Sex Ed in the Big City...just in case

An urgent letter from a Health Educator with New York City's Planned Parenthood: 

Did you know that NYC public schools do not require
sex education at all? And when we don't tell kids the facts, this is what they tell each other.

You can stop yourself from getting pregnant if you:

- Jump up and down after sex
- Take a bath in Epsom salts
- Drink a Tropical Fantasy (a Brooklyn-based soda) or hot Malta
(a carbonated malt beverage)

If you are as appalled as I am that these kinds of misconceptions are alive and well among middle and high school students, please remind our Chancellor of Education that our students need comprehensive sex education.  We have the distinction of one of the highest teenage pregnancy and STD rates in the U.S.

If you live in New York City, add your voice to mine.  Knitting Condom Amulets is helpful but not enough.  The goal is 20,000 letters to be hand-delivered by May 1st.   Here's the link to a letter prepared by NYC Planned Parenthood.

["MAW, Most Arresting Woman and Hen Pink Conspire" illustration contributed by blogger M.E. Carew of  Xtreme English]

UPDATE 4/25/08:  Rachel at Women's Health News has a good summary of the goings-on at this week's hearing in Congres--House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform-- on the subject that is none of their business, "Abstinence-Only and Sex Education." 

Comments

[M.E.]

glory be...when i was a college graduate in biology, i used to think you could get pregnant in the BATHTUB...(in fact, i think i DID a couple of times). and i was a member of Beta Beta Beta, national biological honor society.

let's not get carried away with the benefits of formal education. for most girls, pregnancy is something that happens to them, who knows exactly how. condoms, however, prevent a lot of this.

[Kay Dennison]

I agree, Naomi! I'm not sure exactly what my children were given in the sex education in their jr. high but their dad and I took it upon ourselves to educate them ourselves and made sure they understood the consequences of their choices. They understood completely what I meant as they were going out and I said, "If you can't be good be careful and I'd rather you be good."