Tulsa, OK Abandons Abstinence-Only "Education"

From Raw Story: 

The school district in Oklahoma’s second largest city has begun to implement a plan to teach comprehensive sex education in its schools. According to Tulsa’s Channel 9 News, the district plans to launch the program in four selected schools, then expand to include the entire district.

Classes will be taught to 7th, 9th and 11th graders at two high schools and two middle schools. Officials said the state’s status as fourth highest in teen pregnancy has spurred educators to abandon abstinence-only education.

“Forty-four percent of students who become pregnant or who are married at that age fail to graduate from high school, and that’s something that affects them for the rest of their life,” said Tulsa Public Schools spokesperson Steve Mayfield to Channel 9.

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Oklahoma, like many Republican-led states, has no statewide sex ed requirements for students. And like many of those states, Oklahoma is not seeing the steady decline in teen birth rates that states with comprehensive sex ed are enjoying.

The Guttmacher Institute — a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide — released a study September 1 that showed that states without comprehensive sex ed for teens consistently have the highest numbers of teen births per year. 

Congressman Gohmert's "Wisdom" on Sex-Education

Big Government Conservatism in Mississippi

From Huffington Post: 

Mississippi will require doctors to collect umbilical cord blood from babies born to some young mothers, under a new law intended to identify statutory rapists and reduce the state's rate of teenage pregnancy, the highest in the country.

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Supporters of the law say it offers an important new tool to prevent older men from having sex with younger girls. Critics argue, however, that it violates privacy and will do little to deter teen pregnancy. 

"We think it's a very invasive law to a woman who is already in a vulnerable situation," said Carol Penick, executive director of the Women's Fund of Mississippi, a nonprofit organization dedicated to women's rights. 

Mississippi leads the nation in teen live-birth rates with 55 out of 1,000 babies born to young women between the ages of 15 and 19, according to 2010 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national average was 34.2 live births per 1,000 population and the lowest was 15.7, in New Hampshire, the CDC reported. 

Governor Phil Bryant said, "As governor, I am serious about confronting and reducing teen pregnancy in Mississippi. Unfortunately, part of this epidemic is driven by sexual offenders who prey on young girls. This measure provides law enforcement with another tool to help identify these men and bring them to justice."

Of course the best way to deal with high teen pregnancy rates is to have comprehensive sex-education instead of abstinence-only "education."

Illinois Bans Abstinence-Only "Education"

From the Chicago Tribune: 

Illinois public schools that teach sex education will be required to provide information about birth control under a measure the Senate sent to Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday. 

The legislation is a change from current policy, where abstinence is the only requirement for schools with sex ed classes. The measure was approved on a 37-21 vote and needed 30 to pass. 

Supporters argue that abstinence-only education is not effective and students should be taught about other methods of birth control and protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Opponents contend abstinence-only education should remain the norm in schools, saying parents should decide how to educate their kids about sex. 

Sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, said the measure still would require schools to teach that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and disease, while at the same time allowing "students to make healthy decisions for themselves."

Studies have shown that states with abstinence-only education also have higher rates of teen pregnancy and STI transmission. The phrase "abstinence-only education" in and of itself is an oxymoron. How can you call it accurate education if accurate information is purposefully withheld from the students? It's like having a geometry class where you don't talk about circles. 

Republicans, Guns, & Sex-Ed

Diary of Anne Frank is "Pornographic"

Ohio To Ban "Gateway Sexual Activity" Discussions

From Think Progress:

Under the amendment [in Ohio], sex ed classes wouldn’t be permitted to provide students with any information that might “condone” that type of gateway activity. That includes dispensing contraception. The legislation would also empower parents to sue if their children end up receiving this type of sexual instruction, and sex ed teachers could be subject to thousands of dollars in fines:

The sex education addition says that any instruction conducted under the state’s model health education program must not promote “any gateway sexual activity or health message that encourages students to experiment with sexual activity.” 

It goes on to prohibit distributing certain materials, conducting demonstrations with “sexual stimulation” devices, or distributing contraception. If a student receives such instruction, a parent or guardian can sue for damages, and a court may impose a civil fine of up to $5,000.

Ohio isn’t the first state to worry about students being corrupted by learning about “gateway sexual activity.” Almost exactly one year ago, Tennessee Republicans pushed to strengthen their state’s abstinence-only law by defining kissing and hand-holding as gateway activities that could lead teens to engage in sexual intercourse. Of course, whether or not U.S. teenagers are taught abstinence in their health classes, most of them still become sexually active. By their 19th birthday, seven in ten American teens will have had sex.

Of course we all know that where there is abstinence-only sex education, the incidents of teen pregnancies are above the national average. Some people are bound and determined to ignore empirical facts...unfortunately. 

The Uselessness of Abstinence-Only "Education"

Some MS. Schools Rethink Abstinence-Only Education

From The Sacramento Bee:

...With Abstinence Plus, students are still encouraged to abstain from sex but are taught the dangers of having unprotected sex from a health standpoint.

Dr. Martha Liddell, superintendent for the Columbus Municipal School District, said the school district chose to teach Abstinence Plus after consulting with educators, parents, school nurses and a representative from the Mississippi Department of Health.

"We heard statistics that would blow your mind," Liddell said. "There are a lot of children involved in sexual relationships."

Liddell said that during that initial meeting, both she and fellow educators were "floored" to learn that girls as young as nine years old were being diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

"This is an issue for our nation and an issue for our state," Liddell said. "We chose Abstinence Plus to teach students how making the wrong decision can affect your health."

Abstinence Plus will be taught at every age level from sixth grade to 12th grade as part of health classes. The students will be separated by gender, and the course will span a six-week period...

Statistics show that places that teach abstinence only education have far higher rates of teen pregnancy and STD's then places that have a more comprehensive approach. More conservative locations are still insisting that the abstinence-only illusion be maintained as a viable education method. This will only happen at the detriment of children, who will end up having children of their own WAY before they thought they would. I'm really glad that these schools, especially given that they are in the very socially conservative deep South, are bucking the trend of other conservative places and embracing the fact that in order for people to make the best possible decision, they need as much information as possible.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/13/4910033/sex-education-in-mississippi-classrooms.html#storylink=cpy