This is by far the most "risque" and "edgy" thing that I have written on my blog, so I am taking a big breath and diving in head first, hoping not to drown. Mom, I'm still a good girl. I promise.
Lately I've been worried. It started a few weeks ago at lunch when I mentioned jokingly to another teacher that I was going to have to start telling my students to get on birth control (Why I need to tell my students this is a whole different story, but we don't want to go there tonight.) This teacher, well informed on Utah education, told me that if I did suggest birth control, I might lose my job. Unaware of Utah's strict adherence to abstinence-only education, I asked her to please elaborate. Apparently Utah educators are not allowed to teach birth control methods or advocate the use of birth control in any form. To do so is in violation with the state legislature, and would put an educator's job at risk. That means that if students ask me a question about birth control, I am not at liberty to answer, and instead must respond, "Ask your parents."
I'm no flaming liberal, but I believe this is wrong. I am a firm believer of knowledge in all its forms, and that means knowledge of birth control options. That doesn't mean I approve of premarital sex; it means I oppose teen pregnancy.
After this disturbing lunch conversation, I went home and googled around for a bit. (P.S. Isn't it amazing that google is a verb now?) On my quest, I learned a thing or two. Currently House Bill 363 sponsor Rep. Bill Wright is pushing a bill for abstinence-only education throughout the state. In the bill, Wright states that "discussing birth control and homosexuality promotes promiscuity among teens and advocates the use of drugs." He believes this legislation is needed to protect "the innocence of students". (What I wouldn't love to tell old Bill about exactly how innocent my students are.) His original bill bans any "discussion of sexuality except abstinence and fidelity in marriage." His only alternative is "not teaching sex education at all." (Examiner.com. "Utah's own Don't Ask Don't Tell, Sex and Birth Control.") Wright says teaching sexuality isn’t a priority in education. “It is not like all our students are going to die if they don’t learn promiscuous behavior."
Wright's bill passed 8-7. Meaning that as of right now, Utah presses forward stalwart in their abstinence-only sex education.
Naturally, this raises some questions. If you don't want a person to engage in certain behavior is it best to completely ignore the behavior and act like it has never existed? Or is it best to properly educate, even if that means more exposure to the negative behavior? How about when something like a pregnancy, a baby, a HUMAN LIFE is at stake? Can we really afford to not educate students because we think that just by mentioning birth control students are more likely to engage in promiscuous behavior?
I hope I am not sending out the wrong message about my beliefs. I waited for marriage to have sex, and I absolutely believe that that was the right decision. There is great comfort, security, and love in that decision. I do not condone premarital sex in any form, and I especially don't condone high school students having sex. BUT... if I talk to a student about birth control, does that automatically imply that I approve of the sex? Or does it say that I advocate the proper education of teenagers and the protection of unborn babies?
What I find most disturbing of all is that it is legal in the state of Utah to have an abortion, but it is illegal for a teacher to suggest to a student to get on birth control. A little backward, no?
Since when has it ever been in humans' best interest to keep information from them? Hiding knowledge is never going to improve a problem, and it is never going to be a solution. The ideal solution would be to have parents teach their children about sex. "Encourage parents to have ongoing explicit age-appropriate discussions with their children about sex. It is vital that we lift the veil of silence and discomfort. Many parents are naively worried that they will give their children ideas, or somehow corrupt them with facts. The fact is that children are surrounded by sex, lots of bad information, and tons of sexually explicit materials. But it is a proven fact that the more reliable factual knowledge kids have about sex, the more they talk to their parents about sex, the less likely they are to engage in it." (feministmormonhousewives.org)
And if parents do not educate their children, should teachers shoulder that responsibility? I believe, yes. Nowadays teachers are already doing and teaching many things that have traditionally been taught in the home, so why do we shy away from this subject?
Our job it to educate, whatsoever the subject may be.
Now... what do you think about the subject? Go ahead, add your two cents. I know you want to.
Lately I've been worried. It started a few weeks ago at lunch when I mentioned jokingly to another teacher that I was going to have to start telling my students to get on birth control (Why I need to tell my students this is a whole different story, but we don't want to go there tonight.) This teacher, well informed on Utah education, told me that if I did suggest birth control, I might lose my job. Unaware of Utah's strict adherence to abstinence-only education, I asked her to please elaborate. Apparently Utah educators are not allowed to teach birth control methods or advocate the use of birth control in any form. To do so is in violation with the state legislature, and would put an educator's job at risk. That means that if students ask me a question about birth control, I am not at liberty to answer, and instead must respond, "Ask your parents."
I'm no flaming liberal, but I believe this is wrong. I am a firm believer of knowledge in all its forms, and that means knowledge of birth control options. That doesn't mean I approve of premarital sex; it means I oppose teen pregnancy.
After this disturbing lunch conversation, I went home and googled around for a bit. (P.S. Isn't it amazing that google is a verb now?) On my quest, I learned a thing or two. Currently House Bill 363 sponsor Rep. Bill Wright is pushing a bill for abstinence-only education throughout the state. In the bill, Wright states that "discussing birth control and homosexuality promotes promiscuity among teens and advocates the use of drugs." He believes this legislation is needed to protect "the innocence of students". (What I wouldn't love to tell old Bill about exactly how innocent my students are.) His original bill bans any "discussion of sexuality except abstinence and fidelity in marriage." His only alternative is "not teaching sex education at all." (Examiner.com. "Utah's own Don't Ask Don't Tell, Sex and Birth Control.") Wright says teaching sexuality isn’t a priority in education. “It is not like all our students are going to die if they don’t learn promiscuous behavior."
Wright's bill passed 8-7. Meaning that as of right now, Utah presses forward stalwart in their abstinence-only sex education.
Naturally, this raises some questions. If you don't want a person to engage in certain behavior is it best to completely ignore the behavior and act like it has never existed? Or is it best to properly educate, even if that means more exposure to the negative behavior? How about when something like a pregnancy, a baby, a HUMAN LIFE is at stake? Can we really afford to not educate students because we think that just by mentioning birth control students are more likely to engage in promiscuous behavior?
I hope I am not sending out the wrong message about my beliefs. I waited for marriage to have sex, and I absolutely believe that that was the right decision. There is great comfort, security, and love in that decision. I do not condone premarital sex in any form, and I especially don't condone high school students having sex. BUT... if I talk to a student about birth control, does that automatically imply that I approve of the sex? Or does it say that I advocate the proper education of teenagers and the protection of unborn babies?
What I find most disturbing of all is that it is legal in the state of Utah to have an abortion, but it is illegal for a teacher to suggest to a student to get on birth control. A little backward, no?
Since when has it ever been in humans' best interest to keep information from them? Hiding knowledge is never going to improve a problem, and it is never going to be a solution. The ideal solution would be to have parents teach their children about sex. "Encourage parents to have ongoing explicit age-appropriate discussions with their children about sex. It is vital that we lift the veil of silence and discomfort. Many parents are naively worried that they will give their children ideas, or somehow corrupt them with facts. The fact is that children are surrounded by sex, lots of bad information, and tons of sexually explicit materials. But it is a proven fact that the more reliable factual knowledge kids have about sex, the more they talk to their parents about sex, the less likely they are to engage in it." (feministmormonhousewives.org)
And if parents do not educate their children, should teachers shoulder that responsibility? I believe, yes. Nowadays teachers are already doing and teaching many things that have traditionally been taught in the home, so why do we shy away from this subject?
Our job it to educate, whatsoever the subject may be.
Now... what do you think about the subject? Go ahead, add your two cents. I know you want to.
