Comments about ‘Lawmaker debates sex ed with teens’

I don't approve of war. Schools should not teach anything about wars to my kids. They are too fragile to handle the truth about any war. These kind of things should be taught only in the home.

If you are teaching your children your value system at home, they would not be shaken by the alternate value systems at school. "We don't approve of this, but you can handle hearing about it" speaks more of solid parental instruction.

I want my children to understand the anatomical aspects of reproduction, but honestly don't want the state involved in advocating alternatives to what we've already taught them.

In a real debate, with trained judges, your "war" analogy would lose, for being so exaggerated, and not comparable.
It will only fool those who are already falling for the Planned Parenthood lazy thinking.

This whole issue is a direct result of the public schools giving in to ideas of so-called political correctness and refusing to teach the values that made this Country into the greatest on Earth: chastity, morality, and self-control.

My children grew up outside of Utah. They were taught in school to postpone sexual activity until marriage, but also birth control. Of course, they were taught at home and church to avoid sexual activity until married.

Rates of unplanned pregnancy has been rising significantly among the poor, which correlates with decreased funding from federal and state sources for reproductive health. Unplanned pregancy among the poor is a national crisis. The negative repercussions of children being born to single mothers lasts for generations, and affects society as a whole. If we want to decrease the number of abortions, crime and poverty we need to restore the funding for these types of programs. Money for these programs was in the Stimulus bill, but stripped out to appease Republicans (who didn't vote for it anyway).

Utah has a pretty good system. Parents can choose to teach their children in their own home and/or allow them to attend a class in school that includes all the options of sex education. However, as long as there is parental consent their should not be restrictions on fully teaching all aspects of both abstinence AND contraception in school. I personally feel parents are fooling themselves and doing their children a disservice if they do not provide both abstinence and contraception education either in the home or allow them to get it at school. But I do believe it should be a parent's choice. I teach my children the virtues of waiting and remaining chaste but would want them to know the necessity of using contraception if they do choose to be sexually active. I am active LDS and believe to do otherwise is burrying my head in the sand and putting my children both at spiritual and temporal risk. But again, I respect all parent's rights to make similar or different decisions about their own children.

This is not a debate over sex education, I'm sure 99.99% of teenagers know all about sex and its consequences.

This is a debate over Birth Control Education and informing children on how to use and where to get it without parental involment. It is that plain and simple.

Why do we always have to gloss over the real issue in this country.

"Why do we always have to gloss over the real issue in this country."

Because we sit back and let the liberals frame the discussion. It's worked out quite well for them!

Since the state is more committed to parents rights that to teaching what is most effective, why not scrap teaching sex ed altogther and make it an option or not at all.

Free this class time up for other alternatives, such as math, art, marketing, physics or something.

Thanks and ditto. I like that you also have a balanced view that allows parents and teachers educating young people in a balanced way.

I was grateful I had a teacher that covered the various forms of contraception. Along with that though, the main point that was emphasized was abstinence is the only sure-fire way to prevent STD's and unplanned pregnancy. I liked this balance. It complemented what my parents and church taught and it made sense. At least that way I had information on both sides of the fence.

" the values that made this Country into the greatest on Earth: chastity, morality, and self-control."

Wow! Definitely do NOT take off your rose-colored glasses. You wouldn't like the truth.

Saying most kids know about sex...and the consequences is a simplistic point of view.

We have an over abundance of teen pregnancies, std's and heart ache for them and the parents. A lot of stuff gets swept under the rug with pregnancies and quick marriages...

Teaching kids at home is fine, if you are honest, tell it all, and let them know they can come to you in a time of question and need.

HOWEVER< several of my daughter's friends would rather "die" than talk to their parents or even whisper the word sex in their presence..

It is the parents place to be open, esp the Moms.

Personally from what I have seen and heard, it isn't happening...

Sex will not go away just because you don't think it should be discussed..

FACTS NEED TO BE TOLD AND DISCUSSED...somewhere

Abstinence-based education IS NOT WORKING. The evidence? Look back at the article: "Approximately half of the students surveyed stated they are sexually active."

Abstinence *is* the best way to avoid pregnancy, STDs and all the other problems that come with sexual activity. BUT. It only works if you actually practice abstinence, and the evidence is that many kids don't.

An intelligent program (which is to say, one that we'll never have here) would emphasize abstinence as the best choice, but also provide kids with the information they need to keep safe if they choose, as many clearly do, not to abstain.

Teach self control, chastity, abstence until marriage,

also teach about preventative measures for those teens who will not listen to the above, ... not all people are going to follow this best advice.

If some families object to this, give them the option to opt out.

Why teach sex ed at all? If it is to reduce the problems that sex can bring on then ...

Look at the studies and find what works best, leave religion, the desires of the ACLU, politics and all else out of it.

If we are not willing to do this, why teach it at all? it is just a wasted class.

Either do it right, or not at all. Seriously

Utah's current sex ed program is not working. It is a program that has now been proven, through studies, to be ineffective in reducing teen pregnancy.
I can't do the job of teaching sex ed by myself. Many parents would welcome help from our schools. Rep. Ray should allow a better sex ed program in our schools and let parents opt in if they want their students to participate. It's that simple.
If it ain't broken, don't fix it. But if it is broken (and it is), change it.

Sex education needs to happen somewhere. I grew up in a strong LDS home where somewhere between church and parental teaching, I learned "Don't have sex outside of marriage....period". The reality is that I grew into adulthood struggling with the realities that most people have some form of sexual contact outside of marriage and that I would also be forced into this position as well. Looking back, I wish that I would have received ALL the information available and trusted to make my own choices based on personal convictions. You can't not teach about sex and birth control options anymore. I learned about condoms after having had sex and reading the package so that the next time I would be prepared. I also learned about STD's after I got one....and it was not from actual intercourse. I learned about sex the old fashioned way, and not under personal choice. I'm not naive anymore. As an adult, I'm a Physician Assistant working in an STD clinic on the East Coast. I start by teaching teenagers the value of personal choice and accountability.

I grew up outside of Utah and had adequate (and sometimes overboard) sex-ed education. Even with that, there were quite a few unplanned pregnancies among the students, so I would say it all boils down to what they're learning at home. I'm glad I learned all about alternatives to abstinence just in case I would have needed it. As it turned out, though, I also learned the value of self-control and seeing past 10 minutes into the future. I never had an unplanned pregnancy or an STD because I chose to abstain. But if my parents (and church) had not taught me the value of waiting, I may have had sex before marriage. But at least I would have known about condoms and all that.

If you parents would rather take the chance that your child will have some self-control and listen to anything you say and ignore everything plastered all over their social lives without teaching them about alternatives, then be prepared to raise their babies because no 15 year-old girl is equipped to do that responsibly. I, for one, would rather not, so I want my children to learn sex-ed.

Since studies show that Utah's approach isn't working and apparently Utah will not change,

Can sex ed at least be made optional? Free this class time up for some class that actually will provide an education.