LatinaLista — Since this is National Week of Action Focused on Sex Education, we want to stay on this very important topic, especially since several who commented on yesterday’s post, Latinos must use political capital towards demanding passage of the REAL Act, are under the impression that the programs already in existence to teach about sex education are reaching all students.
They’re not — especially in Texas!
In January 2009, the Texas Freedom Network conducted a first-ever survey of what Texas public schools are teaching students about sex education. They published their findings in the report “Just Say Don’t Know
On the one hand, the findings were not surprising. On the other hand, the findings were shocking.
Just a few of the facts that were uncovered about what students are being taught about sex education include:
Texas students ranked higher than the nation’s students when it comes to high-risk sexual behavior: 52.9% of Texas students admitted to having had sexual intercourse versus 47.8% of the total of US students; 43.6% of Texas students admitted to not using a condom during their last sexual encounter versus 38.5% of the total U.S. students.
A fax from a school district east of San Antonio echoed this sentiment from a Catholic perspective:
(Our town) is a small community, is a small community, made up of mostly Catholics. Because of this, the ISD (Independent School District) does not teach sex education, other our school nurse who talks with 6th-grade girls about puberty…We do have a highschool textbook, however, we always skip the chapter regarding sex education.
In Edinburgh, Texas’ school district, mandates to the teachers say: Teachers shall only present use of contraceptives as risky behavior for teens.”
Some Texas curriculum teaches:
“Sexually active girls are three times and boys eight times more likely to commit suicide.” (Editor’s note: If that were true, then we wouldn’t be dealing with overpopulation.)
“When used every time, condoms at best only provide a 50% reduction in the transmission rates of syphillis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.” (Editor’s note: a 2005 issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that consistent and correct condom use provides a 90% reducation in the risk of gonorrhea and 60% reduction in the risk of chlamydia.”
“A young person who becomes sexually active at or before age 14 will contract an STD before graduating from high school. This is no longer the exception, but the rule.” (Editor’s note: They say this with a straight face?)
“The divorce rate for two virgins who get married is less than 3%.” (Editor’s note: Really?)
“Even if you have had sex in the past, you can have a ‘secondary virginity’ and save what is left of yourself for marriage.” (Editor’s note: Ahh, the power of positive, and delusional, thinking.)
and finally…
“The safest place for a woman to live is married to a man.” (Editor’s note: No comment)
Even a quick look through this report illustrates why young people are so confused about sex and decide that the only way to know the truth is to find out for themselves.
