Used toothbrushes,chewed up gumsand education Are you sure you knowhow kids are educatedin the United States?

One of these bubbles shows things kids are taught in some schools.

Can you guess which one?

you have to understand the implications you should wait to be ready there are risks can lead to complications learn to protect yourself with knowledge you can make better choices

just don't do it before marriage it's a huge mistake you'll be ruined forever no one will want you ever again you don't need to know because you don't have to do it there is only one way or you will pay

It's the second bubble.

Kids can be shame victims during sex education lessons: The use of strong expressions to convince kids to follow what they’re taught is a common theme when talking about sex education in U.S.A.These are some examples with links to the sites. * data taken through digital methods, see the report at the end “ CHECK THE WEBSITE The instruction materials suggest explaining sexual purity to children in terms of a new toothbrush or fresh stick of gum:"Today, virgin means not having participated in any sexual activity of any kind. Toothbrush or stick of gum demonstration can be used here to show the difference in used versus new. Encourage students to stay like a new toothbrush, wrapped up and unused. People want to marry a virgin, just like they want a virgin toothbrush or stick of gum." “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Last, abstinence-only education furthers the cultural notion that if you have sex outside of marriage, you are worthless. By telling adolescents that the only reason they should wait for sex is because they owe it to themself and their future spouse, you are creating a link between sex and personal value which perpetuates a culture that shames young people (especially women) for not dressing modestly, being out at night, and being a victim in a rape. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE “I understand so easily … why someone wouldn’t run because of that alone,” said Smart in the video. “Can you imagine turning around and going back into society where you’re no longer of value?” At the end of the talk, Smart emphasized that children should be taught that they will always have value no matter what.. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE And the wrong way, as Calah Alexander so deftly demonstrates, is to tell girls that nobody likes dirty, soiled, second-hand women. So if they don’t want to be dirty, soiled and second-hand, they had better abstain. And if they don’t abstain, they are doomed to being dirty, soiled hand-me-downs whose worth has already been used up. According to Alexander, this is the road taken by many, if not all, abstinence-only programs. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE The messages here are pretty clear: STDs are inevitable (all of the cups have STD labelled on them) and people who have had sex are dirty. The interesting thing about how the Tennessee speaker framed this discussion, however, is that she pretty much said all sex is gross because it involves exchanging bodily fluids. We might not want our kids to have sex right now, but I don’t think most parents want their children to grow up thinking sex is disgusting—not exactly the way to set them up for a happy and healthy sex life. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Pam Stenzel, a speaker on the national abstinence-only-until-marriage circuit, was out in full force in West Virginia last week telling students at George Washington High School that sex outside of marriage is bad and that anyone who has had sex outside of marriage is similarly bad. She allegedly told students that if they were on the birth control pill “their mother probably hated them” and that she could look any one of them in the eyes and tell whether they were going to be promiscuous. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE The Canyon Independent School District in Texas has recently come under fire for a sex education curriculum scandal. Sexual health advocate Katie Gustainis Vela obtained what seems to be a work sheet or PowerPoint slide from an abstinence-only sex education course that literally compares non-virgins to used toothbrushes and pieces of gum — in other words, trash. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Last week, when curriculum from the abstinence-only education program in Texas was made public (comparing non-virgins to used toothbrushes and tape that had lost its adhesive ability after being passed around the room, for instance), it was another reminder of why shaming students into celibacy doesn’t work. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE My favorite story of hers, however, comes when Stenzel tells of the 6’8” basketball player who ran up to her after one of her speeches to tell her that he was virgin. He complained that his teammates often teased him about his choice. “I said young man, the next time your friends start to tease you because you’re saving yourself for your wife I want you to look at your friends and I want you to say this: Any day, tonight, I could choose to be like you, but you will never again be like me.”That’s right—once you give away that virginity you are damaged goods. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE The chewed-up piece of gum is a common trope of abstinence-only education. Sometimes there’s some variation on the gum lesson: Maybe instead of being a piece of gum, you’re a passed-around peppermint patty or a piece of with the student’s ripped off arm hairs or a rose missing its petals. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE The word “virgin,” even when used in a non-insulting manner, holds very serious implications itself. The idea of being a virgin, which suggests being “pure,” implies that anyone who isn’t a virgin is impure. And this rhetoric is so deeply rooted in everyday life that it often goes unnoticed. “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Nobody likes to chew second-hand gum, to drink water somebody else has spat in, or to eat an Oreo cookie that has already been in somebody else’s mouth. These are, apparently, real analogies that have been used. Alexander’s article was occasioned by the negative reaction of sexually righteous souls to a rape victim who complained that these images made her feel absolutely worthless. But one cannot help but wonder also about the woman who, in a fit of unfortunate passion, does something she wishes afterwards that she had not done. (Men apparently don’t have this problem; nobody ever talks about them as “sloppy seconds”.) “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Early on Stenzel tells her audience this: “If you forget everything else I told you today, and you can only remember one thing, this is what I want you to hear. If you have sex outside of one permanent monogamous—and monogamy does not mean one at a time, that means one partner who has only been with you—if you have sex outside of that context, you will pay.” “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Death and disease crops up more than condoms in Stenzel’s tirade. So do so-called ‘Purity rings’ the ‘princesses, daughters of the king of kings’ can wear until they have found a male virgin. As for the girls, she warns them: “You contract Chlamydia one time in your life, cure it or not, there is about a 25 per cent chance that you will be sterile for the rest of your life.” “ CHECK THE WEBSITE Third, not only does this curriculum teach kids to shame and devalue themselves, but it also teaches them that it’s okay to devalue other people. Instilling this idea that what is “pure” is more valuable is the origin of the “slut shaming” phenomenon so prevalent in everyday life.I don’t think a majority of teens and young adults actually believe that someone who has engaged in premarital sex is a less valuable person, but I do think most are guilty of using the word “slut” or something of the same meaning at least once. CHEWED-UPPIECES OF GUM WORTHLESS VALUELESS DIRTY SHAMEFUL USED TOOTHBRUSHES BAD TRASH NO MORE ADHESIVE TAPE STERILE DAMAGED GOODS PASSED-AROUNDPEPPERMINT PATTIES SOILED IMPURE CHEWED-UP OREO COOKIES ROSES MISSING THEIR PETALS WATER IN WHICHSOMEBODY ELSE HAS SPAT IN WILL PAY SECOND-HANDWOMEN

What are the opinions of the involved people?

Bristol Palin

Regardless of what I did personally, I just think that abstinence is the only way you can effectively, 100% foolproof way you can prevent pregnancy.

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Katie Gustainis Vela - Mother

I'm frustrated because children are being taught that their worth is synonymous with their level of sexual activity. Information like this suggests that anyone who has sex before marriage is undesirable, worthless, and disposable

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Girl - Student

Just because I love you, that doesn't mean we have to have sex!

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Katelyn Campbell - Student

If you're afraid of having sex, then you probably won't. But I think there's a better, more scientific way to address sex than saying, Just don't do it. School is supposed to be a place where you’re safe, not where you should be shamed for what you have or haven't done.

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Girl - Student

No one ever told me you could contract an STD by [having] oral sex. I thought I was being responsible, because I was saving myself for marriage…I come from a very religious background, and that's what I was taught. Good girls don’t practice safe sex; they don't have sex until marriage. We weren't told about that stuff. Sex ed was literally a bunch of kids giggling about gross slides and our teacher telling us not to do it. Some of us even signed a paper saying we would'’t until we were married. So I only had oral sex, and look where that got me.

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Kristina Drumheller - Mother

When I was sent the picture of the Reality Check curriculum, I felt it was important to inform others of what was being taught to the children in this community. There is a difference between teaching children about the real consequences of any sexual encounter and teaching them that they become less valuable because they chose to have sex before marriage

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Girl - Student

She doesn't like you if you're not a virgin. I hope people are calling in about the sex ed speaker this morning. Shaming girls for having sex isn't teaching abstinence.

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Jeremy - Student

I always wanted to wait for marriage and I hope it’s not weird for me to say that. They said in class that we should be more accepting of sexual expression that doesn’t conform to older ideas. But I still always wanted to wait for marriage. But at this point I feel like an outcast or something.

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Boy - Student

While her intentions may have been good, her tone was very loud, like she was shaming everyone in the audience. She was making girls cry. There were pregnant girls in the audience and she was implying, if you had sex, you’re not an OK person. The only reason I am standing up against it is so other schools in West Virginia dontt have to hear this.

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Boy - Student

One of my friends moved from my school in Cupertino, CA to Pearland High School in Texas. He told me, "We [have] around 10 pregnancies in my school a year! I was surprised that a different method of sex education can cause an increase in the rate of teen pregnancies so much.

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Christina Davis - Student

Sex is real. Sex has been around as long as we have, and it's something that teens deal with every day. I don't think it is realistic to say that all teens everywhere can be abstinent. And for the teens that aren't practicing abstinence, they need the information to keep them safe.

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Carly Thaw - Student

There are a number of pregnant girls at my school, greater number of girls who have had sex before. And for her to come up and tell people that if you've had sex before you're married, you're impure, there's nothing you can do about it, you're screwed for life... It was just, like, What are you saying?

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Boy - Student

Hearing about both abstinence and contraception helped me make a more responsible sexual decision. Had I not a class where both were presented, a thorough discussion between my partner and I would probably never have taken place. I knew after hearing all the considerations that we not ready for the responsibility.

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Jamie Calloway-Hanauer - Writer and Mother

Learning from my own life lessons, I felt like I owed my teenage son a fuller, more informative conversation than I had. I first taught him abstinence, then addressed safe sex—while making clear my expectation that he wait until marriage. In a culture where premarital sex has become the norm, I feel confident I have maintained relevancy, respect, and my convictions as a Christian parent.

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Justin - High School Student

Your talks had a huge impact on me. I have been thinking a lot about my life and choices. You have changed my relationship with my girlfriend. I told her I wanted more communication. It was cool to hear about her life and her dreams. We also decided to wait on sex and it feels like a huge weight was lifted. Now I have goals, a better relationship with my girlfriend, and I'm happy. Thank you so much!

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Levi Johnston - Bristol's ex

Abstinence is a great idea. But I also think you need to enforce, you know, condoms and birth control and other things like that to have safe sex. I don't just think telling kids "You can't have sex" it's not going to work.

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What is this education for?

It's the answer to the huge problem of teen pregnancies in U.S.A.

The solution is education, but which one?

The debate ignites when trying to define the program of choice.

ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX EDUCATION COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION Covers abstinence as an option,but informs also on contraceptionand techniques to avoid both pregnanciesand sexually transmitted diseases. Promotes sexual abstinence until marriageboth against teen pregnancies and sexually transmitteddiseases. Does not provide information on contraception and birth control. This is the one that receives fundingsand the most debated one, which can beunderstood considering the expressions usedand the confusion around it.To understand it betterwe did a research on the web.

Cultural and political factors influence the rates and the choice over education.

TEEN PREGNANCY RATES The map represents the US issue about the teen pregnancies: the states with a higer rate of teen pregnancy are mainly focused in the southern part of the United States, while the ones with a lower rate are in the north. tpr = n°. of pregnant teen x1000 TEEN PREGNANCY RATES RED AND BLUE STATES FUNDINGS REFUSER BIBLE BELT Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services RED AND BLUE STATES The map shows the political orientation of the US states at the Presidential elections of 2012: the states with the higher teen rates are mostly part of the Repubblicans. TEEN PREGNANCY RATES RED AND BLUE STATES FUNDINGS REFUSER BIBLE BELT Source: Politico.com - Data Provided by Associated Press FUNDING REFUSERS The marked states are the refusers of the Title V funds for the abstinence-based educationprograms: these steates are mostly part of those that have the lower rate of teen pregnancy. TEEN PREGNANCY RATES RED AND BLUE STATES FUNDINGS REFUSER BIBLE BELT Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services BIBLE BELT The Bible Belt is an informal term for the states in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is very influential. The states with the higher rates are in this area, showing how this phenomenon is highly cultural influenced. TEEN PREGNANCY RATES RED AND BLUE STATES FUNDINGS REFUSER BIBLE BELT Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services