Attack on Abstinence-based Sex Ed Today in Public Education Committee
7:40 p.m. Rep. Eissler asking question – “So we could achieve the goals of this bill by just having better training for schools with our current statute?” Doctor-Yes.
7:22 p.m. Scott & White Doctor, national contraceptive researcher, sex ed advocate. Writes sex ed curriculum. Most commonly used sex ed curriculum (“Worth the Wait”) written by physicians and psychologists. “Having sex is a health risk behavior.” “If anyone thinks that there are no emotional consequences to sexual activity for kids, they should spend the day with me.” (Because she works with kids who suffer from STDs, etc.)
“Biggest Factor of if kids will have sex”… Parental Involvement (level of)
Contraceptive research-
CDC will not put a percentage on effectiveness of condoms for preventing STDs.
Why have teen pregnancy rates gone down? In last 15 years, abstinence programs have been proliferated in schools, teen pregnancy rates have gone down.
6:44 p.m. Here comes Professor Wiley, from Texas State, the prof TFN co-oped to write their propaganda survey on sex ed. No questions.
6:35 p.m. Rep. Shelton Question: “What are components of effective sex ed?” Answer-“Personal values, skills to say no, to resist pressure, emphasizes abstinence.” “The trick is it has been developed by people who ‘know’ how to change behavior”. Shelton-“How did you change behavior?” -Mapping process with specific objectives… and more and more general words. Single parenthood tends to repeat itself. (Randomized 1000 kids in Houstin I.S.D. to study). Decrease our teen birth rate to decrease drop-out rate. Costs us more to educate these children born of teenage mothers.
6:15 p.m. AISD Board of Trustees spokesperson, supports abstinence plus education. Calls a pregnant teen a “tragedy” for the family. Then criticizes current curriculum for allegedly using “fear” to educate kids about sex.
6:00: Attack on Abstinence Hearing Begins!! Rep. Shelton already has Rep. Castro conceding that he’ll change language if necessary after Shelton asks him about striking about current law language that says students should be told about “the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity.”
4:20 p.m. Still waiting:
According to Texas Vital Statistics:
Since 1991, Teen Pregnancies are DOWN 24%
Since 1991, Teen Births are DOWN 22%
Since 1991, Teen Abortions are DOW 42%
2007 Zogby poll reports that 9 of 10 parents want teens to be taught contraception in a manner consistent with the approach of abstinence education.
Thanks to Kyleen Wright of Texans for Life for providing this information.
3:45 p.m.-These bills are about to be heard… Find our talking points/testimony below.
We Oppose House Bill 741 & House Bill 1567-Attack on Abstinence
House Bill 741 (Rep. Castro, D-San Antonio)
This bill is a direct attack on abstinence-based sex education. It deletes the following provisions:
[(2) devote more attention to abstinence from sexual activity than to any other behavior;]
[, and the emotional trauma associated with adolescent sexual activity];
[teach contraception and condom use in terms of human use reality rates instead of theoretical laboratory rates, if instruction on contraception and condoms is included in curriculum content].
House Bill 1567 (Rep. Villareal, D-San Antonio)
This bill is a direct attack on abstinence based sex education. It deletes the parts of the following provisions:
“present abstinence from sexual activity as the healthiest [preferred] choice of behavior [in relationship to all sexual activity] for unmarried persons of school age;”
“(3) emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity, if used consistently and correctly, is the only certain way to prevent [method that is 100 percent effective in preventing] pregnancy and [,] sexually transmitted diseases.”
Public Education Committee Hearing:
http://tinyurl.com/dzjxvd