What could be simpler than that? Then why isn't it as simple as that? What the heck is wrong with us, the collective we? Safety belts save lives and yet some of us still drive around not wearing them. Smoking is bad for you but some of us continue to puff away like a chimney. We make unhealthy choices then wonder why we suffer from bad health. And here, we end up with unwanted pregnancies or worse we get diseases: some curable, some not curable, and some fatal. If poking ourselves in the eye with a pencil hurts like hell, why do we continue to do it? Are we, for lack of a better term, goddamn crazy?
The religious far right promotes the idea that abstinence is the only way of protecting ourselves from unwanted pregnancies and disease. If I never drive a car, I don't have to worry about wearing a seat belt. But just like we want to drive, we want to have sex. Can we face up to the facts? Abstinence doesn't work. I, for one, no matter how hard I try, can't abstain from driving a car. I've taken the pledge; I'm wearin' the ring but so help me God, I'm a weak man and I just keep getting behind the wheel.
So instead of continuing to work with abstinence, an idea which does not work and I have a zillion facts to back me up, let's move to an idea which is more promising from a practical point of view. Society can't take away my desire to drive; therefore I am going to drive. Society can't take away my libido, therefore I am going to try and have sex. Never mind fluoride, maybe the authorities should be putting Depo-Provera in the water. Ha, ha. (Wikipedia: Chemical castration)
The Facts
According to UNAIDS.Org, there are 33 million on the planet currently living with HIV (2009). The same report estimates that in 2009, 1.8 million died from AIDS.
In the United States, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 18,000 people die each year from AIDS.
UNAIDS reports that world-wide, there were 2,200,000 adults newly infected with the disease in 2009.
The CDC reports in its key findings for 2008:
Chlamydia
Chlamydia remains the most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States. There were more than 1.2 million cases of chlamydia (1,210,523) reported to CDC in 2008, an increase from the 1.1 million cases reported in 2007. Women, especially young and minority women are hardest hit by chlamydia.
Gonorrhea
There were 336,742 reported cases of gonorrhea in 2008, a slight decline from 2007 (355,991 cases), making gonorrhea the second most commonly reported infectious disease in the United States. For the eighth consecutive year, gonorrhea rates among women and men were similar.
Syphilis
In 2008, there were 13,500 reported cases of primary and secondary (P&S) syphilis—the most infectious stages of the disease—the highest number of cases since 1995 and an increase over 2007 (11,466 cases). The majority of reported syphilis cases in the United States continue to be among MSM (men who have sex with men).
The CDC reports in its key findings for 2008:
Adolescent girls and young women are especially hard hit by these two diseases [chlamydia and gonorrhea]... This likely reflects a combination of factors, including biological differences that place females at greater risk for STDs than males, as well as higher STD screening rates among young women.
In a January 2012 report, the Guttmacher Institute states:
About half (49%) of the 6.7 million pregnancies in the United States each year (3.2 million) are unintended.
Abstinence works?
Open Salon - Aug 16/2011
Rick Perry's Texas Leaves Much to be Desired by Ryan Ebersole
Not surprisingly, Perry clings to abstinence-only sexual education for Texas students. Despite evidence to the contrary, Perry claims that "abstinence works," citing his "personal life" as evidence. By 2009, over 94 percent of Texas school districts had adopted abstinence-only sexual education. This education included curriculum emphasizing that birth control is ineffective, contrary to the facts. These programs combine an overemphasis on sexually transmitted diseases and death with Christian views of morality. Many public school districts use handouts containing Bible verses as part of their sexual education.
What are the results? Texas has the third highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. In fact, pregnancy rates under Perry have skyrocketed, and are now over 50 percent higher than the national average. Even more alarming: Texas has the highest teen repeat pregnancy rate as well as the third highest rate of youths with HIV.
[Politicians are well known for fudging the facts but even if half of what Mr. Ebersole has said is true, is Rick Perry not lying?]
Uploaded by condomunity on Jan 28, 2010
AIDES Graffiti - Protégez Vous
The new video done by AIDES France is a creative short about a girl and restroom graffities. All video credits and sincere thanks to TBWA France.
[Note: There is no dialogue, just images, so this makes the message universal.]
Final Word
Aren't "the facts" enough to scare the bejesus out of ya? What awaits your kids when they walk out the door? Are they going to make the right choices? But never making the right choices, do they even know what the right choices are in the first place? Ignorance is not always bliss.
Drive a car? Wear a seat belt. Yes, if we didn't drive cars we wouldn't need to wear a seat belt, but nobody is going to stop this boy from driving a car. Going to have sex? Wear a condom. Yes, if we don't have sex we don't have to wear a condom, but nobody is going to stop this boy... well, you get the idea. Stop the insanity! (Where is Susan Powter when you need her?)
How 'bout we all use a little f**kin' common sense? And how 'bout we use a little common sense f**kin'?
References
WordReference: zizi
masculine noun willy (familier) GB, wiener (familier) US, penis.
AIDES France
Campagne 2010: Zizi graffiti
Un zizi, né d’un coup de crayon sur la porte de WC, tombe sous le charme d’une zézette… mais ses assauts sont loin d’être payés de retour : tous les graffitis féminins fuient à son approche. De cuvette en tuyau, Zizi traîne sa dégaine éplorée jusqu’à croiser le crayon d’une vraie jeune fille en train de se remaquiller dans les toilettes.
Le prenant en pitié, elle lui dessine un préservatif… qui ne manque pas d’attirer immédiatement tous les graffiti féminins alentour.
Il n’est pas question ici de discours alarmistes et morbides. Ce film est une ode au sexe joyeux, à condition qu’il soit protégé.
Façon de rappeler également aux garçons que la capote peut aussi être un facteur de séduction.
[The following translation came from Google with a few touch-ups by yours truly. Maybe not the best idiomatic rendering but hopefully you get the meaning. Hmmm, what's a funny word for zézette?]
A willy, born a stroke of a pen on the door of toilet, falls under the spell of a lovebox ... but his attacks are far from being paid back: all female graffiti flee at his approach. Willy walks about dejected until he meets the pencil of a real girl trying to do her makeup.
Out of pity, she draws a condom ... which does not fail to attract female graffiti immediately all around.
There is no question here of being alarmist and morbid. This film is an ode to sex happy, provided it is protected.
So also remind the boys that a condom can also be a part of seduction.
my blog: Condoms don't work. Okay, how 'bout a baggie?
A condom has a 14% failure rate. Would you get on an airplane if there was a 14% chance you were going to end up plummeting to earth? More than likely you wouldn't get on a plane. Therefore it stands to reason you should also be abstaining from sex.
my blog: Rick Perry and Sex Education: Abstinence works!
Don't have sex. It's so obvious. It's so logical. Why are we even talking? Don't have sex and you don't get pregnant. Don't have sex and you don't get an STD. Don't have sex and you don't get AIDS. What's not to get about this?
Wikipedia: Advocates for Youth
Advocates for Youth is a nonprofit organization and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., USA, dedicated to sexuality education, the prevention of HIV and of sexually transmitted disease, teenage pregnancy prevention, youth access to condoms and contraception (including emergency contraception), equality for LGBT youth, and youth participation. In addition, Advocates for Youth sponsors media campaigns and other forms of outreach which attempt to change societal norms to be more understanding of, accepting, of, and responsible about youth sexuality.
Advocates for Youth - Sept 2009
Comprehensive Sex Education: Research and Results
The Obama administration’s proposed budget for FY10 removed the streams of funding for abstinence-only programs, and created funding for programs which have been proven effective at reducing teen pregnancy, delaying sexual activity, or increasing contraceptive use. Not surprisingly, it is comprehensive sex education programs which help youth remain healthy and avoid negative sexual health outcomes.
Wikipedia: Guttmacher Insitute
The Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization which works to advance reproductive health including abortion rights.
The Guttmacher Institute: Pregnancy
2012-10-06
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