| |
| |
Religious
Groups Work to Translate Sex Education Message |
|
|
|
Last week, more than 500
US black and Latino church members convened at Howard University's School of
Divinity in Washington for the National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality.
The Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, pastor of the District's Fellowship Baptist
Church and the executive director of the Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice, launched the summit 11 years ago. It seeks to encourage
black churches to speak out about teen pregnancy,
HIV/AIDS,
and anti-gay violence.
Now, the program's popular "Keeping It Real" curriculum for black youths is
being translated and transformed to speak to Latin youth. The new version, "Manteniéndolo
Real!" was presented at the summit.
Though many Latino parishioners face challenges similar to black Christians,
the coalition's programs have made slow headway in the Latino congregations.
Veazey said many Latino churches are Catholic or Pentecostal, and their
conservative leaders may be put off by the coalition's emphasis on gay
rights and abortion rights.
The Rev. Penny Willis, the coalition's director of multicultural programs,
said the effort is "not a program that says you should tell your child to
use birth control. It's a program to give your child the tools they need" to
make good choices.
The coalition trains church members to offer the class; the curriculum uses
Bible verses to start conversations about sexual issues. While the Latino
program uses some of the same verses, it makes reference to Latino, rather
than African-American, cultural issues.
|
|
|
|
Washington Post
(07.16.07):: Jacqueline L. Salmon |
| |
We are providing the above information as a public
service only. Providing synopses of key scientific articles and lay
media reports on HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases
does not constitute endorsement. The above summaries were prepared
without conducting any additional research or investigation into the
facts and statements made in the articles being summarized, and
therefore readers are expressly cautioned against relying on the
validity or invalidity of any statements made in these summaries. This
CDC HIV/STD/TB Prevention News
Update also includes information from CDC and
other government agencies, such as background on MMWR articles, fact
sheets and announcements. |
|
|
