Mar 31 2008
Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Actress Kate Walsh, who plays a doctor on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” television series, is receiving criticism from pro-life advocates for faulting abstinence education for the rising pregnancy and STD rates among teen girls.
Walsh, a member of the board of advisors of Planned Parenthood, attended a congressional briefing on sex education on Capitol Hill on Thursday, during which she advocated cutting out all government funding for abstinence education, according to the D.C.-based Family Research Council.
Walsh also took her sex education campaign to airwaves on Friday’s CBS The Early Show, where she told co-anchor Julie Chen, “Abstinence-only is not working. It’s a $1.5 billion program over the last ten years that has, quite frankly, failed. She attempted to link abstinence-only education to the rising STD rates among teens by citing the recent Center for Disease Control statistics which showed that at least one in four teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease.
The actress called for more government spending on sex-ed, noting that private foundations and parents should not be trusted sources.
Walsh, whose “Grey’s Anatomy” character engages in activity like sexual romps in the hospital closet on the show, also revealed her take on abstinence, saying that to expect
“everybody to remain abstinent is just – it’s like asking them not to grow.”
Read about it here.
[From me]
Kate, you play a doctor on TV but you have no idea what you are talking about. There is only one way to prevent STD’s! Abstinence for singles and monogamy for married couples. There is no other full proof way! People like her just want to justify their behavior by making God’s plan to sound old fashion or outdated.
What do you think?
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Kevin,
While I agree that abstinence is fool proof, I also recognize that abstinence-only programs are not. The programs fail in their ability to convince people to be abstinent. Education programs have more success in preventing teen pregnancy and STD transmission.
Actually, it is possible to have certain types of sexual encounters with zero risk of STDs or pregnancy. Since the reason you give for abstinence-only programs is that you want to guarantee the prevention of STDs, then can I assume that you would condone teaching those methods as an alternative to more risky sexual techniques?
That’s why drug use has risen… because we have told people not to use drugs… that’s like asking people not to grow!
I think AskAnAtheist makes a point. When we act like abstinence is ONLY to prevent STD and pregnancy, we do fall into a trap. I’d rather base it on both health and moral/biblical reasons. But I understand that is almost impossible in public education.
One fallacy of both sides is that if adults say just the right thing to kids in public schools that they will modify their behavior. Seems pretty self-evident that the results won’t be that great. If you tell kids, like Planned Parenthood and the like do, that “We expect you to have sex out of wedlock, so you must – MUST! – use condoms and everything will be OK,” guess which part they are more likely to listen to?
And of course idiocy like “it’s like asking them not to grow” would mean you wouldn’t tell them not to smoke, do drugs, drive recklessly, etc.
Neil’s last blog post..The danger of liberal seminaries
I’m not naive enough to believe kids won’t engage in sex. But her statement proves what the PP agenda is all about.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
We’ve discussed this many times before. Regardless of what PP or anyone else says, the scientific evidence that abstinence-only sex ed in the public schools isn’t working is mounting. Yes, abstinence until marriage is the ideal, but as a public health matter in a secular society, we have to be realistic.
TIA,
I agree but to she is just trying to justify her promiscuous ways. I waited until I was married and to say that I didn’t grow is sad. Hoping in the sack doesn’t make you grow, it shows you have no self control!
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Kevin,
I’m confused: how does Walsh’s statement prove anything about the Planned Parenthood organization?
Well as a student pastor here is my take on it.
I think abstinence should be taught as a realistic and viable option for teens. I think it should be taught as the ideal and only sure fire way to prevent not only STD;s and pregnancies but many of the other baggage that comes with sex before marriage. I understand that not all teenagers will respond to this but it needs to be taught.
I also recognize that teaching teens about safe sex is not necessarily wrong. I think this should come from parents. Sadly many parents now simply expect the schools to take care of this for them. I also think that the church in many ways has not been open and honest about sex from the pulpit. For too long the subject was taboo to speak about in polite circles and as a result we have had many generations of young people who turned to non-biblical sources for their sex education.
In the end I think it only makes sense, from a public health stand point, for schools to teach both abstinence and safe sex.
A3,
I think PP only cares about making sex into being normal to do no matter the marital status. They don’t teach abstinence. They are pro killing the unborn. Their agenda is sex, sex and more sex and then they will get people out of the consequences rather than displaying self-control.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
I think there are a couple points of concern here. 1. Do I want individuals teaching my kid about sex….NO. I think a SEX class is the dumbest most attrusive thing that our system can do. Don’t talk about it, leave it to the media, I don’t care…but do not teach my kid that garbage while he sits in the classroom to learn about reading, writing and arithmetic. Sex is my subject to teach, That is my job as a parent, and I have certain positions that secular society might take offense to, and vice versu.
Secondly, her statement that parents can not be trusted sources….that is a dangerous philosophy. When my rights as a parent get trampled on because of the governments decision there is a serious problem fast approaching.
And
I always find that these discussions on sex lack a proper perspective.
We’re mammals and we’re biological organisms. Nature has determined that the most important thing we can do is to reproduce and so has given us great incentives to perform the act of sex.
Whether you believe in a god or not you have to admit that we’re basically totally wired for sex. And eating – so that we can successfully multiply.
Somewhere along the line we’ve developed Society™ and we’ve found that there are some aspects of nature that have to take a back seat for the benefit of society. One of these is sex that might cause children to be brought up in an unstable family unit. Another is that there are other organisms that greatly benefit by spreading when we have close physical contact with other people and sex is about as close as you get. Society doesn’t do well if diseases are able to easily spread and so it’s a good thing to have limited sexual contact.
Sex is a Very Good Thing but we’ve developed a set of primitive taboos as a way of restricting our instincts for the betterment of our society which is of a huge benefit in the long run.
The point I’m trying to make here is that often we can’t see past the immediate enshrined issues – these taboos – that surround us and that sometimes this lack of perspective doesn’t help when we find exceptions to the rule. It’s commonly called narrow-mindedness.
See sex for what it really is and then think about where it fits into our lives along with what its benefits and dangers really are. And see taboos for what they really are.
Damian,
I agree sex is a good thing because God created it. So we should have sex under the guidelines He gave us and that is in marriage.
The only way to truly prevent unwanted pregnancies and STD’s is to have sex in a monogamous marriage relationship.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Kevin. That’s great that you believe that God created sex and gave you guidelines. Lots of other people around the world also believe that their gods have done the same for them. I believe that your belief is a set of taboos that have combined as a religion and that this stops you from being able to see past the fact that they are just taboos created by humans as an important part of building a society. I believe that you think your taboos are the right ones just like all the other people in the world think that their particular taboos are the only right ones.
You say that “The only way to truly prevent unwanted pregnancies and STD’s is to have sex in a monogamous marriage relationship” but that’s not really true now is it? And this isn’t really what your objection is all about.
You can have unwanted pregnancies within a marriage. You can even sexually transmit diseases within a marriage. If unwanted pregnancies and STDs were your primary concern why aren’t you either advocating total abstinence (even in marriage – use IVF for the purpose of reproduction) or better contraceptive technologies?
Travel in airplanes spreads disease. Letting your children play with other children spreads disease. Where are your blog posts about the dangers of kindergartens or flying? Where are your blog posts about the need for more research in contraceptive technologies?
No, your beef is with some taboo that you’ve gleaned from a nomadic desert tribe and added to yourself. You speak of these ‘agendas’ that people have. Perhaps you think everyone else has an agenda because you’re subconsciously aware of your own. Don’t hide behind your false concern for the spread of disease and unwanted pregnancy.
Damian,
How is it not true? Condoms break, leak and junk. We don’t need more technology we need to obey God. What you want is to do whatever you want. We have to have guidelines. We have to have a standard. If we don’t we will have people doing whatever makes them feel good. What if that is murder? What if that is rape? Where does it stop?
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Kevin, you didn’t even read my post did you? You got to the second paragraph and replied straight away didn’t you?
Hehe. But then you altered your response which makes my last comment look really out of line.
Damian’s last blog post..Infidel – by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Oh stop it Kevin.
Talk about a strawman argument.
Damian’s last blog post..Infidel – by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
No Damian,
I read it all. The problem with those who don’t believe in God or are angry at Him want to do whatever makes them feel good. If you think about it, it is selfish. Self-control is needed in everything whether it is sex, lying, cheating or whatever.
How is it a strawman argument? Who decides your standards? How do you know if you are doing right or wrong? Man is imperfect and incapable of doing it on our own.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
I am humbled and I stand in utter awe of your blinding ignorance.
It’s a strawman argument because you turned away my reasonable questions (which you didn’t even attempt to answer) by introducing a completely unrelated argument. A strawman if you will.
Now go back to comment #13 and find where the question marks are and try to address my questions rather than deviously building strawmen.
Damian said,
What haven’t I answered? monogamy is the only way to truly prevent STD’s. Rubbers break and leak.
I could care less about airplanes and kindergartens. You are grasping at straws. I’m not going to answer questions that make no sense.
Tell me one method other than abstinence that “guarantees” no STD’s.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Damian actually said,
Damian then went on to say,
Damian,
I’m not hiding behind anything. Unwanted pregnancies in marriage happen all of the time. Does that mean the baby doesn’t matter? For that matter, unplanned babies out of marriage are important to God just as much.
What you and unbelievers do in your sex life is none of my business. But I don’t want some actress talking to me about what sex is designed for etc… This whole post had to do with her demeaning attitude towards those of us who want to live a pure sexual lifestyle. Kate is an adult and can chose to do whatever she wants. But to say that those of us who have sex only with our spouses and wait until after marriage means we haven’t grown is crazy. I’ve grown a lot in my life. Why should it upset other people that I chose to live according to God’s standards. I’m not forcing them on you.
I have no beef with you or anyone else. You can chose to believe what you want. I can’t change your mind. That is up to God.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Actress Kate Walsh Blames STD Rise on Abstinence Education
Kevin said,
Kevin also said,
You see? You pretend that you are concerned about unwanted pregnancies and STDs when it suits your argument but it’s not your real agenda. If it were you would be blogging about stopping children from playing with each other in an effort to stop the spread of disease and better contraceptives. but you aren’t.
Following on from that you said,
Here is another example of a strawman (or at least the introduction of one). You raise the question as if someone had said something about babies not mattering but nothing of the sort was said. (and it’s here that I predict that you are tempted to build a further strawman about abortion – just thought I’d pre-empt that one).
How are we meant to get anywhere if you keep building strawmen?
Damian,
The problem is you say I don’t care but that is not true. Just because I don’t agree with your solution doesn’t mean I don’t care. I am very concerned about unwanted pregnancies. I’m concerned about STD’s too. I never said we shouldn’t warn those who are going to participate in unsafe sexual practices shouldn’t learn “safer” practices. They should.
But the only full proof way is to abstain before marriage and within a marriage only have sex with your spouse. That is the only way to guarantee their will be no STDs.
I’m sorry if I don’t meet the concern you think I should have. I respect your view but I don’t agree. But I’m not calling your ideas stupid or “straw.” I would expect the same from you.
Kevin Bussey’s last blog post..Gorbachev Dispels ‘Closet Christian’ Rumors; Says He is Atheist
Hey, I had abstinence-only education in Arizona. It doesn’t work. I never learned about specific STDs (only “sex gives you them”) or how to put on a condom (only “if you are a bad person, you’ll be needing these”) until I took a voluntary class about it in college.
As a result, I had unprotected sex in high school and caught HPV. I had no idea that HPV existed or what the chances were of getting it. If I had known that you can get Herpes even with protection, I probably would have been too afraid to have sex
Abstinence-only education taught me (falsely, I now realize) that only bad girls carry condoms, and if you have them, boys will assume that you are a slut.
Christa’s last blog post..Knowledge is Power