Governor Jerry Brown made a wonderful choice last week.
After more than a decade of California schools delivering confusing, sometimes biased and often-incorrect information about sexuality, and many months of discussion in the legislature; a new law will emerge and become effective on Jan. 1, 2016.
Brown signed Assembly Bill 329 on Oct. 1, which requires all public schools to teach accurate and comprehensive sexuality education. For many years California kids in middle and high school had to learn about STI prevention and basic HIV 101 to prevent infection; but details about birth control was often overlooked or not taught at all.
During that time, many California schools continued to teach abstinence only curricula, in violation of state law, as some conservative school board members selectively chose the concepts that fit their agendas. A judge even ordered Clovis Unified School District to stop teaching abstinence-only content in violation of state law.
This new law does not promote sexual activity in youth, nor does it encourage kids to be promiscuous; the law simply strives to teach kids how to make sensible and well-informed decisions about their sexual lives.
Research has shown that the more kids are informed about the truth regarding sex in a well planned comprehensive curriculum supported by parents, teachers and the community, the more youth will practice sensible skills to prevent pregnancy and avoid infection. Well-informed kids have recognized two behaviors: delaying sexual debut and using protection should they start having sex.
The new law not only reinforces the importance of abstinence, but also requires schools to present comprehensive, unbiased and science-based data taught by properly trained teachers.
Some of the new topics for kids must include information and prevention methods for: sexual harassment, sex trafficking, adolescent relationship abuse, intimate partner violence and numerous requirements addressing the LGBTQ+ community. Previous curricula often left LGBTQ+ students as invisible members of society.
Additionally, the governor also signed Senate Bill 695, the ‘yes means yes’ law on consent for sexual activity of adolescents that previously focused on college students.
After teaching about sexuality education for more than 45 years, it warms my heart to see the governor and political leaders taking a step to help all kids, all races, all genders and people with English language challenges to be included on such an important and personal topic.
The U.S. Department of Education recently included Health Education as a core subject. Ultimately, California schools must take the next step and not only require a comprehensive health education course to graduate high school (as currently is not mandated statewide); but the state should also add health education as part of the A-G requirements to enter college.
How fitting it would be for ‘Health Ed’ to become the H on the list.