March 29, 2007

Sex education

Posted at 12:37 PM by Annette Plummer

cosmo shortMine came from Cosmopolitan magazine. That’s right, I learned some of life’s most important lessons not from my mother or my teachers but from the mass media. That was the 1970’s when women’s lib and free love dominated the culture. Much has changed since then, society has embraced more conservative values and along with those a naïve perspective about sex education.  

Our state law, which was passed 12 years ago, requires public schools to teach an abstinence-only curriculum.  This law has done little to discourage teenagers from being sexually active or reduce teen pregnancy rates in our state. According to the North Carolina Children’s Index, 37% of teenagers (age 14-18) report being sexually active. In addition, North Carolina currently has the 9th highest rate of teen pregnancies in the nation. Teen pregnancies adversely affect the state’s graduation rates and its welfare rolls. Teen pregnancy is a crisis in North Carolina that few people are talking about.

Fortunately, Sen. Linda Garrou (D-Forsythe) has demonstrated leadership on this issue. The Winston-Salem Journal reported that

Garrou has filed legislation that will take North Carolina public schools toward that goal and that will address the wishes of the majority of parents, who want a more comprehensive education on sexual matters for their children.

Abstinence-only education does little to protect teenagers from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. As adults, we have a responsibility to make certain that every teenager is given accurate and complete information about sex. If we don’t design a school curriculum that gives them this information, they are going to turn to another source, the media. I know, I’m speaking from experience.

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4 Comments

4 Comments Add yours »

Anglico 29 Mar 2007 7:15 pm

And when they turn to the media, they get nothing worth getting. Sex portrayed without consequences or commitment – and zero contraception.

Abstinence only education is a disastrous oxymoron.

Well done. Thanks for covering this. If you want more science behind the issue, please let me know. My wife is a rock-star expert in this area.

aplum 30 Mar 2007 8:02 am

You’re ablsolutely Anglico. Please encourage your wife to share her thoughts on the subject, we’d like to hear what Dr. Brown has to say.

phoenixdem 30 Mar 2007 5:07 pm

I once heard someone refer to abstinence-only sex education as being a bit like “just hold it” potty training.

SAm 8 Apr 2007 12:23 pm

Hooray for Sen. Garrou! As stated above, “that will address the wishes of the majority of parents,” are you listening legislators???

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