Wednesday, May 04, 2005

 

Groups Challenge Montgomery County Sex Ed Policy

Two groups filed suit Tuesday in U.S. District Court to block a Montgomery County health curriculum that includes discussions of homosexuality and a video that has a demonstration of how to use a condom.

Controversy over the new sex ed curriculum includes misleading statements about the effectiveness of condom usage and statements that lump oral and anal sex together with vaginal sex all in one category - and apparently that category is "safe and acceptable."

The curriculum advises teachers who are asked religious or moral questions about homosexuality to quote from Canadian churches that have accepted homosexuality and to remind students that many religions are bigoted and even says that "Jesus never discussed homosexuality." Yeah, he never discussed incest and pedophilia either!

The curriculum for eight graders includes a lesson which teaches that sex play between same sex friends is normal and there is nothing wrong with boys or girls who are sexually active with their same-sex friends.

Eighth graders, folks.

This self-proclaimed "abstinence" program is nothing of the sort. In fact, for bisexuals, homosexuals, and transgendered people, the curriculum stipulates that sex is an integral part of their identity and therefore abstinence would deprive them of an essential aspect of their personhood.

Clearly, homosexuality is part of the culture we live in. Teaching respect for persons with same-sex attraction is appropriate and right. But the new curriculum goes beyond the ethic of tolerance by demanding affirmation of a homosexual orientation and behavior, and in fact violates the value systems of many families.

In the video, which is titled "PROTECT YOURSELF", there could not be a more misleading message given to students than telling them that condoms are 98% effective. The implication given by the video is that condom usage would protect them from both sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy 98% of the time. The youth were told the condoms should be used for vaginal, oral, and rectal sex. It is clear that the video is implying "safe" protection with each form of sexual activity. The messages of the video minimized the risks of sexually active life styles.
First, the 98% number comes from a study of pregnancy rates among mature women (average age of 35) and does not reflect pregnancy rates among teenagers who use condoms, which are much higher.

Moreover, the curriculum completely obfuscates the dangers of anal sex. One of the questions students are supposed to answer after watching the video is, "When used correctly, how effective are condoms?"

Effective at what? And under what circumstances? The effectiveness of condoms at preventing HIV during anal intercourse is not the same as the effectiveness of condoms at preventing pregnancy with vaginal intercourse. The effectiveness of condoms at preventing HPV? Completely and totally ineffective. The effectiveness at preventing sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea or Chlamydia transmission from men to women and genital herpes, trichomoniasis, chancroid or syphilis? Well, that is still undefined.

Of the dangers of the homosexual lifestyle, the curriculum says nothing. Yet the dangers are well-documented.

Studies have repeatedly confirmed that homosexuals are at substantially greater risk of psychiatric problems than heterosexuals, including suicide, depression, bulimia, antisocial personality disorder, and substance abuse. 1 On the physical side, those who engage in homosexual activity put themselves at risk of a host of debilitating diseases.

The MCPS would not advise a teenager to take a train that is safe only 90% of the time and 10 percent of the time places them in a life-threatening situation. MCPS should also not endorse that all forms of sexual intercourse are equally safe when the increased dangers of rectal sex are well known. MCPS should not tell our children to "protect yourself" with a condom when it has not been shown to work for diseases like herpes and HPV which are lifetime afflictions.

I am deeply disturbed to know that my taxes have been used for such a dangerously misleading message. A video that should have been produced would tell the whole truth about condoms. I would have recommended a title such as "IS SAFE SEX REALLY SAFE-----DEBUNKING THE PROTECTION MYTHS"
On homosexuality, the curriculum refuses to acknowledge an increased danger of disease and in fact will not allow parents attending classes to bring the subject up. The school board tried to prevent parents from attending class at all, tried to prevent parents from seeing the video (when they threatened to sue Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, the organization that posted the video on their website) and have done everything they can to keep parents in the dark about their "abstinence" sex ed program.

Although the Montgomery County Public Schools were forced to get permission forms from parents, the forms do not go into detail about the nature of the "abstinence" program they are signing. If it were not for Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum none of us would know anything about this "abstinence" curriculum at all.


Read the Washington Post article here.

See the video and learn more here.

Read the lesson plan here.

<< Home

------------------------------------------------------------------------