In Wisconsin, we’ve been hearing a lot in the media these days about sex education. Our state Legislature is debating a bill which would overturn a law passed two years ago called the Healthy Youth Act.
That law required public schools that offer sex education to teach about proper use of contraceptives, among other things. The proposed new law, called the “Strong Communities . . . Healthy Kids Act,” would emphasize abstinence as the only reliable way to prevent pregnancy and disease.
To the editor:
The Healthy Youth Act is now Wisconsin law. In public school, sex ed programs’ mandatory topics now include: gender stereotypes, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, use of contraception and barrier methods, and what defines criminal sexual conduct and all using materials which do not promote bias against sexual orientation or sexually active children or pupils.
To the editor:
What in the darkness of Hades has possessed the Democrats in the Wisconsin Legislature to pass the falsely-named Healthy Youth Act (AB 458/SB 324)? This bill requires teachers of human growth and development to make our children proficient in contraception.
I do not want our 12-year-old children handed a cucumber and a condom to prove they know how to engage in sexual activity. Condoms do not eliminate venereal disease and pregnancy, but do invite sexual activity.
Just when it looked like state and federal abstinence-based sex education programs were set to lose funding, a new study shows that abstinence-only programs do work.
But is it too little, too late to change minds, hearts, and government programs?
I hope not.
