Healthy Lifestyles class works well

The actions of a legislative committee considering changes in the sex education curriculum (HB189) has created some confusion related to what is happening in public school instruction. The idea that public schools in Utah do not allow discussions about human sexuality and contraception is completely false. The Healthy Lifestyles Curriculum includes two required courses in grades 7-8 and 9-10. The course content covers a broad spectrum of standards and objectives that include a number of health topics including STDs and human sexuality. The human sexuality component was significantly expanded in the early 1990s when concern about AIDS was beginning to unfold.

A committee which included health teachers, parents, medical professionals and other educational leaders was formed to create a thoughtful unit on this sensitive topic. There was great effort to provide a good education base that was medically accurate and age appropriate while carefully balancing what was appropriate in a classroom setting and, at the same time, respecting the parental role and values taught in the home. This curriculum unit has been altered a few times over the past 15 years, but much of the original content and procedures remains in place. Teachers are required to be trained in the unit including what topics and approaches are prohibited.

Among other things, the unit includes human anatomy and physiology and disease-prevention strategies, which include a discussion of contraceptives. It focuses on how abstinence creates healthy relationships as the foundation for healthy marriages. This is called an abstinence-based program. Each district is required to have a curriculum committee to review what material is used in the classroom. Parents are required to sign a permission form to allow discussion of contraception and parents may request an opt-out for their child.

A few districts have chosen an abstinence-only program, which usually includes everything in the unit except the contraceptive discussion — although even some abstinence-only programs do discuss the limitations of contraceptives.

A small vocal group who support comprehensive sex education continue to push their agenda. They often create the misconception that our teen pregnancy, birthrates and STDs are leading the nation when in fact we are at the bottom. Utah's teen pregnancy is in the bottom 10 states — at half the nation's rate. The teen birthrate was reported recently as 18th in the nation, but that is largely due to the fact that our teen abortion rate is nearly a third of the nation's rate. Teen STDs are rising. However, Utah's rate still remains much lower than the national average.