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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Education done right

The Spokesman-Review

Washington state Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, told fellow legislators last week that she once thought girls could get pregnant just by sleeping next to boys. Dickerson grew up in the 1950s, and sex education classes then tended toward euphemisms and coyness. That environment was fertile ground for myths about sexual activity.

Here we are in the enlightened 21st century, and myths still abound. At TeenGrowth.com, a Web site developed by pediatricians and adolescent-medicine specialists, young people can ask questions. One teen wondered if her boyfriend was correct that she couldn’t get pregnant until they’d had sex a few times, because a “body that is new to sex will reject sperm.” Another teen asked for the names of the herbs you can take in the morning so you don’t get pregnant.

Factual and straightforward information about sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases was desperately needed 50 years ago and it’s still needed today. So it’s good news that the Legislature last week approved a measure that requires schools to take a comprehensive approach to sex-ed courses. Abstinence must be discussed, but abstinence-only curricula are out. Parents, however, retain the right to opt their children out of these classes.

The debate in the Legislature was an emotional one, mirroring the larger societal debate. If you give young people information about contraceptives does it encourage sexual behavior? If you keep information from them, does it needlessly expose them to risks associated with teen sex?

One in five adolescents will have sex before the age of 15, according to the American Psychological Association. And based on 15 years of research, the APA concluded that “comprehensive sexuality education programs for youth that encourage abstinence, promote appropriate condom use, and teach sexual communication skills reduce HIV-risk behavior and also delay the onset of sexual intercourse.”

The legislative action was sound. But the controversy – or the work – won’t end here. Respect needs to be the watchword as this legislation is put into practice, including for parents who opt out for their children. And sex education curricula should be monitored for quality. A January 2007 Healthy Youth Alliance survey of statewide programs found teacher training varied widely, and 44 percent of the districts surveyed use out-of-date curriculum material.

There’s no bliss in ignorance. The comprehensive approach to sex education should go a long way in helping young people understand the sometimes-lifesaving differences between sexual fact and myth.