The current policy of the State Board of Education encourages districts to take an "abstinence-only" approach to sexuality education. But a large and growing body of research, including studies commissioned by the U.S. Congress, has concluded that abstinence-only curricula show no effectiveness in reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease among youth. A wide range of comprehensive sexuality education curricula, on the other hand, have been proven effective in achieving the desired goal of increased health outcomes among youth.
With rising rates of HIV/STD and teen pregnancy, Ohio's youth deserve evidence-based comprehensive sex education that includes information about abstinence and contraception, that is free of gender bias, and that is inclusive of LGBT youth.
I urge the State Board of Education to adopt policy encouraging evidence-based, comprehensive sexuality education for all of Ohio's schools.
The current policy of the board encourages districts to take an "abstinence-only" approach to sexuality education. But a large and growing body of research, including studies commissioned by the U.S. Congress, has concluded that abstinence-only curricula show no effectiveness in reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease among youth. A wide range of comprehensive sexuality education curricula, on the other hand, have been proven effective in achieving the desired goal of increased health outcomes among youth.
With rising rates of HIV/STD and teen pregnancy, Ohio's youth deserve evidence-based comprehensive sex education that includes information about abstinence and contraception, that is free of gender bias, and that is inclusive of LGBT youth.
Please help ensure a healthy future for our children - and consider the adoption of policy that does so as well.
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