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Democrats Say Texas Sex Education Law Inadequate
A group of Democrats who say the state’s current sex education law is inadequate are filing legislation that they say would give teenagers complete medically accurate and age-appropriate information.
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3 Comments 
AUSTIN (March 2, 2009)--A group of Democratic state lawmakers is working to change Texas' sex education law that now leans toward abstinence-only instruction.
Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston and Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio have introduced legislation they say would give teenagers complete, medically accurate and age-appropriate information. ‘
It would change current law that requires more attention to be devoted to abstinence than to any other behavior.
The lawmakers said Monday that sex education is inconsistent around the state.
Some conservatives have voiced concern about changing the system, but the Democrats stressed Monday their proposal would let families opt out if they didn't want their children to receive instruction.
A study of sexual education in Texas released last week claims the state heavily relies on abstinence-only programs littered with errors, mistruths, distortions and other problems.
A watchdog group that monitors religious influence in public schools commissioned the report.
"Texas is failing families when it comes to sexuality education," said David Wiley, a health education professor at Texas State University-San Marcos and one of the co-authors of the report from the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund.
"Our classrooms are perpetuating a conspiracy of silence that robs young people of the reliable information they need to make responsible life decisions."
Texas gets more federal abstinence funding than any other state and has one of the highest teen birthrates in the nation, TFN Education Fund President Kathy Miller said.
The study, which analyzed thousands of pages of curriculum materials, district policies and other documents, says 96 percent of Texas school districts teach students nothing about responsible pregnancy and disease prevention except abstinence.
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Latest Comments
I believe it is both the PARENTS and schools job to justifiably teach kids what is right and what is wrong. But having 'ABSTINANCE ONLY!!!' shoved down their throat won't make anything better either, they will just turn right around and do it anyway. Being from a school where they taught us that 'yes you should wait for marriage but here is what WILL happen if you do choose to do so'. They gave us the 'adult choice' to choose what we were inevitably going to do anyway. Isn't that what high school kids want, to be treated like adults (even if they are not)? But it should be the PARENTS job to properly educate the teen to the consequences THEY will implement if something were to happen, like a teen pregnancy, etc. My parents told me that if I was adult enough to get pregnant then I was adult enough to be on my own (with no help from them). That scared me straight into not doing anything until I was an adult or ready for the consequences.
I think this is great. This state does need to give teens a better view of thier options. If teens are more aware of their options it could possibly reduce the teen birthrate. And to the previous person, it is also the parents' job, but but not all parents are comfortable talking about it!
Considering it is the PARENTS job to do this I completely agree the state is lacking. This is just more of the same of government sticking their nose where it doesn't belong, which puts their fingers in my wallet wanting more money for programs we don't need. Typical.
