Florida attempts to overhaul sex education curriculum
Some Florida high school students believe that drinking a cap full of bleach will prevent HIV/AIDS, according to results from a new survey that has politicians in the state scrambling to overhaul sex education classes. Some Florida students, the survey says, believe that smoking marijuana and drinking Mountain Dew will prevent pregnancy.
Some advocates of a bill that would require a more comprehensive approach in the state’s sex education believe that these myths have spread because of the state’s reliance on abstinence-only sex education, according to the article.
Under a bill currently under consideration, schools would begin teaching about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention in addition to abstinence.
What do you think? Should abstinence-only supporters take responsibility for the growth of these dangerous myths? Is a more robust sex education class the answer?
Baltimoresun.com's 
Comments
Thank God someone in Florida has an ounce of common sense. ABSTINENCE-ONLY EDUCATION DOES NOT WORK. With 1 in 4 teens infected with a sexually transmitted disease, giving them accurate and comprehensive information is the only "moral" thing we can do. Anything else is harmful. ps: For all the Jesus-freaks who will flame this post with a reply, remember we are talking about PUBLIC SCHOOLS and we supposedly have separation of Church and State in this country.
Posted by: Jamie Lynn | April 8, 2008 6:12 PM
This simply kills me. Anti-sex-ed advocates always seem to say that it is the parent's responsibility to talk to their kids about this, not the school's.
And thats fine.
But see parents, then you actually have to TALK TO YOUR KIDS!
The fact that there are teenagers in the world that ACTUALLY BELIEVE that swallowing a cap of bleach will cure HIV is simply ludicrous.
Posted by: James From Hampden | April 10, 2008 7:39 AM
I do believe that it's the government's responsibility to prevent the possibility of an epidemic and that's what teen pregnancy and STDs are going to become if we don't educate our children. However, nothing will ever take the place of the "birds and the bees'' talk so PARENTS NEED TO SPEAK TO THEIR CHILDREN as well as the schools.
Posted by: Tim | June 10, 2008 2:06 PM
Thank God someone in Florida has an ounce of common sense. ABSTINENCE-ONLY EDUCATION DOES NOT WORK. With 1 in 4 teens infected with a sexually transmitted disease, giving them accurate and comprehensive information is the only "moral" thing we can do. Anything else is harmful. ps: For all the Jesus-freaks who will flame this post with a reply, remember we are talking about PUBLIC SCHOOLS and we supposedly have separation of Church and State in this country.
Posted by: Astroloji | November 6, 2010 6:37 PM