and I believe that that's the *real* way to prevent abortions -- make them unnecessary.
Teach everyone about sex, and birth control, and porn, and masturbation. And also teach them about the failure rates, perfect use vs real-world use, and the potential consequences of an unwanted pregnancy, STD, etc. Teach them about the emotional impact of an abortion, and the lifelong consequences of having a child before being ready for one.
Most importantly, teach them that they *have* the potential to make something of themselves, go to college, have the life they want, if they work hard and avoid the pitfalls. If girls have enough respect for themselves to believe they have something at stake, something to lose, then they'll have a reason to be careful. And if boys know that with modern DNA testing, they *will* be liable for supporting another human being for eighteen years, then they'll understand they have their futures at stake too.
Teach them about adoption, about Safe Haven laws, about how there's a waiting list of two years to adopt babies with Down's Syndrome, let alone healthy babies.
And for heaven's sake, teach them that having sex is *not* essential to life! People can get along just fine without having sex. Bring in guest speakers who kept their virginity until they were actually ready to lose it. And teach self-reliance, for orgasms and for everything else.
Of course, teaching them they have a future includes making sure it's true, which would mean a lot more scholarships and programs. Just be sure to make them for academic prowess, and not yet another sports scholarship program! ;p |
