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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently made his first public comments about a new plan requiring city middle and high school students to take sex education classes during one semester.
On his weekly radio program on Aug. 12, a caller asked why Bloomberg will not just let parents educate their children about sex. The mayor responded, “You just can’t say, 'Well, the parents should do it,' because the parents aren’t doing it. The evidence is there.”
“You have a lot of young men who father kids and, then, don’t realize it’s their responsibility for the next 20 years ... Young kids are getting into their fecund years, so [education is] certainly important. You can argue for the elderly, maybe, you don’t need it. But you certainly need it for this group,” Bloomberg said.
The state currently requires a one-semester, daily health education course for middle- and high-schoolers, though sex education is not mandated. On Aug. 9, schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott sent a letter to principals outlining the city's plan to teach sex education, starting during the second half of the upcoming school year. Parents will have the option of taking their child out of lessons related to birth control.
The fine points of the curriculum are still being worked out. “We’ll be communicating to schools in the fall about what areas must be covered,” said an education department spokesperson.
Reaction from other callers on the program was mixed. But Bloomberg stood firm, saying he hopes the new lessons demonstrate to city youth that sex comes with “real-world consequences that you're going to have to live with.”
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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