Chastity Belts

January 26, 2005 9:38 AM

In vogue during the Middle Ages, chastity belts are making a come back in Pennsylvania. Get yours today from the Pennsylvania State Legislature in time to celebrate their annual Chastity Awareness Week. But of course, what's good for the goose is good for the gander (NSFW) so I expect all (unmarried) Pennsylvanian legislators to be similarly outfitted. Your tax dollars at work to the tune of a quarter billion dollars.
posted by trii (25 comments total)

That's one way to keep the sand out, I suppose.

On a more serious note, the way this country deals with sex just makes me tired and sad. I have a hard time even arguing about it anymore since things like this are completely nonsensical to me. It's like lawmakers think if they just say it long enough and loud enough abstinence-based sex education will miraculously keep teens from screwing like bunnies.

[BTW, how does one become an "experienced chastity educator"?]
posted by LeeJay at 10:17 AM on January 26, 2005

I see nothing wrong with advocating chastity as an option. Whether it is realistic is another matter. But why shouldn't we tell our kids that it's ok to abstain, that it's really not cool to get yourself knocked up or sick from sex? You can look upon it as a "belt" if you wish, but one thing is for certain - it works.
posted by terrier319 at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2005

terrier319: if you'd look up the comparative statistics for teen pregnancies and STD rates -- the international figures -- you'd see that teen pregnancies and STD rates fall in those countries that implement effective sex education programs (preferably from age 8 onwards) so that kids know how to make informed choices. These choices may include saying "no", but they also include how to say "yes" without getting knocked up or sick.

The USA is at the bottom of the developed world in these charts. It's an international disgrace. And you can firmly blame "chastity education" for it, because when chastity fails -- as it usually does -- the victims don't know how to handle their sexuality safely.
posted by cstross at 10:28 AM on January 26, 2005

See, for example, this study. It's not the only one ...
posted by cstross at 10:30 AM on January 26, 2005

I don't think anyone's advocating against sex education saying that condoms break, other contraceptives can fail, too, and that abstinence is the surest method to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of STDs.

It's the abstinence-only thing I've got big problems with.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 10:37 AM on January 26, 2005

Whether it is realistic is another matter.

Isn't it the only matter? If we're going to pour millions of dollars into education designed to protect children's health shouldn't it be realistic?
posted by LeeJay at 10:40 AM on January 26, 2005

People who loudly affirm that abstinence is the only solution seem to be sticking their fingers in their ears and going la-la-la-la. The longer this society treats sex as something dirty and bad in the church and government while simultaneously brandishing it on-screen and in magazines, the more fucked up our kids are going to be.
posted by Vaska at 11:21 AM on January 26, 2005

The link lost all credibility to me. If you follow it then choose female the image is from Robin Hood: Men In Tights.
posted by guruguy9 at 11:36 AM on January 26, 2005

People who loudly affirm that abstinence is the only solution seem to be sticking their fingers in their ears...I don't think that's where they're sticking their fingers. But seriously, I'm with Bill Hicks: When did sex become a bad thing? Did I miss a meeting?
posted by Panfilo at 11:38 AM on January 26, 2005

Return with us now to the golden days of yesteryear...

Right on Vaska! And as long as something is tagged tabu, people will go out of their way to find out why. We see it with sex, drugs, you name it. All the education money can buy will be trumped always by one's refusal to be controlled.
posted by LouReedsSon at 11:44 AM on January 26, 2005

LeeJay : one becomes an abstinence expert by experiencing abstinence..the fact that this is a logical contradiction (experiencing something that must not be experienced to be experienced) isn't know to a lot of people (apparently ?) because you neither eat, drink, laugh or fuck with logic !

I say.
posted by elpapacito at 12:01 PM on January 26, 2005

websense sez:

The web site category "Pro-Choice" is filtered.

Rather shocking that my company would actually admit to it...
posted by MillMan at 12:09 PM on January 26, 2005

Glad to see that the National Abortion & Reproductive Rights Action League is getting their talking points out via MetaFilter!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 12:11 PM on January 26, 2005

i'm pretty happy to see these people trying not to breed.
posted by poon at 12:33 PM on January 26, 2005

Amen, S@L.
posted by bardic at 12:39 PM on January 26, 2005

cstross: Sex education is a great thing, and we probably need more of it, but is it enough? Do we really expect children to make informed choices about something that can hurt them (emotionally, as well as through stds, pregnancy, etc.) as much as sex can?

The religious of today don't seem to remember that the whole reason the Bible advocated abstinence and encouraged a certain kind of shame was to prevent people from hurting themselves in sex, to keep them from doing it except in safe circumstances.

The study you linked was interesting. It notes that "comprehensive sexuality education does not appear to promote sexual initiation;" that is, that kids that are educated about sex don't have sex earlier. Which means that we probably ought to have more and more thorough sexual education. But it also notes that kids in the United States are having more sex earilier. Why? What can we do to prevent this?
posted by koeselitz at 12:55 PM on January 26, 2005

I can't get married, so I guess it doesn't matter if I have out of wedlock sex.

Least I can't get pregnant, or get any boyfriends pregnant.
posted by taursir at 1:14 PM on January 26, 2005

most evidence for practical designs dates to the 16th century and later.

Not exactly the Middle Ages, technically modern or early modern.
posted by stbalbach at 3:51 PM on January 26, 2005

This looks rather hoax-ish. Can anyone confirm whether the state is really spending money on this ?
posted by TreeHugger at 4:27 PM on January 26, 2005

As a Pennsylvania taxpayer, I'm appalled but hardly surprised. What did James Carville say, something like "Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh separated by Appalachia" .
posted by fixedgear at 4:33 PM on January 26, 2005

The religious of today don't seem to remember that the whole reason the Bible advocated abstinence and encouraged a certain kind of shame was to prevent people from hurting themselves in sex, to keep them from doing it except in safe circumstances.

New testament, right? Otherwise, you read a different bible than I did.
posted by bingo at 4:49 PM on January 26, 2005

Panfilo ref thoughtcriminal Bill Hicks. Doubleplusungood. Possible joycamp.
poon - goodsex production childrenwise.
koeselitz suggest crimestop questionwise.
terrier319 chastitybelt goodthinkful blackwhite Ingsoc principles.

Other comments threadwise prolefeed. Worth pornosec.
Refs malreported statistics Junior Anti-sex league.
Orgasms feelingwise ownlife doubleplusungood.

Pennsylvanian legislators goodthinkful sexwise. Legislation countrywide speedwise after upsub eradicate oldthink Oceaniawise. Artsem doubleplusgoodsex.
Bush bellyfeel Junior Anti-sex league principlewise.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:48 PM on January 26, 2005 [1 favorite]

Chastity Awareness Week is real, Treehugger. Requesting the legislature send you a chastity belt is satirical protest.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 9:45 PM on January 26, 2005

bingo: yes, specifically the new testament, but most religions have at least spoken of sex in shadowy ways. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity have this in common, I believe.
posted by koeselitz at 3:54 AM on January 27, 2005

koeselitz: 'Shadowy' meaning 'implying that it's inherently bad' or 'advocating abstinence in general'? In Judaism, sex is a very good thing.
posted by bingo at 5:29 PM on January 27, 2005