Here’s an extra large edition of Sex Ed in the news to carry you through to the new year…
Queensland Government Makes Sex Ed Overhaul a Priority
In Queensland, Australia, the State Government has launched a five-year plan in response to a survey showing that 84 percent of parents believe all state schools should be required to offer sex ed. This Sexual Health Strategy has marked education as a “priority action” for combating the spread of STIs.
Planned Parenthood Generation Action Comes to Whitman College
A new chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action (PPGA), a club with a focus on education and advocacy on behalf of women, has come to Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. PPGA is now on over 275 college campuses across the country.
MP in Myanmar Pushes for Early Childhood Sex Ed
In Yangon, Myanmar, a ruling-party MP is lobbying for sex education to be taught in schools as early as primary school. Many who consider sexual health to be a taboo subject are scandalized by this stance.
Ugandan TV Show Uses Puppets to Teach Sex Ed
In Uganda, a new TV show that NewsDeeply is calling the Sesame Street of Sex Ed has premiered with the intent of teaching the country’s youth about sexual and reproductive health. The show, called Chicken & Chips, is what the producers are billing as “Africa’s first puppet reality show.”
Will Affirmative Consent Education Come to MD Middle Schools?
A new proposal in Montgomery County, Maryland calls for the addition of affirmative consent education to middle and high school sex ed curricula. The Montgomery County Board of Education is opposed to the bill, its members feeling that middle school is too soon to teach about consent. Some parents feel the same.
Moms in Norway Shocked by Explicit Sex Ed Videos
A Norwegian sex education TV show called Newton has some parents outraged. The science program addresses such topics as menstruation, consent, involuntary ejaculation, and body hair, using the use of both props and real people.
Texas School District Amps Up Their Fear-Based Sex Ed Program
In Texas’s Corpus Christi Independent School District, the board of trustees has unanimously approved the use of visuals in a one-hour presentation about STDs. This means that students will be treated to eight visuals of blisters and warts, with the intention of providing a “reality check” to high schoolers. The district utilizes an abstinence-only curriculum.
Social Care Professionals in Ireland Will Be Provided with Sex Ed
In Ireland, sexual health workshops will be provided to social care professionals in order to assist them in their work with children. This is in response to a series of reports made on early sexual experiences and teenage pregnancy.
Native Tribes in Oklahoma Offer an Option to Those Seeking Sex Ed
In Oklahoma, the Muscogee Creek Nation tribe has started offering free, medically accurate sex education courses. This is in response to Oklahoma’s high rates of teen pregnancy. While some are eager to combat this trend through education and contraception, the state’s “religious forces have successfully opposed such a move.” In addition, the Oklahoma House has passed a bill that would provide funding to teach an “anti-abortion” class that teaches students that abortion “kills a living human being.” The bill also prohibits the use of funds for any curriculum on human sexuality.
Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Leaders & Organizations Join In Solidarity
Earlier this month, Planned Parenthood joined 89 other organizations in declaring their unity and dedication to “protecting and advancing sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice in the United States and around the world.” Included in their written statement the commitment to “protecting and expanding access to sexual and reproductive health education, care, and services.”
