Tuesday, April 17, 2007

"Responsible family life and sexuality education" provisions in HF 6 unhealthy to children

MFC Press Release

Group exposes unhealthy implications of “Responsible family life and sexuality education” provisions in HF 6

Group says teaching children to use dental dams for anal-oral sex is just one of several unhealthy activities contributing to rise in STD’s.

MINNEAPOLIS – Drawing a parallel between a recent study citing a two-fold rise in Chlamydia and sex education curricula used in public schools, a group of parents and students exposed the unhealthy activities taught to students and called upon the legislature to remove the sex education provisions from House File 6.

Barb Anderson identified three sex education curricula used in public schools including Reducing the Risk, Safer Choices, and The Educators’ Guide to Reproductive Health by the Birds & Bees Project.

“In the Birds & Bees Project guide for educators, as well as in their teen brochures, students ages 15 and up learn how to make dental dams “for oral sex on the vulva or the anus,” said Anderson. “This is unfit in a public school setting and is giving young people sexual options that are unhealthy and life threatening – opening more children up to disease.”

“Where is the scientific evidence that anal sex or oral-anal contact taught in comprehensive sex education materials is healthy? There is none. Kids who practice oral sex are now getting STDs in their mouth, throat and tonsils. Rimming and anal sex provide a vast opportunity for a whole host of sexually transmitted diseases. More and more children are being put at risk with this kind of teaching,” said Anderson.

Gayla Bell, a parent in the Eden Prairie School District presented research that the unhealthy curricula was on display and promoted at the Minnesota School Health Education Conference. “The graphic and unhealthy detail of these curricula is harmful to our children, said Bell. “Giving multiple sexual options to kids, including oral, anal sex and ‘rimming,’ will further spread disease amongst our youth. Condoms and dental dams do not make oral and anal sex healthy or safe,” she said.