States Rejecting Federal Funding in Favor of Abstinence-Only Sex Ed
Less than 50 percent of the nation’s high schools meet the CDC’s standards for comprehensive sex education. And recently, more and more states are opting to reject federal funding in order to hang on to their abstinence-based sex ed curricula. In 2015, for example, Florida, Indiana, North Dakota, Texas, and Virginia all opted out of PREP (Personal Responsibility Education Program) grants. This year, Kansas and South Dakota also rejected funding. Whether this trend continue remains to be seen.
New Sex Ed Curriculum in Australia Comes Under Fire for its Inclusion of Pleasure
A new sex ed curriculum released by Victoria’s La Trobe University lists 20 ways of engaging in sexual pleasure, and is meant to spur discussion among students on communicating about their varying comfort levels. Some find this new content are inappropriate, while those behind the curriculum believe it is imperative to incorporate discussions of pleasure into sexuality education.
Ontario Leader Continues Flip-Flopping on Issues of Sex Ed
Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown announced his support for Ontario’s new sex ed curriculum this past June. The new curriculum includes information about gender identity, sexual orientation, and safe sex for people of all identities. Now, just days before the Scarborough–Rouge River by-election, Brown says he plans on eliminating the new curriculum if elected, as he believes sexual education should remain in the hands of parents.
Parkway, Missouri School District Gives Parents a Preview of New Curriculum
The Parkway School District in Missouri gave parents a preview of their newly approved sex ed curriculum, including a look at both text books and videos, in the hopes they could clear up any misunderstandings about what the class would include. Parents remain mixed in their reactions.
Study Shows That Infant Simulator Dolls Do Not Deter Pregnancy
Infant simulator dolls, which were created to teach teens about child rearing, are often used in sex ed classes as a scare tactic. It is the hope of some teachers that learning about the difficulties of parenthood will convince students that sex just isn’t worth the risk. One recent study, however, shows that the use of these dolls does not actually impact pregnancy rates.
