Did you know that sexual education curricula in many Washington schools are inadequate?

A research report released by the Healthy Youth Alliance in January 2007 finds significant shortcomings in sex education curricula in Washington's public schools.  A survey of school districts statewide found that a significant number of districts do not meet all of the state guidelines in their courses for sexuality education.  Key findings of the report indicate that a sizable portion of districts, 29 percent, do not provide comprehensive sex education.  Rather, they provide abstinence-only curricula which teach students that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases; or they provide abstinence until marriage curricula which teach that all sexual activity outside marriage is harmful.  In districts with restriction on content, 30 percent do not allow teachers to discuss condoms or contraception in class.

Almost half of all teens United States are sexually active in high school.  One-third of sexually active teenage girls become pregnant before they reach age 20.  Each year, four million teens nationwide contract a sexually transmitted disease.  Teaching teens about abstinence is a critical part of a well-rounded and effective sex education program, but abstinence by itself is not sufficient.  Young people deserve complete and accurate information about their reproductive health, including abstinence, pregnancy prevention, and STD/HIV prevention.  Only when teens have reliable information about their reproductive health can they make informed and appropriate decisions.

Alison Peters, Sex Education In Washington Public Schools: Are Students Learning What They Need to Know?, Healthy Youth Alliance (Jan. 2007);  Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), U.S. Teen Sexual Activity Factsheet (Jan. 2005).