Sex ed bill scares legislators more than it scares parents

Some version of the Comprehensive Family Life and Sexuality Education Act has been pushed at the Capitol over eight years, only to languish in committees or be stripped from omnibus bills under threat of a veto from Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The bill’s provisions are controversial among politicos but not the public at large, according to a University of Minnesota survey.

The bill would mandate sexuality education in public schools that emphasizes abstinence, but also includes frank discussions about contraceptives and sexually transmitted disease. Specifically, the bill (SF 588) would require students in grades 7 through 12 to receive classroom instruction on sexual health that “respects community values and encourages family communication, develops communication, decision making and conflict resolution skills, contributes to healthy relationships, provides age-appropriate, medically accurate human development and sexuality education, includes an abstinence-first approach to delaying sexual activity and promotes individual responsibility.” The legislation also allows parents who object to opt their kids out of the classes.

Continued: Click “Read more”A recent survey by the Prevention Research Center at the University of Minnesota found that 89 percent of Minnesota parents support “sex education that includes information about abstinence and prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases,” while only 10 percent supported an abstinence-only approach to sexuality education (read a summary of the survey here: PDF).

The survey asked more detailed questions of parents and found not only that parents overwhelmingly support a comprehensive approach to sexuality education, but also support the key components of such an approach.

One hundred percent of parents who approved of a comprehensive approach thought that information provided to students should be medically accurate. For information on reproductive anatomy, 99 percent said it should be taught and 50 percent said it should be taught as early as K-5. Information about sexually transmitted diseases was also supported with 95 percent of parents approving of such curriculum with 61 percent of parents saying such information should be taught to students as early as sixth grade.

Sixty-seven percent of parents approved of teaching about sexual orientation, and 63 percent said information about abortion should be taught in schools. Parents from rural and suburban congressional districts were more likely to support a comprehensive approach versus an abstinence-only curriculum with Minnesota’s 1st district (94 percent) and 2nd district (90 percent) leading the state. Parents in all other districts supported comprehensive sexuality education at 89 percent, except the 6th district in which only 86 percent of parents indicated support.

Younger people, whites and those making less than $20,000 a year were more likely to support a comprehensive approach.

The Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed, a consortium of more than 50 Minnesota nonprofit organizations, is bringing youth to the Capitol on April 8 to speak on behalf of the bill.