Girls' Fertility Chartbook Stirs Debate

[FallingPianos]

Girls' Fertility Chartbook Stirs Debate
By Maia Szalavitz
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, March 20, 2007; Page HE02

Should teenage girls be taught to recognize the physical signs that indicate when they are most likely to become pregnant? Health educator Toni Weschler -- author of the 1995 bestseller "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" -- thinks so, rallied by hundreds of letters from women who read her book later in life and wished they had had such information earlier.

Consequently, Weschler has published a version for teens. Titled "Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body" (HarperCollins), the more recent work has sparked controversy -- and not just among supporters of abstinence-only education. Some comprehensive sex education advocates are asking: Is this too much information, too soon?

<snip>

Ultimately, over her brother's objections, the book wound up detailing how teens can determine their most fertile days -- but not telling them when sex carries little pregnancy risk. It does note that there's a way to use charting for birth control but says that this should only be done by adults and stresses that adolescents should never have unprotected sex.

There's nothing wrong with teaching a girl about firtility awareness. It's worth knowing just for the sake of understanding how the body works - no different than the rest of reproductive physiology that's traditionally taught. Giving teens information doesn't cause them to go out and have sex, if you also teach them how to use the information.

I do object to recommending it's use as a birth control method to teens. Fertility awareness requires a high amount of discipline, and understanding of the body - both of which teens will have less than adults of. Typical failure rates are as high as 25% for adults, and will be higher for teens.

 

[ARealConservative]

Its about time the girls caught up.

boys have been "charting themselves" with a ruler for eons. :mrgreen:

 

[jallman]

I just don't get it. You can't teach them about birth control and contraceptives because it encourages sex (supposedly). Now you can't teach them about their natural reproductive rhythms? What gives?

 

[FallingPianos]

Its about time the girls caught up.

boys have been "charting themselves" with a ruler for eons. :mrgreen:

guys worry about penis size, while girls worry about breast size. it's the same thing.

 

[FallingPianos]

I just don't get it. You can't teach them about birth control and contraceptives because it encourages sex (supposedly). Now you can't teach them about their natural reproductive rhythms? What gives?

if you teach them how babies are made, they're all going to go out and do it!

 

[Gibberish]

I do object to recommending it's use as a birth control method to teens. Fertility awareness requires a high amount of discipline, and understanding of the body - both of which teens will have less than adults of. Typical failure rates are as high as 25% for adults, and will be higher for teens.

I think it should be taught to teenagers but should not be recommended as a form of birth control. Most women have no idea about the details of their cycle and that every woman's cycle varies from one to the other.

My wife and I use this method of birth control and it takes an incredible amount of responsibility to be done correctly. Most people claim it doesn't work but that is only because they get lazy and mess up, they are the same people that claim the pill doesn't work when they get pregnant after forgetting to take it.

 

[WI Crippler]

I just don't get it. You can't teach them about birth control and contraceptives because it encourages sex (supposedly). Now you can't teach them about their natural reproductive rhythms? What gives?

Well I'll tell you what encourages sex amongst teens. Its that damn Abercrombie & Fitch store.

 

[jallman]

if you teach them how babies are made, they're all going to go out and do it!

That seems to be the fear...I don't understand these people.

Tell you what...no proper sex education, then don't complain about abortion statistics.

 

[jallman]

Well I'll tell you what encourages sex amongst teens. Its that damn Abercrombie & Fitch store.

Don't I know it! I am 30 and it encourages me to have sex. :doh

 

[WI Crippler]

Don't I know it! I am 30 and it encourages me to have sex. :doh

I hope not Jallman, I don't think they actually sell man sized clothes in there. I know I went in once, and I don't think they have a pair of jeans in that men could fit into. However, the size of their female clothes implies that I could indeed be a child molestor if I were to date a girl that fits in their skirts/jeans...

 

[FallingPianos]

I think it should be taught to teenagers but should not be recommended as a form of birth control. Most women have no idea about the details of their cycle and that every woman's cycle varies from one to the other.

My wife and I use this method of birth control and it takes an incredible amount of responsibility to be done correctly. Most people claim it doesn't work but that is only because they get lazy and mess up, they are the same people that claim the pill doesn't work when they get pregnant after forgetting to take it.

I agree. the perfect failure rate is between 1 and 3 percent. higher than hormonal contraceptives, but low overall. but because of the incredible amount of responsibility it takes, a lot of people mess up.

 

[ARealConservative]

I just don't get it. You can't teach them about birth control and contraceptives because it encourages sex (supposedly). Now you can't teach them about their natural reproductive rhythms? What gives?

Perhaps your mileage may vary but I was an incredibly arrogant teen.

If I knew that unprotected sex was safe as long as I learned the in's and out's properly(pun intended) I would likely of made a huge mistake.

What other parents wish to do is up to them, but I would prefer my chidren go on thinking unsafe sex is completely unpredictable as it pertains to pregnancy.

 

[WI Crippler]

Back on topic though, I don't think we should even have sex education classes. If we don't tell kids they have penises and vaginas, then they won't even know to have sex..... I actually wasn't even horny until I saw a side cut drawing of the internal workings of the female anatomy, boy those fallopian tubes really turned my crank :roll:

 

[jallman]

I hope not Jallman, I don't think they actually sell man sized clothes in there. I know I went in once, and I don't think they have a pair of jeans in that men could fit into. However, the size of their female clothes implies that I could indeed be a child molestor if I were to date a girl that fits in their skirts/jeans...

I buy all my boxers and t-shirts there. I also like their cologne...that stuff lasts forever...

 

[FallingPianos]

That seems to be the fear...I don't understand these people.

Tell you what...no proper sex education, then don't complain about abortion statistics.

I don't get it either, my parents told me about sex when I was 5 years old, after I asked, but I never had sex in high school.

I'm sure that had my parents not told me, I would have eventually found out from other sources, which may not have been reliable. I'm a geek, so when I wanted more information I went to the encyclopedia, but not all teens are as smart.

 

[jallman]

Perhaps your mileage may vary but I was an incredibly arrogant teen.

If I knew that unprotected sex was safe as long as I learned the in's and out's properly(pun intended) I would likely of made a huge mistake.

What other parents wish to do is up to them, but I would prefer my chidren go on thinking unsafe sex is completely unpredictable as it pertains to pregnancy.

I might also add that it would be okay to put the fear of God in them about STD's, which fertility cycles do absolutely nothing to prevent. :mrgreen:

 

[ARealConservative]

I might also add that it would be okay to put the fear of God in them about STD's, which fertility cycles do absolutely nothing to prevent. :mrgreen:

No doubt!

And if they need a little more tangible persuasion - some well placed poison ivy could generate a decent simulation.

"I'm sorry it itches boy - but now you know" :mrgreen:

 

[jallman]

No doubt!

And if they need a little more tangible persuasion - some well placed poison ivy could generate a decent simulation.

"I'm sorry it itches boy - but now you know" :mrgreen:

That sounds like something my dad would have done to us if he had only thought about it. :rofl

 

[jfuh]

Teenagers should be taught everything there is to know about the physical and mental aspects of puberty, sex, pregnancy and most importantly, I can't emphasize this enough, responsibility. This whole hidden slut thing with wannabe porn stars like Spears, Hilton and so on does absolutely 0 benefit for them, yet these are their so called "role models"? Stupid.

 

[jamesrage]

There's nothing wrong with teaching a girl about firtility awareness. It's worth knowing just for the sake of understanding how the body works - no different than the rest of reproductive physiology that's traditionally taught. Giving teens information doesn't cause them to go out and have sex, if you also teach them how to use the information.

I do object to recommending it's use as a birth control method to teens. Fertility awareness requires a high amount of discipline, and understanding of the body - both of which teens will have less than adults of. Typical failure rates are as high as 25% for adults, and will be higher for teens.

I do not think it will have any positive impact, just look at the number of STDs in this country and we even educate our children about condoms in schools.The only thing I think this will do is create more of those retard myths like "I heard if you do it doggy style you can't pregnant" and increase the abortion rate.Because it creates a false sense of security.Because some 14 or 15 year old nitwit will tell her retarded boyfriend that she can't get pregnant right now so it is safe to not use a condom and or birth control pills. It is something that should be taught at adult schools.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

I do not think it will have any positive impact, just look at the number of STDs in this country and we even educate our children about condoms in schools.The only thing I think this will do is create more of those retard myths like "I heard if you do it doggy style you can't pregnant" and increase the abortion rate.Because it creates a false sense of security.Because some 14 or 15 year old nitwit will tell her retarded boyfriend that she can't get pregnant right now so it is safe to not use a condom and or birth control pills. It is something that should be taught at adult schools.

In bold. An excellent reason to have comprehensive sex education in schools.

 

[PeteEU]

Its funny how some people on the issue of reproduction and sex among minors and young people, almost blindly follow the words and ideas of a bunch of old men who have been "offically without any sexual contact" for decades... and in some cases, never had sex, or feelings probally.

While this "fertility chartbook" is fasinating, it is also not fool proof and requires quite a bit of coordination. It however will be and is used by the religious nutjobs in any religion to once again attempt to subjegate women.

One might ask, why does the religious estabilishment want society to move backwards on such issues, instead of forwards?

 

[jamesrage]

In bold. An excellent reason to have comprehensive sex education in schools.

It will not matter what you teach children in regards to sex education because the number one reason for not using a condom is because" it doesn't feel as good when you use a condom". Because we have millions of people and practically a whole generation in this country who have been taught sex education,have been giving the speech that unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy and STDs , been shown slides of what certain STDs look like on genitalia and been explained the dangers of STDs.

 

[Gibberish]

It will not matter what you teach children in regards to sex education because the number one reason for not using a condom is because" it doesn't feel as good when you use a condom". Because we have millions of people and practically a whole generation in this country who have been taught sex education,have been giving the speech that unprotected sex can lead to pregnancy and STDs , been shown slides of what certain STDs look like on genitalia and been explained the dangers of STDs.

I would love to see statistics on that. When i was in high school everyone of my friends were having sex and none of them would NOT use a condom. The fear of STD's and Pregnancy highly out weighs the "it feels good" IF the teenagers participating are educated in safe sex.

 

[jamesrage]

I would love to see statistics on that. When i was in high school everyone of my friends were having sex and none of them would NOT use a condom. The fear of STD's and Pregnancy highly out weighs the "it feels good" IF the teenagers participating are educated in safe sex.

Trends 2004 - STD Surveillance 2004

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) remain a major public health challenge in the United States. While substantial progress has been made in preventing, diagnosing, and treating certain STDs in recent years, CDC estimates that 19 million new infections occur each year, almost half of them among young people ages 15 to 24.