ShelbyKnox
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A new report out of the Lone Star State tells it like it is: in the state that gets the most federal abstinence-only money, only 4% of school districts teach responsible information about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Of the other 96%, 2% choose to teach absolutely nothing at all, while the rest use programs and tactics of the "abstinence clowns" including using program materials with factual inaccuracies about condoms and contraceptives, generalizations based on stereotypes about gender and sexual orientation, and religious messaging that violates constitutional statutes.
The report, based on materials gathered from over 1000 Texas school districts, goes into shocking detail about exactly what young people are being told about sex, contraception and their bodies.
One skit titled "Jumping Off the Bridge" concludes: Giving a condom to a teen is just like saying, "Well if you insist on killing yourself by jumping off the bridge, at least wear these elbow pads - they may protect you some?"
Another presenter inexplicalby equates pre-marital sex with post-marital murder-suicides, while yet another compares male sexual desire with a microwave and female sexual desire with a crockpot. Huh?
Texas has the third highest teen birth rate in the nation and individual cities consistently rank among the highest in rates of teen sexually transmitted infections. While governors of 25 states have rejected abstinence-only funds because the programs have been proven not to work, Texas remains staunchly behind the times.
Unfortunately, Texas' abysmal lack of sex ed has national implications.Textbook publishers that self-censor health information to snag the ab-only market in Texas don't reprint different material for every smaller state, spreading the fear and misinformation far and wide.
The report makes several recommendations for the state, including the rejection of abstinence-only-until-marriage funds and the adoption of program material that includes non-biased, medically accurate information, as well as increased oversight of sex education curricula.
