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California Parents Overwhelmingly Favor Sex Ed in Schools |
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A statewide survey found
that 89 percent of California parents - regardless of politics, religion,
location, or educational level - want comprehensive sex education taught in
schools. A poll by the Bay Area's Public Health Institute, funded by the
California Wellness Foundation, found that parents support a sex education
program that includes information about contraception, protection from STDs,
and information about abstinence.
Widespread support for such a curriculum crossed cultural divides.
Eighty-six percent of evangelical Christians said they support comprehensive
sex education. The "very conservative" gave it the lowest support, at 71
percent.
California has rejected federal funding for abstinence-only sex education
for the past decade in favor of a state-funded comprehensive sex education
curriculum that includes abstinence. However, the report noted that many
school districts are failing to provide sex education as required by state
law.
Norman A. Constantine of the Public Health Institute in Oakland and
researchers conducted a telephone survey - in English and Spanish - of 1,284
parents across California in the spring and summer of 2006. The results of
the survey and study will appear in the September issue of Perspectives on
Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Teaching young students about sex can help stem the growth of STDs, said
Constantine. He noted that local school districts need to know that not only
the law supports comprehensive sex education, but parents support it as
well.
A nine-year, federally funded study released in April found that combination
approaches to sex education such as California's are more effective than
abstinence-only approaches.
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San Jose Mercury News
(05.23.07):: Jessie Mangaliman |
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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. |
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