House Hearing Focuses on Sex Education

The Mississippi House Public Health and Education committees held a hearing Wednesday on HB 507 and SB 2222, which would require comprehensive sex education in state schools.

The bills are a contentious topic at the Capitol. While many conservative lawmakers believe sex education should be the responsibility of parents, not schools, other legislators say the state's high rates of teen pregnancy and STDs indicate the need for more than just lessons on sexual abstinence. Current law does not require school districts to teach sex education, but those that do must stress abstinence. Districts that want to expand the scope of the lessons must receive school board approval.

"You can almost mathematically figure out what not talking about this subject and not having some comprehensive program is costing the citizens in quality of life, mental health, health care. You can go on and on," said Steven Holland (D-Plantersville), chair of the House Public Health Committee.

Further, Mississippi would be eligible for more federal funds if districts were allowed to teach more than abstinence, Holland noted.

State Health Officer Dr. Mary Currier said schools should have the option to go beyond abstinence instruction since many young people already are sexually active. "We shouldn't abandon the kids who are having sex," she said, noting Mississippi has the nation's highest rates of gonorrhea and chlamydia.

But Dr. Freda Bush, an OB/GYN, cited research showing that teens who remained sexually abstinent made better grades than students who were sexually active. "Abstinence-centered education would be the best choice," she said. "Our government has a significant impact on the mores and the activities people are involved in."

The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.


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