So many people want to demonize Planned Parenthood, and I'm sure it has its faults. But I don't see how these endorsements lead to demonization. They're logical, rational, informative, and democratic. All good things. Education shouldn't be religion-based; how could a teacher possibly explain your religious values. They should be taught at home. But sex education is about societal health: making sure the population understands the science behind sexual health and sexual activity - it's a public health issue. We make sure people understand about their health in other ways: preventing heart disease, staying healthy habits, how to prevent communicable diseases and infections. Isn't MORE solid, medically-accurate information better?
The following value statements about sexuality were endorsed
by the membership of Planned Parenthood:
Sexuality is a natural, healthy, life-long part of being human.
Every individual has a right to pursue sexual health
information and services without fear, shame, or exploitation.
That right involves access to adequate, accurate, and age-
appropriate information about sexuality, including the
advantages and disadvantages of sexual expression.
All people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, have
rights that need to be respected, and responsibilities that
need to be exercised.
It is unacceptable to sexually pressure, force, or exploit
another person.
In a pluralistic society, we must respect diverse sexual
attitudes and behaviors, as long as they are based on ethics,
responsibility, justice, equality, and non-violence.
Information about becoming pregnant and about postponing,
preventing, continuing, or terminating pregnancy should be
easily available; the choice of whether or not to parent
should be free and informed.
Every child deserves to be wanted, loved, and cared for.
Abstaining from sexual intercourse is the most effective
method of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections.
Young people explore their sexuality as part of a process of
achieving sexual maturity; adolescents are capable of
expressing their sexuality in healthy, responsible ways.
There are many healthy ways to express sexual feelings,
alone or with a partner; sexual intercourse is only one form
of sexual expression.
Uninformed or irresponsible sexual behavior poses risks.
Women, men, girls, and boys benefit from fairness and
flexibility in gender roles.
Individuals and society benefit when children are able to dis-
cuss sexuality with their parents and/or other trusted adults.
Individuals and society benefit when childbearing is postponed until maturity.
Most parents say they want their children to receive
sexuality education in school. According to a 2004
study, a majority of Americans favors more
comprehensive sexuality education over abstinence-only
education. Namely, 94 percent of the parents surveyed
believed it was appropriate for students to learn about
birth control and how to deal with the issues of being
sexually active, 91 percent thought it was appropriate to
teach about making sexual choices based on individual
values, and 83 percent supported students learning how
to use condoms. (Sex Education in America, National
Public Radio/Kaiser Family Foundation/JFK School of
Government, Harvard University, 2004.)
11 comments:
I am totally against sex-education classes in school. For one thing, I want to be the one to teach my children about that stuff, not some random teacher who probably got stuck with it as opposed to having any real training or experience in discussing it. And also, school should be about academics and learning english, math, etc. The whole idea of even a health class to me is stupid and should always be an elective rather than core curriculum. I'm almost against just having a gym class. We're putting too much responsibility on teachers to educate our children about real world matters. I realize that there are many parents who won't take the time to teach their children these things but if schools take on the responsibility for these things, where does it end? Maybe we should have religion classes in grade or high school...they can be elective. Kay
I think the health thing should be part of any responsible curricula, not because I think parents should give up the responsibility to teach their kids their values about sex, but because I think it's part of a well-rounded education: part of biology, civics, government, and yes, health. I also think that parents should be involved. And it's true that there are often teachers who aren't fully trained: but if they were wouldn't that be great. Sometimes it's not a matter of parents NOT teaching kids, it's more of parents don't know WHAT to teach their kids, because they don't know. They just throw them some porn or something and hope for the best. Since sex is everywhere; and health is sooo important, I think it should be taught in schools because it affects everything. But religion is different, unless maybe it's a comparative religion course where you learn about what all different religions teach and believe. As long as there's no agenda to convert, I think kids SHOULD be taught about religion, and the history and origins of religions, etc. But I understand some of your argument and I agree that parents need to talk to their kids about sex and health. I just think it needs to be more of a community effort.
I too think sex-ed is important, especially as a basic part of biology. Parents should be involved in educating their kids about sex, but I think it is important to teach in schools as well. Kids should be taught about their reproductive systems and how they function and diseases just as much as they need to be taught about the rest of their body. Think sex eduaction should be a regular part of science classes--it is biological. I had a friend who didn't know what was happening to her when she got her period because she went to a Christian school that didn't teach about those sorts of things and her mother never told her about it.
I too see no problem with religion being learned about in school, because it is also entwined in our history and culture. I think it would be good for kids to learn about the different religions and their beliefs, it might make people more tolerant of them.
Well-said.
I think the responsibility is the parents. I am perfectly ok with them learning the mechanics in biology class (penis goes here, ejaculation happens because of this, blah blah) but the morals and health? My business, not the schools. I'm so close to deciding to home school. And I'm a Democrat.
The morals I agree should be taught at home - but how is health a moral issue? If someone was teaching about germs and you should wash your hands to be safe from them, would you consider that a moral issue and get angry and upset that someone told your kid that to be safe from germs you can do this, this, this? And if you think that the moral issue should be taught at home, than how would abstinence-only classes fit into that, because not only do they NOT teach the accurate health issues, but they also have a moral agenda. What if you're a parent who doesn't want their kid being taught lies from someone? Shouldn't health classes be accurate and scientific and NOT about religion and morality? That way, when little Bishop comes home and says, "we learned that abstinence is the best way to prevent everything sexually related, but we ALSO learned that IF we're going to have sex we should be safe and learned about condoms, which have a 96% effectiveness," you can insert your OWN thoughts on the subject, rather than someone else's: the Church/religion you belong to, if you don't agree with it, your thoughts if you don't belong to a religion/church, how you yourself came to the conclusions, etc. You can EXPAND his/her knowledge based not on science or health - because most parents aren't trained to teach that, but you can talk about how you feel about the scientific things and the health things, like condoms or birth control or abstinence.
I'm pretty much against home-schooling for a variety of reasons, but you do have a teaching degree, so it's not like you wouldn't have the skills.
It's not about absstinence only vs. protection...I'm against all sex-ed classes in school, even abstinence only. Like I said, I will teach my children about sex...and periods...and masterbation. Teachers can teach my children E=MC squared. Teachers have enough to do in school without adding classes that are not academically related. Kay
I'm not saying you won't. Or that some parents won't and that's why we should have health and sex education. I think being informed of health and sex issues is a societal concern. A healthy society needs kids who know E=MC2 AND kids who know about menstruation, biology, germs - all of those are covered in biology and health classes, because they're science. Sex is part of biology, which IS academic. Sex is physical, psychological, biological. Sex education is MORE than just condoms and bananas or abstinence - it's about reproduction, body image, public health: especially in this age of AIDS and STIs/STDs and high rates of teen pregnancy. Those are all public concerns - we as a society need to have informed, educated people (consistently) coming out of schools, to hopefully use biology and knowledge about sex, safe sex, decision-making skills, to stop some of these public ills; like teen pregnancy, STDs, and AIDS. Morality shouldn't be taught.
Students can learn that you think masturbation and sex outside marriage is (insert word here) from you...but they should also learn about all aspects of sexuality so they can be informed citizens: to vote about the issues, to fund research for medical cures for AIDS, to help kids prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs themselves when they become parents. Sex education should be taught by people trained to do it, who have accurate, medical information to teach with...it should be part of any curricula for teachers who want to be sex educators.
Public education shouldn't be about JUST the facts: it's also a way of educating the citizens of a democracy about their civic duty and ways of critical thinking and opening minds. Part of that is learning how their health issues and decisions can impact the greater society.
I want my little bishops to come home and tell me they learned that boys have penises and girls have vaginas, not that its ok to have sex as long as its protected. That's my business. Not the public schools. I pay them to educate not to tell them what to do with their bodies.
Sara
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