Article: GETTING SMART ABOUT SEX CONCERNED PARENTS SHOULD LOBBY FOR ACCEPTABLE COURSES IN SCHOOLS EVERY YEAR THOUSANDS OF TEEN-AGERS ACCIDENTALLY BECOME PREGNANT, AND THE AWFUL EPIDEMIC OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, INCLUDING AIDS, GROWS. WE SIMPLY CAN'T ALLOW CHILDREN TO GROW UP IN IGNORANCE OF HOW TO PREVENT THESE DISASTERS. PARENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S WELFARE SHOULD ACT TO GET ACCEPTABLE SEX EDUCATION IN THEIR SCHOOLS. DEAR BETH: I TALK TO LOTS OF GIRLS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SEX. IF A STUDENT GOES TO THE SCHOOL NURSE, SHE WILL TELL THE PRINCIPAL, AND THE PRINCIPAL WILL CONTACT THE PARENTS! SO MOST KIDS GET ADVICE FROM OTHER KIDS, WHO DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS. WHY CAN'T WE HAVE SEX ED IN OUR SCHOOL? WORRIED BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID. PEOPLE THINK IT'S OK TO WATCH SEXY PROGRAMS AND MOVIES, BUT THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT SEX. MOST PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE BASICALLY IN FAVOR OF SEX EDUCATION, BUT TOO MANY ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK OUT LEST THEY BE LABELED ''PRO-SEX.'' DEAR BETH: I HAVE TWO DAUGHTERS NEARING PUBERTY. WE ANSWERED THEIR EARLY QUESTIONS ABOUT ''WHERE BABIES COME FROM,'' BUT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS NOW THAT THEY'RE ALMOST TEEN-AGERS. I'VE JUST READ THIS IN A PAMPHLET: ''THE MAJOR GOALS OF NEARLY ALL SEX EDUCATION CURRICULA IN THE SCHOOLS IS TO TEACH TEEN-AGERS (AND SOMETIMES CHILDREN) HOW TO ENJOY FORNICATION WITHOUT HAVING A BABY AND WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY.'' IS THIS TRUE? VERY UPSET NO, IT IS NOT. THE AIM OF SEX EDUCATION IS TO HELP STUDENTS BECOME MATURE PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO MAKE WISE AND RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS ABOUT SEXUAL MATTERS. SUCH CHOICES REQUIRE ACCURATE INFORMATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF ONE'S MORAL VALUES. ANOTHER GOAL IS TO ENCOURAGE SEXUAL RESTRAINT IN ADOLESCENCE. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THESE COURSES RAISE THE LEVEL OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY IN STUDENTS. THERE IS AMPLE EVIDENCE THAT THEY REDUCE PREGNANCY. STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SEX EDUCATION ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBJECT WITH THEIR PARENTS, WHICH TENDS TO DELAY INVOLVEMENT. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE STUDENTS WHO HAVE TAKEN A COURSE LATER PROTECT THEMSELVES AGAINST PREGNANCY. PARENTS WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTENT OF SEX EDUCATION SHOULD GO TO THEIR SCHOOL AND FIND OUT WHAT'S INCLUDED. MOST PARENTS APPROVE. DEAR BETH:I KNOW THAT AIDS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DISEASE FOR HOMOSEXUALS AND DRUG USERS, BUT I'M WORRIED. THE SURGEON GENERAL SAID THAT SEX EDUCATION SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS BEGINNING IN THE THIRD GRADE. MUST WE TEACH SUCH AWFUL KNOWLEDGE TO 9-YEAR-OLDS? E.A. YOUNG CHILDREN WILL BE GIVEN ONLY SIMPLE INFORMATION THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND. KNOWLEDGE IS THE ONLY ''VACCINE'' WE HAVE. SINCE AIDS IS TRANSMITTED ONLY WITH CERTAIN BEHAVIORS, OUR KIDS' ONLY PROTECTION IS LEARNING WHAT THESE BEHAVIORS ARE. IN A VIGOROUS CAMPAIGN AGAINST GONORRHEA, SWEDEN REDUCED THE RATE OF INFECTION BY MORE THAN 40 PERCENT AMONG PEOPLE AGED 15 TO 24 IN FIVE YEARS. WITH APPROPRIATE LEARNING, WE CAN DO AS WELL OR BETTER. DEAR BETH: I READ THAT IN

Article from:

The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Article date:

January 18, 1987

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