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Sex and Relationships

Crazy U.S. Thinking: Rampant Sexually Spread Diseases and No Talk About Sex!

By Lara Riscol, RH Reality Check. Posted March 27, 2008.


A fourth of American teen girls have an STD. Playing sex police only makes the problem worse.
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Spring fever has sprung! Just as a sobering CDC study report breaks that one in four American teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease, crime-busting Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigns for itching an eighty-grand, reportedly unsafe prostitution habit. Instantly the scandal storm blows bigger and more bizarre as New York's new governor holds an emergency press conference to confess -- also with wife by side -- to several affairs, one over several years. Meanwhile, journalists struggle for truth in the public dispute between New Jersey's former "I'm a gay American" governor and his divorcing wife about their alleged three-ways with their young male driver. News hasn't been this salacious since the Starr Report. And camera crews still have to dispatch to spring break hot spots to capture the bouncing B-roll of oiled and bronzed female flesh so news pundits can opine on America's moral decline.

Family values conservatives are spinning the current chaos to pin the blame on sexual health education and to push for more abstinence-only programming, already a $1.5 billion social engineering boondoggle that mandates the expected sexual standard for children (up to 29 years old!) be within marriage. Never mind that most of us at some point explore our sexuality outside of marriage -- even chastity champions like Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), a longtime patron of prostitutes. Never mind that real life proves that a wedding ring doesn't protect you from disease and despair, even if you're not a political wife. Never mind that the United States leads developed nations in rates of HIV, other STDs, teen births and unwanted pregnancies -- purity pushers don't want to send our kids any mixed messages. "Our challenge is that the government wants to talk about preventing the spread of STDs and HIV without talking about sex," says sexuality educator Deb Levine.

In our sex-saturated consumer culture, abstinence-only-unless-married is a mixed message. How can we talk about sex in a way that makes sense to us, and to our relationships? What is healthy sexuality? And how can we teach it in such a toxic environment of extremes?

"We sell and promote sex with everything from soap to cars, but it's still for the most part a closeted discussion. It is most absent in a meaningful way in curricula geared toward our most vulnerable sexually active populations," says Lennie Green, who at John Hopkins University facilitates communication among groups of young African American men who have sex with men -- a community the CDC reports to have experienced a spike in HIV infections.

"We seem to have this Sunday morning church mentality when we discuss sexuality, but when we review societal practices there's a major dichotomy in our rhetoric and what we actually do," says Green. "The weakest link has been 'family values.' They strike out against subcultures they find amoral, and crusade to establish law and order in bed. Even in the face of disease we hang onto old archaic beliefs that sex will not happen until marriage. Our public health record has been trashing that theory for decades."

"The biggest challenge is to be open on the subject of sex," says Kylee Darcy, a freshman at UC Berkeley and winner of the Fresh Focus Sex Ed Video Contest. "In spite of all the sexy messages out there, communication about sex is still shrouded with taboo. It's pretty ridiculous to think that an abstinence program is going to be able to outweigh the hundreds of sexual suggestions I get everyday from TV, the Internet, magazines, billboards, music, fashion, etc. Sex is something everyone, whether they want to do it or not, needs to be clear about. And the only thing that can create clarity is communication."


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Maybe it is time for a national, remedial sex education program for PARENTS
Posted by: Rune on Mar 27, 2008 12:12 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The heart of the problem is that many parents are so freaked out by teen sex, perhaps because they went through it in the dark, that they want to do all they can to shield their kids from their own sexuality. A surprising portion of such parents are reasonably well educated and otherwise progressive people. Until they are able to get past their fear and freakiness about sex among young people, they are not only going to be lousy educators, they are likely to have hang ups about open and effective public sex education for kids.

I don't have in mind a mandatory classroom campaign, but it would help to have some up to date publications about modern sex lives of young people and what does and does not work to keep them safe and on the path to healthy, valuable sex lives as adults. Perhaps some public ads to encourage an understanding and ongoing dialog about the subject could help, too. Naturally, the same faction that tries to kill the National Endowment for the Arts every time it strays into matters of sexuality would try to kill such a program if it was government run or funded, but it would be great if some non-profits or other philanthropic organizations took this on as a matter of public health education.

Just as telling kids to "just say no" is inadequate on its face, so too is leaving problem parents out of the picture when trying to get to the bottom of this problem.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» Easy there, big fella Posted by: Rune
» RE: easy there, big fella Posted by: DaBear
» RE: asy there, big fella Posted by: e rice
» this is very good to know Posted by: e rice
» RE: this is very good to know Posted by: Seranvali
Ruining Romance?
Posted by: writerman on Mar 27, 2008 1:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Perhaps one needs a national campaign to de-mythologize sex and love? A campaign to talk openly and honestly about sex and human relationships. Open, frank and based on knowledge.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: ruining Romance? Posted by: DaBear
» This CDC report was conducted by a Bush hack Posted by: CulturalMutilation
Conservative blather always trumps reality
Posted by: Moonray on Mar 27, 2008 1:51 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is a fine article, but Rush Limbaugh can negate its influence and convince a million people otherwise by simply opening his big yap for a few seconds in drive time. Let's face it: We progressives lost the political war when we allowed conservatives to buy up the broadcast media in the '80s and '90s. Now they literally own the airwaves and trot out their Bill O'Reillys, Glenn Becks and Lou Dobbses much faster than we can generate well-thought-out articles for pajama-clad sophisticates to peruse on the internet. We'll be very lucky if we can elected a Democratic president in November, and that person still might be a stooge for corporate interests.
If we do manage to regain some political clout in Washington, we should demand that media conglomerates be broken up, the Fairness Doctrine be re-enacted and new media rules imposed that would pull the plug on spin-doctors and fact-fudgers. Tax laws that grant exemptions to religious groups should be repealed -- let them appeal to the Supreme Court, if they want. Faith-based school programs in schools should get the boot on Day One of any new presidential administration.
Let's not get our hopes up, though. The American electorate is a knuckle-dragging beast that usually votes against its own best interests.

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» MSM left leaning? p-l-e-a-s-e Posted by: toddcory
» RE: MSM left leaning? p-l-e-a-s-e Posted by: Allstar Cookie
» RE: MSM left leaning? p-l-e-a-s-e Posted by: bittershaman
» The MSM is as liberal as... Posted by: mcstewey
» Don't boot out Allstar Cookie Posted by: mcstewey
Abstinance-Only Programs Are Unconstitutional
Posted by: SkeeterVT1 on Mar 27, 2008 4:13 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In all of the discussions about the value of abstinance-only-until-marriage sex education in our public schools -- or, more accuratlely, the LACK thereof -- nobody has brought up two serious problems with abstinance-only programs:

1) They are a thinly-disguised teaching of a religious doctrine, in clear violation of the First Amendment constitutional ban on government endorsement of any particular religious belief.

2) They discriminate against gays and lesbians -- who in all but one state are barred by law from marrying. What do you expect gays and lesbians to do, stay celibate for their entire lives? They're not heterosexual -- and likely never will be.

Get real! Sex is a God-given gift. You cannot forever stop people from having sex unless you kill them. The time is long overdue for an honest program of sex education, such as the Unitarian Universalist Church's Our Whole Lives (OWL) program.

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Human beings are members of the animal kingdom
Posted by: akai ringo on Mar 27, 2008 4:49 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Surely it is time to remember that human beings, despite all our sophisticated technology, are fundamentally members of the animal kingdom, so it is not unreasonable to expect that in terms of their most fundamental instincts, humans are likely to behave like other animals.
In his admirable book, "Biological Exuberance. Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity", Dr Bruce Bagemhil writes that "The world is, indeed, teeming with homosexual, bisexual and transgendered creatures of every stripe and feather." He goes on, "Homosexual behavior occurs in more than 450 different kinds of animals worldwide, and is found in every major geographic region and every major animal group." Dr. Bagemihl backs up his arguments in 750 pages of text, including detailed theoretical argument and a copious range of examples, including primates, dolphins and whales, deer, goats, marsuipials, geese, etc, etc.
To forestall any misunderstanding, Dr. Bagemihl is not in any way anti-heterosexual. One of his chapter is enttitled "Homosexuality in the Service of Heterosexuality". He is simply trying to show the vast diversity of sexuality that exists in the animal world, and there is surely a lot that humans could learn from this. We could do worse than adopt as our motto: "Look at what the animals do, and do likewise."

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» you totally missed the point Posted by: KaptainSpiffy
Criminalizing *Vice* Functionally ABORTS Representative Gov't
Posted by: BlueBerry PickN on Mar 27, 2008 6:28 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
First of all, let me point out that *all the talk of VD proliferation* is highly PROFITABLE to BigPharma.

At recent report, Gardasil is the World's most expensive vaccine. From what I can determine, Ontario has a happy relationship providing this vaccine (3 shots) to any young girl whose parents don't wanna teach her about sex hygiene. ("keep it covered" Is that SO much harder than injecting your kid with a vaccine-for-Life ?) Let's inject an *entire generation of young girls*... yeah, that puts BigPharma & Gov't in a very snuggily bed, right?

ON A SECOND NOTE:

let's wise up about CRIMINALZING MORALITY. I thought Paterson, Spitzer's replacement, was freaking brilliant.
"extra-marital sex?" "hell yeah!"
"drugs?" "YUP!"
So... wanna fight about it? "No."

I laughed 'til I cried.

The Thieves of Virtue: legislating morality undermines representative government.

really, VICE is contextual:
* gender
* ethnicity
* age
* race

...all pay a part in morals. but VICE, should never be *criminalized*, especially in a nation where PRIVACY has been abolished by browbeating & fear-mongering...

Who is PERFECT ENOUGH to represent THE PEOPLE or a populist reform when there is neither privacy nor the Will to preserve privacy in society?
Who stands *for the People* when Money & Power exert corrosive controls to extend their oppression & corruption?

You've been *had*

Nobody is immune to *vice* as VICE is about how ONE PERSON privately & personally determines *how to enjoy their own body*... Naked Truth: Civil Rights & CNN coverage of "F.B.I. biometric database - 'Server in the Sky'"
...& THAT is how THE MORAL MAJORITY ensured Money & Power will kill representative government for The Peoples who seek JUSTICE, Freedom & Human Rights.

"corruption is why we win":
"Yell Fire!": Bush to freeze peace activist assets? - Executive Order to "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq"

NSA's Domestic Spying Grows As Agency Sweeps Up PERSONAL Data

Diamond Age? Kids, RFID Chips... & Minority Reporting?!: thoughts on the new US Project Hostile Intent (PHI)

There is no WE in corruption

~~~
Spread Love...

BlueBerry Pick'n
can be found @
ThisCanadian com
~~~
"We, two, form a Multitude" ~ Ovid.
~~~
"Silent Freedom is Freedom Silenced"

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Culture vs Civilization
Posted by: purereason on Mar 27, 2008 6:37 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
No civilization can last long by neglecting the cultural aspects of life. Culture can be regained only by respecting human relationship. Since the Govt has delegated all its duties to the traders nobody is in charge of cultrue. Usually in a society cultural values would be upheld by the Govt and the Judiaciary. Here, since all areas of conscience have been taken over by the agents of trade, absence of control is the order of the day. This has led to the collapse of morality, morality can be had only in respect to huaman relationship, not with our products. Priests, Presidents, and the innocent people have become victims of this malaise. People by themselves cannot regain cultrue as their representatives shift sides once they get elected. Now the nation is 'of trade, by trade, and for trade'. One need not read porn stories, read about the activites of the Governors. Due to the encroachment of trade in to all areas of human activity family has been stressed out. The best place for nurturing human values is the family. There cannot be any dilution of that.

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KegelKungFu.com
Posted by: o on Mar 27, 2008 8:15 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
where do i apply for a grant to teach abstinence? any clue any of you? sapping that fund dry would be nice. abstinence through advanced self mastery. Need Others?...that's a great slogan, NO?

i have a feeling that masturbation isnt allowed by this abstinence programing either though... has anyone explored the program? i remember Bush saying he was a born again virgin on the capital lawn here in Austin a long time ago; how happy Laura must be.

another great slogan ... Wankers Are Us.

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Blah blah blah
Posted by: rickiey on Mar 27, 2008 8:46 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Blah blah blah. Rush limbaugh, blah blah blah, abstinence only eduction blah blah blah.

Lets break it down to the facts, shall we?

1. Abstinence only sex eduction, doesn't work.
2. Sex education by the schools, in any form, doesn't work.

Sex ed needs to be removed from schools. Parents should be doing it. There are many things that the government does not, and can not, do well. Parenting is one of those things.

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» point #2 is demonstrably wrong, Posted by: hurricane hugo
» RE: Blah blah blah Posted by: aussidawg
» RE: Blah blah blah Posted by: rickiey
» did you forget Posted by: goatini
» RE: Blah blah blah Posted by: Crazy H
» RE: Blah blah blah Posted by: rickiey
Use the animal kingdom as a basis for sex education
Posted by: akai ringo on Mar 27, 2008 8:48 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It subsequently occurred to me that in my previous comment (see above) about animal sexuality, what I should have suggested was using animal sexuality as a basis for sex education. As I pointed out, there is a tremendous range of sexuality among animals and birds, covering all the possible variations of hetero, homo and bisexuality, and there are few species, only a very few, but a few that do actually practice lifelong monogamy, so they could be brought into the picture as well. You could put together a superb course on sexuality, that I am sure would fascinate students. Maybe, just to be a bit provocative, start off with some pictutes of a couple of female pigmy chipmanzees engaged in genital-genital rubbing (known as GG-rubbing, and use this to open up a discussion on lesibanism. And of course, there's no reason why similar discussions on the vast variety of sex should be confined to the schoolroom; they can equally well take place in the home. And then, of course, discussion about what animals do could lead in, without any embarrassment, into what humans do and what is the same and what is different. And religion could be brought in as well; take up some of the different forms of sexuality found in the Bible, look at the prohibition on homosexuality in Leviticus and use this to discuss why this was needed by the tribes of Levi at that particular point in history, and so on. Maybe on reflection, the US is not quite ready for this yet, but I still think it would be a good idea.

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let the ignorant set the standards
Posted by: e rice on Mar 27, 2008 9:12 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
the whole question of teenagers and sex is yet another example of society as a whole allowing the lowest, most ignorant, most inexperienced, most hypocritical and most frightened of the population to set public social standards.

christianity has spent 2000 years denying and demonizing sexuality. never mind that it never succeeded in enforcing its neurotic fantasy on society with any great success, it still keeps trying. and because right wing american christians (supposedly a minority) have become so important to the republican party and the corporations who control that party, their idiocy is being supported in return for their votes.

add to this the prevalent attitude that it is unfair and even cruel, or just too difficult and time-consuming, to bring up children who are well-informed enough to protect themselves from others and responsible and mature. (none of which are characteristics the corporations want to support.)

let's not forget the number of parents who expect their daughters to be 'popular.'

are there solutions? probably. but the solutions would require the active committed support of people dedicated to reality and common sense--and, even more radically, the welfare of children. grassroots education that presents facts without morality but with personal responsiblity? demand for child and teenage health care whether the parents agree or not? something else?

meanwhile, the children pay for our irresponsibility.

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» Ignorance, you say? Posted by: Rune
» RE: Ignorance, you say? Posted by: e rice
Can someone find this out for me???
Posted by: maddy on Mar 27, 2008 9:28 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I know I should look it up for myself, but can someone tell me exactly what's in this study regarding HPV--the herpes virus? Are girls who have that virus in their systems part of this "alarming" statistic?

Cuz...if that's the case, this is just more hysteria. As a friend of mine in med school reminds me, nearly any person who's had any kind of sexual contact is carrying some strain of HPV.

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» Here's a link... Posted by: MartianBachelor
» HPV and ... Posted by: Bbear41
» sorry... I meant herpes Posted by: maddy
At last, a government sponsored abstinence-only program that really works!
Posted by: Rune on Mar 27, 2008 10:29 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Check it out. The secret is to make it cool.

Abstinence-only Coolness for Girls

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» That. Was. Fucking. AWESOME!!!! Posted by: hurricane hugo
» White gloves Posted by: Rune
HPV vaccine
Posted by: madaha on Mar 27, 2008 10:58 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
As far as I'm concerned, everyone should get this vaccine, boys and girls, men and women.

Sure, boys may not get cerivical cancer, and the vaccine *may* (or may not) prevent cancer, but what its primary function is, is to protect against genital warts!!! Both men and women get that! Hello!?

Why the hell isn't that reason enough? I used to work in a health sciences library, and while photocopying journals for interlibrary loans, I have seen some HIDEOUS photos of genital warts. Believe me, you don't want that.

If I had children, I'd be more than happy to prevent that hell for them.

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» RE: HPV vaccine Posted by: tornadorider2002
A family affair
Posted by: willymack on Mar 27, 2008 11:07 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Prezdint boosh of all people should be on the sex education bandwagon. His own brother neil brought home a venereal disease from Asia and gave it to his wife. How's THAT for an education?

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» RE: A family affair Posted by: Rune
» RE: A family affair Posted by: e rice
Criminal or negligent
Posted by: vangogh69 on Mar 27, 2008 1:31 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That this "abstinence til' marriage" message is being pushed at a local and federal level is either criminal or very negligent. This "method" has never been shown to work, for anyone, and let's get real: with sex being used to sell everything BUT sex, is it any surprise that STDs continue to rise as people get it on in a society of hypocritical shame? For every politican preaching this filth, I just wanna ask, "how old were you when you first fucked and has your only partner(s) been your husband/wife?"

There's a book called The Pursuit of Loneliness which goes into this very American neurosis quite well if any are interested.

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» RE: Criminal or negligent Posted by: e rice
Would England take them back?
Posted by: zooeyhall on Mar 27, 2008 1:41 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Is there any chance of deporting these Puritans we have in our midst? Do you think England would take them back? We need to get rid of them in this country.

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Another Embarrassing, Archaic Idea
Posted by: tornadorider2002 on Mar 27, 2008 2:15 PM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"Just Say No" to premarital sex...Ha! I cannot believe the boneheads in our government see that as a viable solution to unwanted pregnancies and STDs. As any psych 101 student knows, sex is one of those basic instincts, along with eating and sleeping and surviving. If we as a nation cannot control our gluttony with food, how in the hell do they expect young people, who are the least disciplined, to control their instinctual need to have intercourse?

Personally, I like to eat and have intercourse. Not at the same time, though.

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This is a Global Problem, not just an American Problem
Posted by: dayahka on Mar 27, 2008 4:17 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is odd, in a bizarre sort of way, that the most religious country on earth is also the most violent and sexually repressed, but the thing is that sex appears to be a globally taboo subject--all the Muslim countries avoid it; people in India avoid it; the Chinese avoid it like the plague. There seems to be some sort of global neurosis as far as sex is concerned. I'm not sure there is an easy way to get around this phobia. Sure, communication would help, but that is precisely what most people in the world avoid.

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» It is not a problem in Norway Posted by: NorskyBoy
What? There are contradictions...
Posted by: mcstewey on Mar 27, 2008 10:02 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...in our culture and society? It never ceases to amaze me how we are simply unable to connect the dots on so many important issues. People who claim America is in the midst of a moral decline are the same people who love their capitalsim...an economic system where everything is for sale, including sex and our sexuality (as a product itself and to sell other products). Then they claim moral superiority that abstenence is the only way to avoid std's and any mention or talk about sex is going to lead to more sex. Are any of these numbskulls living on the same planet as everyone else?

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Comprehensive sex ed doesn't work all that much better
Posted by: Ayla87 on Mar 28, 2008 1:50 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Of all the girls I have ever been friends with, and were sexually active, four had pregnancy scares, and two had to be tested for STD's. All while they're telling about how waiting to have sex is so passe. Another girl who is a year older than me (21) told me one day, "I never wore a condom with my ex boyfriend and I never got pregnant then, so why do I need them now?" Now she's six months pregnant

The best sex ed doesn't come from a classroom, it comes from watching the mistakes of others. I'm not even waiting until marriage, I'm just waiting until I'm positive that I know how to protect myself, or at least take responsibility for my actions in the event of a pregnancy. And based on what I've seen my friends do, I'd say I'm a hell of a lot more prepared then they are.

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Mixed Feelings
Posted by: Stopthehate on Mar 28, 2008 4:22 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'm against abstinence only education. I believe our kids should be taught about contraception and how to protect themselves from disease. However, I still believe that abstinence before marriage should ALWAYS be taught as the best choice. Abstinence before marriage is always the best choice in preventing the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy.

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» RE: Mixed Feelings Posted by: redfrog
» RE: Mixed Feelings Posted by: Stopthehate
'56 Chevy
Posted by: dkm on Mar 29, 2008 3:12 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Look. The main reason that there is so much lack of knowledge about sex is that the cars are too small. My generation learned everything we needed to know in the back of a '56 Chevy where there was enough room to move but still cozy enough to be intimate. So how can we talk about sex to kids who drive either sports cars so small you can't move or luxury SUV's that are so pimped up with water beds in the back that you can't learn anything?:)

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No easy answers
Posted by: Ambrose Pare on Mar 30, 2008 11:19 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Uneducated and irresponsible people typically do not do well in life.

This is a cultural phenomenon, in which the people are irresponsible.

It manifests itself not just in STD statistics, but in all facets of there lives.

You have a nation of debtors unable to pay there loans.

Excessive obesity because they won't take responsibility for there diet.

And so on.

Screw ups...

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