This is your womb...

This is your womb under the control of a state wide 'abstinence is best' policy.

First, the program:

http://www.greattowait.com/

some their misinformation:

How Abstinence can make dating better

Abstinence can make dating better! If you abstain from sex with someone you are dating there is no need to worry about contracting an STD or getting pregnant. Not having to worry about these issues can take a lot of stress off of a relationship.

Having sex will undoubtedly change your relationship. It is important to consider the emotional consequences of sex. Abstaining from sex can also help avoid the emotional complications of a sexual relationship.

Choosing to not have sex while dating allows you to know that the person you are dating is with you for YOU. They are not just interested in having sex with you. They respect you and your choices. You will never feel used or exploited for choosing not to have sex.

Marriage has benefits

Marriage is a mutually committed relationship with many benefits. A marriage allows for emotional stability, companionship, love and trust. A faithful marriage, wherein both partners are monogomus, alleviates the worry of sexually transmitted diseases and promotes a healthy sexual relationship. Studies show that married people live longer lives, are physically healthier and are wealthier.(1)

How to turn off the pressure

It is important to communicate to your boyfriend or girlfriend how you feel about sex from the start. Be completely honest and establish limits for the both of you. Talking about sex openly and honestly is the sign of a mature relationship. It is not necessary to give in to the pressure to please someone else.

Remember, if your girlfriend or boyfriend does not respect your decision to abstain then they are disrespecting you, so why would you want to be with someone that does not respect you?

Many teenagers feel pressured to do more than they are ready to…stand up for yourself and do not let the pressure make you do something you do not want to do.

Tips that work

• Be confident in your response and follow though by repeating until he or she gets the point.

• Knowing the common pressure lines and practicing what you say before the situation arises will eliminate some of that on-the-spot pressure.

• If a situation feels uncomfortable or "funny" to you simply walt away and stay away.

• Your body language can sometimes send mix signals. Use body language that will get your point across clearly. Stand tall, speak clearly and be assertive. Eye contact is important when delivering your message that you are not ready.

And now, let's look at where the state of Florida places out of all states in teen pregnancy.

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/state_data/states/florida.html

• In Florida, 350,550 of the 3,205,880 women of childbearing age become pregnant each year. 58% of these pregnancies result in live births, and 27% result in abortions; the remainder end in miscarriage.
• Florida has the 6th highest teenage pregnancy rate of any state. Of the 48,440 teenage pregnancies each year in Florida, 52% result in live births and 34% result in abortions.
• Florida’s teenage pregnancy rate declined by 22% between 1992 and 2000.

But wait, they said it was on the decline (another site I looked at said even to 2002). So, when was this abstinence program started? According to their Web site:

Since 2000 the Abstinence Education Program and providers have served 22,247 parents through health fairs, educational classes, and workshops across the state. Abstinence Education activities are interactive and focus on educating youth about the health and psychological risks involved in early sexual activity, enhancing self-esteem and building skills such as positive goal setting, decision-making, problem solving, negotiation and refusal techniques.

The Florida Abstinence Education Association (FAEA), formed in 2002, is a collaborative group made up of over 100 non-funded and state-funded community-based and faith-based organizations, businesses and other entities supportive of abstinence-only education. The organization, which meets on a quarterly basis, was formed to share information, build capacity, network and to explore other funding opportunities among its membership to enhance abstinence-only education in Florida.

At best, the continuance of decline of teen pregnancy rates I think belies a pre-existing trend rather than the efforts made by the abstinence program... hmm...