I... wha????

[kelliem]

Survey: Fla. Teens Believe Drinking Bleach Will Prevent HIV, Some Teens Also Believe Mountain Dew Will Stop Pregnancy

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A recent survey that found some Florida teens believe drinking a cap of bleach will prevent HIV and a shot of Mountain Dew will stop pregnancy has prompted lawmakers to push for an overhaul of sex education in the state. The survey showed that Florida teens also believe that smoking marijuana will prevent a person from getting pregnant. State lawmakers said the myths are spreading because of Florida's abstinence-only sex education. They are proposing a bill that would require a more comprehensive approach, the report said. It would still require teaching abstinence but students would also learn about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention. The bill just passed its first vote in a committee.

I just... have no words. None.

Comments

[grey853.livejournal.com]

Believe me, ignorance is alive and well in the high schools. It's always been rampant, but in the years since this present administration has restricted teaching sex education and access to any kind of planned parenthood information, I'm not the least bit surprised.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

I knew there was a lot of ignorance, but the bleach thing... that could do serious damage!!

[grey853.livejournal.com]

Even when the information is there, on the internet, in books, it's funny how kids would much rather listen to other kids and the whole host of ignorant types who out there doing their best to spread misinformation.

[imkalena.livejournal.com]

Even if they put the capful of bleach where it was likely to do the most good . . .

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

!!! ::crosses legs in empathy:::

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Wow. Our generation's myth was douching with Coca-Cola; this one sounds a little more dangerous, eh?

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

No kidding!

[madripoor-rose.livejournal.com]

What's scarier is the kids I've seen who said that the only place they learned anything about sex was fanfic.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Well, at least there they *might* learn about lube and condoms.

[shiningmoon.livejournal.com]

If you'd posted this yesterday, I'd've thought it an April Fool's joke.

This is freaking SCARY.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

I thought it was one the first time I read it, too. ::shakes head::

[cattraine.livejournal.com]

Love how the bible belt maintains its Cloak of Ignorance at the cost of its children.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

It just amazes me that people would rather their kids DIED than get any sex education.

[stellarmeadow.livejournal.com]

And people continue to fight the idea that abstinence-only doesn't work. *shakes head* (Did you see last week's Eli Stone?)

Then again, this is Florida. They're about to cut the funding for their entire National Board Certification program, and with it the biggest incentives for improvements for teachers, when they need qualified teachers the most.

Oy.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Oy is right. (And no, that's not a show I watch. What happened?)

[stellarmeadow.livejournal.com]

It dealt with the abstinence only policy at a high school - a student protested by playing I Want Your Sex during an abstinence only class. It's a good show. :)

[vsee.livejournal.com]

Ok, seriously, are there any kids anywhere stupid enough to drink bleach to prevent HIV or for any other reason? I mean, come on. I think abstinence only ed is a travesty, but I wonder if someone was pulling the researcher's leg here.

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I absolutely believe that there are kids out there dumb enough to drink bleach.

[aukestrel.livejournal.com]

I bet they still teach driver's ed...

[kelliem.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah. 'cause that's so important in comparison... :P

[stellarmeadow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but have you driven in Florida lately? They don't teach that very well, either....