Sex Education Gone To The Dogs: Fundies Distort The Real Truths About Human Sexuality

In Singapore, Junior Colleges are obliged to set aside 8-hr sessions a week to cater to sex education, and some of the more religious institutions have apparently outsourced this very important, but nonetheless disregarded segment of education to the wanton abuse of "holier-than-thou" religious groups, whose motives and lies leave many students quite befuddled.

One such religious group, the Family Life Society (with its roots etched deep in American fundieland, no doubt), has established itself here in this tiny island nation of Singapore, and has apparently been quite notorious enough to make its rounds in local newspapers.

Report from the Straits Times

(Article on Straits Times; click to enlarge)

Now, according to the report, Family Life Society teaches some rather dodgy beliefs here, including:

1. Contraception is wrong;

2. Abortion is wrong;

3. Stem cell research is wrong.

Now, if any readers amongst you are sniffing a hint of religious foul play here, you will be asking this question: How the hell does stem cell research end up in a sex education class as a legitimate topic???

Ah, the wondrous minds of our theist brethren apparently knows no bounds. Any avenue, apparently, to spread their "love of God" messages becomes a sordid avenue for erecting a pulpit, government institution or otherwise.

To further accentuate the doctrines of this moronic group, perhaps it would be terrific (or horrific), to slip in a few scanned pages of the textbook published by this religious institution.

BOOK OF LIES

(COVER PAGE: NOT AN OVERTLY APPEALING BOOK)

Dark brownish in colour, the cover page of the book begins to reveal its revolting contents with a rather suitable revolting design.

And there, emblazoned in a rather pale shade of gold, are the words "Celebrate Life-The Workshop". Celebrating life? Not a very apt title for a sex education course book, eh? Or perhaps the writer of this moronic book never had the intention to impart proper knowledge in the first place?

1.


Flipping through, one cannot fail to ignore the blatant religious contents spewed forth by the religious author.

-Why Sex Outside Marriage is Always Wrong

- Same Sex Attraction And Homosexual Sex

Ah, the first signs of conservative, fundamentalist deluge becomes distinctly evident. Homophobia, too, takes center-stage.

2.


Ah, so what do we have here? A giant-sized picture of a sperm! Yes, those worm-like monsters of procreation, capable of creating little, noisy babies! Well, let us proceed and study the "words of wisdom" of these very enigmatic sex education experts.

-"When one speaks about condoms stopping the HIV virus, few realize the size of the problem. The human sperm can only be seen under the microscope. Millions of them are ejaculated from one act of intercourse. Some may escape through flaws or minute microscopic pores in the latex condoms to cause pregnancy thus rendering the condom an ineffective method of contraception."

Well, well, here's a little research material from Planned Parenthood:

"Of 100 women whose partners use condoms, about 15 will become pregnant during the first year of typical use. Only two women will become pregnant with perfect use.More protection against pregnancy is possible if condoms are used with a spermicide foam, cream, jelly, suppository, or film."

"Minute, microscopic pores"? "Ineffective method of Contraception"? Well, I guess that means one or the other is lying!

Now let us continue with this ridiculous work of Gawd:

-"If condoms can fail to stop the sperm, would not the failure rate for preventing Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDS) be higher for the smaller HIV virus and other organisms?"

-"Note: The sperm measures about 3 microns on the head and the HIV virus is 0.1 microns or about one ten thousandth part of one millimeter."

Now, as true science would have, water molecules are even much smaller, at 0.2 nano-microns.... so the condoms are effectively as leaky as a water hose...... despite the minuscule size of the water molecule!

The "leaky rubber condom" syndrome, however, flies smack in the face of what survival doctrine expounds: Survival experts will tell you that condoms are the best rubber to waterproof essential items small enough to be fitted snugly into one because of its water proofing qualities.

So, I guess, this really is a no-brainer: Condoms are water-proof; barring tears and non-correct usage, a condom is the best means of contraception and STD prevention.

3.
From here on, the plot thickens. Contraception becomes an evil act: "Contraception is the deliberate sterilization of the sexual act......so that the act will never be fruitful or open to life."

What the author is trying to expound is, sex must invariably be tied with pregnancy and procreation. Such an archaic, backward rubbish taught in a 21st century classroom is tantamount to teaching 21th century Chinese women the wonderful virtues of feet-binding.

Abortion is also condemned as an act of murder, with several medical conditions associated with abortion thrown in for good measure.

4.Now here comes the epitome of crap:

The author claims that:

1. Pregnancy prevention by condoms:85%
2.STD prevention: 50-90%.

According to Planned Parenthood:

"In a 1987–91 study of couples in which one partner had HIV, all 123 couples who used condoms every time for four years prevented transmission of HIV. In 122 couples who did not use condoms every time, 12 partners became infected.1"

Oops! 100% efficiency!

"A similar 1993 study showed that using condoms every time prevented HIV transmission for all but two of 171 women who had male partners with HIV. However eight out of 10 women whose partners didn't use condoms every time became infected.2"

The Humble Condom: An Erotic Invention Of Ingenuity, & Yes, Safe Sex!

That is more than 98% efficiency. Not too bad for a humble, rubber sheath!


CONCLUSION

Allowing religious institutions such as Family Life Society into government institutions as external faculties to teach secular subjects may not be the best option, after all.

Sex education is an important aspect of secular education. With the prevalence of AIDS and other STDS, it is imperative that our youth be armed with the knowledge to protect themselves. Allowing religious bigots to roughshod the sex education program is a dangerous precedent, and I hope the Ministry of Education reviews its policies, lest we want to breed a generation of ignorant youths.

1Alberto Saracco, et al, "Man-To-Woman Transmission of HIV: Longitudinal Study of 343 Steady Partners of Infected Men," Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, Raven Press. Ltd., New York: 1993, 6, pp. 497-502.

2Isabelle De Vincenzi, "Heterosexual Transmission of HIV in European Cohort of Couples," European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS, Paris, France: 1993. Reported in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42(30), August 6, 1993.