June 27, 2007
Four percent of American adults never had sex
MIAMI (AFP) - Four percent of US adults have never had sex in their lives, and the figure climbs to 12 percent in the case of Mexican-Americans, according to an official survey out on Friday.
"Approximately 96 percent of adults age 20-59 years have had sex, with the age group 20-29 having the lowest percent (91 percent)," the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report.
Eighty-eight percent of Mexican-American adults have had sex, a lower percentage than any other ethnic group.
The report also said 16 percent of adults first had sex before the age of 15, while 15 percent abstained from sex until age 21 or older.
The data was compiled between 1999 and 2002, the Atlanta-based CDC said.
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January 11, 2007
Lawmakers say no to "sexist" chastity bill
TAIPEI, Jan 11 (Reuters Life!) - Taiwan's parliament is just saying "no" to a sex education bill because of a chastity clause some deputies say smacks of sexism.
Critics say the abstinence clause puts the burden of avoiding sex on girls but lets boys do as they wish in a society that promotes gender equality.
The bill was authored on September 9, 2005. It has struggled since then through changes and debate. A parliamentary session that ends next week looks unlikely to approve it.
"To use the law would be a human rights violation," said lawmaker Lee Hong-chun. "For this kind of thing, you don't need schools to decide. This is a question for families."
Yang Li-huan, a former Taipei teacher, wrote the six-page bill in September 2005 to advise schools on what to tell teens about sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancies.
The initial bill enjoyed support across party lines, but was later amended under pressure from Taiwan headmasters who wanted a clause asking middle and high schools to promote chastity for four hours every academic year.
Faced with legislative opponents threatening their own form of abstinence, Yang is looking for ways to reword the bill so it is more palatable.
"This is not to stop you from sex, it's to tell you how," Yang said. "We hope to give children a complete sex education. Otherwise they might get sexually transmitted diseases or AIDS."
Teens say abstinence is hardly a mysterious.
"This is useless, because we're already taught that (abstinence) -- by teachers and our parents," said first-year Taipei high school student Yuan Chen-hao, 16.
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