Editorial: On sex-ed., Pittsburgh schools doin’ it right

‘ ‘ It’s really no secret at all that teens are having sex. This isn’t the 1950s. But no matter… ‘ ‘ It’s really no secret at all that teens are having sex. This isn’t the 1950s. But no matter whom you want to blame ‘mdash; or embrace ‘mdash; for this behavioral change, it’s important that teens have an accurate, informative and approachable source of sexual education. ‘ ‘ ‘ At the end of February, the Pittsburgh school board rescinded the district’s abstinence-only sex-education curriculum. The decision was made after board members voted 8-1 to change the policy. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s about time the Pittsburgh school board withdrew its abstinence-only model of teaching. The Centers for Disease Control said one in four teen girls carries a sexually transmitted infection. Clearly it’s wishful thinking to imagine that there isn’t a sizeable number of sexually active teens. ‘ ‘ ‘ And let’s be honest, in our culture, college life is synonymous with sexual activity. To be prepared for these encounters, incoming college students should receive adequate sex education during their school years prior to college. Anything less deprives students from vital health knowledge they might otherwise not obtain. After all, not all parents are comfortable discussing this subject with their children, and some kids won’t listen anyway. Peers and the media offer a poor substitute. ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt’s Student Health Service said it ‘supports and participates in accurate sexual health information that would allow students to make informed decisions. We would hope that all students coming to Pitt have had access to credible and informative sexual health information, but would offer no comment on another’s program.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s a step forward that Pittsburgh schools will now discuss contraception, yet they should take it further and demonstrate how to properly use contraceptives such as condoms. Not doing so limits the amount of knowledge educators can provide. Essentially, they’ll be teaching theory but won’t provide more concrete knowledge. ‘ ‘ ‘ Even with the expanded material, Pittsburgh schools will still stress abstinence as the only assured way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and STIs. Although a number of teens evidently disregard the choice to abstain, it’s right that the schools still warn them they’re engaging in unsafe behavior. ‘ ‘ ‘ Whether teens adhere to the teachings or not, they’ll at least be more aware of and know how to minimize risks.’ ‘ ‘ ‘