someone else teach them. Just make room for them to learn and form their own opinions. Quit vicariously living through them. The best defense you can give your children is knowledge and common sense. If you do, maybe we will all get lucky and they will end up in our government and make some changes that we can all groove to. If we keep churning them out the same way, generation after generation, then we are gonna get the same shit dropped on our heads every time. And the sad thing is, when it does happens, we're gonna be fucking surprised every time and say "I don't understand why everything is so messed up?"