@ skycherry
That's phenomenal, Sky. I applaud you. No, really. I'm so glad you represent everyone on the face of the planet. Clearly, since abstinence worked for you and some others, it will work for everyone. In fact, I've abstained, too! ...But I didn't have an abstinence-only education. And my cousin, who did, is currently sleeping with three different guys.
Of course, she's happy, and they're all friends, as well as clean. They've all had STD tests, and she's on the pill and the boys always use condoms. So I don't see anything wrong with that.
Just because she didn't abstain doesn't mean she failed.
My mother had sex at thirteen. She had an abstinence-only education. She didn't know the risks, only that what was happening felt good.
I don't see anything wrong with abstinence-only educations, so long as all the risks are explained clearly, without bias, and birth control is presented as a good thing. Of course, most people don't consider informing kids of the risks and birth control to be abstinence-only education.
And as for parents not trying hard enough... Yeah, don't you dare fucking say that. There are kids who become alcoholics, who become drug addicts, no matter how much their parents love them and try to stop it. They can't exactly chain the kid up in his/her bedroom forever. And if their child is dead-set on doing bad shit, there is going to be SOME opportunity for him/her to get away from his/her parents and do it.
My uncle is an alcoholic. He started drinking at twelve. My grandparents did everything in their power to get him help, to keep him away from alcohol, to love him and try to talk sense into him. But you know what? It didn't work. He still had to go to school. They both had to go to work. And if they literally couldn't keep him from doing something as horrible as trying to drink himself to death, what makes you think that preventing sex -- something natural -- is going to be any easier?
It's unrealistic to expect parents to be able to monitor their children 24/7. They have to sleep. They have to work. The child has to go to school. No matter how desperately dedicated a parent is, there will be at least some point when they can't keep their eyes on their child.
So don't you dare say that parents aren't trying hard enough. Some don't. But some do, and it doesn't make much of a difference. Once they've done everything they can to prevent their child from doing something he/she shouldn't be doing, all they can do is give their child as much information as they can, and hope their child will listen.
