General Discussion

TM99

(8,352 posts)

77. I was one of those kids in that generation.

Thu May 23, 2013, 08:53 AM

May 2013

AIDS was terrifying to myself and my parents. No one knew at first what it was or what to expect. We didn't even know if condoms would protect from it.

They handled it very well. I was given all the information I needed. My grandfather bought me a Playboy subscription telling me that masturbation was A-OK. Sex with others has consequences. Sex with yourself never does. My father always made sure I had condoms. Now I didn't have sex for the first time till I was a senior in high school, but I was prepared gratefully for all that was to come.

As clinical psychologist with sexology training, I offer sexual education to family's, individuals, and children. We must talk about sex as it is one of the most foundational aspects of our human existence. It brings such beautiful and joy, and it can cause such pain and misery as well.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

147 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

My daughter has just finished her abstinence-only sex ed at school [View all] gollygee May 2013 OP

Where are you located? Is this a public school? (nt) enough May 2013 #1

Michigan, and yes. n/t gollygee May 2013 #3

Those of us from MI can probably guess what general area, too Occulus May 2013 #12

You'd probably guess right gollygee May 2013 #14

Nope. We're hamstrung on what we can teach. knitter4democracy May 2013 #126

I would have expected this from some "Christian Academy," not a public school. enough May 2013 #122

Speaking of location -- this is how Europe teaches it... FourScore May 2013 #124

drx netflix and hulu will check it out Thanks lunasun May 2013 #129

It stands to reason they wouldn't talk about condoms because it is about abstinence liberal N proud May 2013 #2

class title should be Not Talking About What We're Not Talking About eShirl May 2013 #4

The Title of This Class is a Secret n/t gollygee May 2013 #5

Abstaining From The Mystery. n/t intheflow May 2013 #60

Cue Elvis (Costello): Arugula Latte May 2013 #136

That song about sums it up markbark May 2013 #147

What age is your daughter? Buzz Clik May 2013 #6

11 gollygee May 2013 #8

She's 11 and you never told her what a condom is? Buzz Clik May 2013 #70

Well I did tell her when she asked gollygee May 2013 #72

well done! Buzz Clik May 2013 #75

When I was in 5th grade, we never had a class like that Art_from_Ark May 2013 #123

We did in 6th grade ... mid-70s in an Iowa public school. SomeGuyInEagan May 2013 #131

In my 6th grade class, Art_from_Ark May 2013 #132

Oklahoma, mid 1970s: Boys in the gym, girls in the cafeteria. Heidi May 2013 #137

Was that in junior high? Art_from_Ark May 2013 #138

I think it was sixth grade. Heidi May 2013 #139

I might have had an inkling about what VD was Art_from_Ark May 2013 #140

Most of the kids in our town were Church of Christ or Southern Baptist, Heidi May 2013 #141

I always thought that "cooties" was just baby talk for "cuties" Art_from_Ark May 2013 #142

All we learned about was puberty. But that was a long time ago. n/t pnwmom May 2013 #144

Oh and another weird thing is that they DID tell her not to share needles gollygee May 2013 #7

Because these people have a very deep seated pangaia May 2013 #13

Having been a sex education teacher in the seventies, a few snappyturtle May 2013 #20

Yeah, they might as well do nothing gollygee May 2013 #23

Yes. I think if classes taught preventative disease measures snappyturtle May 2013 #30

Don't share needles? If anything should be in the "abstain" category... thesquanderer May 2013 #32

Thank you! gollygee May 2013 #33

Oh sure, that makes sense. progressoid May 2013 #103

'Risky behavior?' Cirque du So-What May 2013 #9

Uh, that's defined as behavior involving risk. Ilsa May 2013 #119

I avoid STDs... awoke_in_2003 May 2013 #130

Well by the time my kid reached the age of 15 I made sure they understood about sex. I am southernyankeebelle May 2013 #10

Heh, I had a copy of "Our Bodies, Ourselves" just "accidentally" lying around... CTyankee May 2013 #17

My kids entered puberty when AIDS first made the news. I talked to the kids, gave them the reading Arkansas Granny May 2013 #47

I was one of those kids in that generation. TM99 May 2013 #77

Precisely what I did. Ednahilda May 2013 #54

This is what I got to read pipi_k May 2013 #66

better than nothing, which is what I got... CTyankee May 2013 #68

Me too. I learned about sex by doing it. KittyWampus May 2013 #84

my poor sister in law had it worse. Her first period was when she was only 9 years old and CTyankee May 2013 #86

Actually... pipi_k May 2013 #107

My parents didn't share the sex talk. I was cluess. My parents had children late southernyankeebelle May 2013 #108

Now if you only used illustrations from Our Bodies, Ourselves then grantcart May 2013 #116

Uh oh, that book will not get you very far for tomorrow's Challenge, grant! CTyankee May 2013 #117

I knew all about Berlin Expat May 2013 #78

Wish america could be that progressive. southernyankeebelle May 2013 #105

"risky behavior" Javaman May 2013 #11

Running with scissors, sniffing glue, all risky behavior. justiceischeap May 2013 #16

I remember back in the early '90's I would say... Javaman May 2013 #18

I remember my sex ed classes (I had two of them) justiceischeap May 2013 #22

I had to sign a permission slip for what little she was taught gollygee May 2013 #26

I'm curious what, if any consequence would there had been if you had refused? davidpdx May 2013 #49

My daughter said some kids' parents didn't sign it gollygee May 2013 #51

So they were complaining that abstinence was being taught? davidpdx May 2013 #55

It sounds like some parents hear "reproductive health" gollygee May 2013 #58

Maybe they think they can keep their kids in the 12th century davidpdx May 2013 #63

"the church community" ?!?!?? hootinholler May 2013 #64

That's state law. Silly, isn't it? knitter4democracy May 2013 #128

that level of understanding and education has vanished for the most part Javaman May 2013 #28

Surprisingly, when I lived in MO, I had been better educated justiceischeap May 2013 #31

Speaking of the American Taliban... Javaman May 2013 #35

I still remember that scene from the documentary Jesus Camp justiceischeap May 2013 #40

That was one frightening and enlightening movie Javaman May 2013 #48

Google Rushdooney sometime hootinholler May 2013 #69

Funny you bring that up... Javaman May 2013 #74

risky behavior--like teaching abstinance only. pangaia May 2013 #15

My first day of sex ed in 1974: football coach told mixed gender class that no_hypocrisy May 2013 #19

I don't know if she'll get any sex ed in high school gollygee May 2013 #29

I decidedly knew more than my parents combined. no_hypocrisy May 2013 #41

:spray: krispos42 May 2013 #44

The old definition of rape left a lot to be desired gollygee May 2013 #46

Until 1974, it was legal in all fifty states. no_hypocrisy May 2013 #53

I'm rather flabbergasted. krispos42 May 2013 #85

secondary virgin dterrell May 2013 #21

I was watching a TED talk last night justiceischeap May 2013 #24

I remember that line... bobclark86 May 2013 #61

I'm fairly certain little Jesus knows mom is a liar. Ikonoklast May 2013 #99

She completed her abstinence-only sex ed? How do you feel about being a grandparent? FSogol May 2013 #25

LOL gollygee May 2013 #27

my sentiments subject May 2013 #125

It must be challenging to teach children on a subject that they must be kept ignorant about. RC May 2013 #34

She said they separated them for part of it gollygee May 2013 #38

That's fine. You should be the one teaching her anyways. cbdo2007 May 2013 #36

MY kid isn't the problem gollygee May 2013 #39

It's changed because the schools stopped doing it, I think. justiceischeap May 2013 #42

That's optimistic. gollygee May 2013 #43

I know, it's odd for me to be so optimistic justiceischeap May 2013 #45

Lol. You want to know what my brothers "sex talk" with his sons was? Xithras May 2013 #104

I went through pipi_k May 2013 #89

I used to teach a college course on Human Sexuality aikoaiko May 2013 #37

I think they called it "Health" class in my school system in rural Georgia MNBrewer May 2013 #50

Yeah, that's too bad gollygee May 2013 #56

Can't they at least say "Don't let a boy stick his thing in your thing?" marshall May 2013 #52

A few years back my mother was with the AIDS Task Force giving talks at schools. hobbit709 May 2013 #57

My wife taught "health ed" in a NYC public school and... meaculpa2011 May 2013 #59

Right! gollygee May 2013 #62

Sigh. HughBeaumont May 2013 #65

I propose a Free Market solution. Ian David May 2013 #67

It's almost that time for us. . . Borchkins May 2013 #71

I just bought her a book called It's Perfectly Normal gollygee May 2013 #73

My daughter brought home a pamphlet the other day NewJeffCT May 2013 #97

I agree with Gollygee. emmadoggy May 2013 #115

question TNNurse May 2013 #76

It don't see anything for just our school system gollygee May 2013 #81

Planned Parenthood came to the school in 2002 HockeyMom May 2013 #79

Lovely. (sarcasm) n/t Laelth May 2013 #80

My daughter might have actually preferred that kind of sex ed., lol deutsey May 2013 #82

Apparently they have abstained from doing their job. nolabear May 2013 #83

I teach/have taught .... AnneD May 2013 #87

Make this public someplace other than DU. murielm99 May 2013 #88

The best advice all sex educators should read was by Elizabeth Smart. She said in some Thinkingabout May 2013 #90

Holy crap gollygee May 2013 #91

Wow! My kids had a great sex ed course (by comparison) WCIL May 2013 #92

So now sex is labeled as risky behavior. What if, as many kids do, one thinks of it as efhmc May 2013 #93

Oh, great, and another generation of PRUDES Warpy May 2013 #94

I grew up in central Connecticut NewJeffCT May 2013 #95

Things are a bit different here in my daughter's public school in LibDemAlways May 2013 #96

If not for sex ed in high school tabbycat31 May 2013 #98

Yeah... not that way in my household... bobclark86 May 2013 #102

I would have been traumatized if I walked in on my parents tabbycat31 May 2013 #109

In high school, bobclark86 May 2013 #112

What a let down and a waste of time libodem May 2013 #100

So... what the hell is so bad about... bobclark86 May 2013 #101

Great example of why abstinence-only sex ed DOESN'T WORK! AndyA May 2013 #106

And I thought England in the 1960s was prudish! xenocleia May 2013 #110

Welcome to DU my friend! hrmjustin May 2013 #111

Someone tweeted a map amuse bouche May 2013 #113

Did they teach her about "Purple-ing?".......... beachgirl2365 May 2013 #114

I remember the P.E class... Lady Freedom Returns May 2013 #118

I hope you complain to the school Ilsa May 2013 #120

only in america Chaco Dundee May 2013 #121

What a cruel joke on youth. n/t RKP5637 May 2013 #127

I teach PE and health. WinstonSmith4740 May 2013 #133

My child's district offers "the film" as a viewing party xmas74 May 2013 #134

Surprised they didn't just tell her to put an aspirin between her knees and pray to Gawd blkmusclmachine May 2013 #135

Sex - Ed is a Joke basspro1o1 May 2013 #143

It's all about Turbineguy May 2013 #145

How come no abstinence-only sex ed goes into the ways the body can shut that thing down after rape? ck4829 May 2013 #146