I have been concerned about messages given to our children, at school. I am in favour of schools giving sex education, when it is factually correct.

My criticism might be seen as being over small peripheral issues, such as safety and risk.

I have never been able to be comfortable about messages favouring casual sex. Not so much on moral grounds, but associated risk. I couldn’t reconcile what I read in newspapers and magazines about sexually transmitted diseases, their treatment problems, rates in wider community and the limited degree of protection offered by condoms. (Maybe the old moral arguments weren’t so far off the mark, when you consider the practicalities of the risks involved?)

Similarly, abortion did not seem to offer the easy solution posed by many commentators.

Last year, at Forum on the Family, Melinda Tankard Reist spoke about the emotional consequences of abortion, for women. This year, Dr. Miriam Grossman spoke on the same issue and also briefly discussed the impact of abortion onto (dispossessed) fathers.

Dr. Miriam Grossman also spoke about development of emotional attachment by young women and the impacts of trying to have casual sex, but it getting out of control. Although she spoke about the risks for young women, I believe that these same issues also impact young men too. Maybe to a lesser extent, but still enough that it should be advised to our children.

Her message might be dismissed as being conservative or religious, By Craig Young – 20th April 2012.

She is an ordodox jew. I accept that her presentation is based on her observations as a psychiatrist at a USA student counselling service. She also spoke about literature searching risk, in response to problems brought to her, by young women. She is qualified as a psychiatrist, not in treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. I have generally found medical practitioners to be careful and precise, in claims that they make, even in areas outside their personal professional competence.

The criticism of Dr. Miriam Grossman by Craig Young uses the claim that the organisations she is criticising, are evidence based. So we have both sides making the same claim to support their position!

Their arguments don’t quite strike together. I would guess that Family Planning are more evidence based in terms of their objectives to reduce stigma on groups who have smaller numbers in the population. This should dramatically reduce suicide in these groups. This can only be laudable.

However, I believe that Dr. Grossman’s advice about emotional risks and disease risks is more research based than Family Planning.

Both of these issues are important to most of our population.
I was impressed enough to buy two of her books.
You’re Teaching My Child What?
Unprotected
“Here are important facts you must know about well-intentioned counselors who are more committed to political correctness than to students’ physical and psychological safety-written clearly and passionately by a dedicated psychiatrist.”
-Nicholas A. Cummings, Ph.D., Sc.D., Former President, American Psychological Association

Sure, there is some american rave, but also a lot of good practical common sense, based on honest observation and caring.

Despite buying these two books, which seemed to vindicate my caution, I am not sure that my children will listen any more carefully than they have in the past. I was fairly much rejected as an old over-cautious fuddy-duddy. Time will tell?