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A coalition of nonprofit
organizations has proposed a bill to revamp South Carolina’s 20-year-old
comprehensive sex education law. The proposed changes would require “medically
accurate and factual” sexual health education and mandate health education
certification for teachers. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that sexual health
classes may present only information validated by peer-reviewed research or
“mainstream” medical and health organizations. The new bill would also require
the “abstinence plus” model that emphasizes abstinence until marriage and
provides age-appropriate safer sex techniques, such as condom use.
The bill’s supporters stated that
the update is necessary because the science has changed in the last 25 years,
and South Carolina has high rates of teen STD infection and pregnancy. Coalition
proponents include Tell Them SC; The New Morning Foundation; and South Carolina
Equality, a statewide LGBT advocacy organization.
Those who favor the current,
20-year-old law object to moving away from an abstinence-based curriculum.
Another set of opponents believe that the proposed South Carolina legislation
is too similar to a Tennessee statute described as the “Don’t say gay” bill,
which would prohibit all mention of LGBT topics and require “outing” gay
students to parents. South Carolina Equality Executive Director Ryan Wilson
noted that the proposed changes leave in place current law forbidding
discussion of LGBT relationships. The new bill would allow discussion of
same-sex relationships only within the context of STD transmission so that LGBT
students have access to factual information.
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.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
