Articles about Sex Ed
April 20th, 2010 • Contributed by Dino Corvino
We found this great piece by Alex DiBranco on the Change dot Org Blog, and thought we should share it.
Of all the creepy things I don’t want to see in my campus newspaper, up around the top of the list is advertisements lying to and shaming rape victims who choose to have an abortion.
In a series on RH Reality Check, Robin Marty looked at anti-choice advertising by the Human Life Alliance (a Crisis Pregnancy Center). Marty reports that the “advertising supplement” is riddled with lies, starting with the Table of Contents, where it claims that abortion in America “is legal through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason.” Seriously, if that was true, pro-choicers wouldn’t have any work to do.
From there the insert pursues further common anti-choice deceptions, such as breast cancer scare tactics; inaccurate conflation of birth control with abortion; and gory, frightening, but completely false descriptions of abortion procedures and side effects. But what really takes the cake is the shaming and manipulation of rape and incest survivors, who are told they will feel they’ve “conquered” their assault by giving birth.
The advertising supplement informs students, “In the only major study of pregnant rape victims ever done, Dr. Sandra Mahkorn found that 75 to 85 percent chose against abortion” (underlying message: so if that is your choice, something is clearly wrong with you). What was the “major study”? Why, it was the decisions of 37 women who came to the study’s author for advice. Besides the fact that this is not enough women to be scientifically significant, gee, I wonder if the biases of the rape counselor against abortion had any impact. The medically unsound ad further takes it upon itself to tell doctors to advise against the trauma of abortion for rape victims, without consideration of the unique situation facing each woman.
Oh, and in case of incest, according to the insert, abortion has never ever had a positive impact for the victim. It’s just the abusive parent who wants it; “the incest victim is more likely to see the pregnancy as a way out of the incestuous relationship because the birth of her child will expose the sexual activity.” Really, incest victims should hope they get pregnant as a means of escape? And it won’t be clear to anyone unless she give birth? There are better ways to address incest than saddling a child — since most incest victims are minors — with a child she can’t take care of, and her immature body might not be prepared to give birth to.
The Human Life Alliance has particularly targeted University of Wisconsin schools, with at least seven papers in the system agreeing to disseminate their lies (kudos to the student newspapers who have rejected these ads). Many students are upset at seeing the deceptive ads, however, and are speaking up; in a Letter to the Editor in the Student Voice at UW-River Falls, Nikki Shonoiki denounced the inaccurate “ads”: “Nothing was being advertised here; instead, you [the editor] contributed to the dissemination of 12-page tasteless booklets of disinformation designed to denigrate and shame women who receive abortion care.” And at Stony Brook University, where a campus paper also ran the ads, the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance began a campaign against these problematic inserts and Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
Insist on truth in advertising by signing this petition telling student newspapers running HLA inserts to join their peers who have rejected these inaccurate, agenda-driven ads.
No Comments • Posted in: Abortion, Sex Ed
April 12th, 2010 • Contributed by Lon Newman
(Printed in the Juneau County Star Times – Saturday April 10, 2010)
Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth wrote area school districts a letter which may intimidate teachers, administrators, and school board members from developing or teaching a comprehensive community-based human growth and development curriculum.
The unfortunate consequence of his action will not be to delay first sexual intercourse by Juneau County teens. It is more likely that those teens, when they do become sexually active, will not have the information they need to protect themselves from unintended pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections. Many people do not get any sex education after high school, so it is also likely those teens will not have the health information they need to make informed health care and family planning decisions when they marry and/or become sexually active as adults.
District Attorney Southworth’s statement that schools teach about sex for pleasure or that sex education is analogous to teaching people ‘how to mix drinks,’ makes it obvious that he either was not in a reputable sex education program or he wasn’t paying attention. Although there are always a few examples of highly publicized unacceptable behavior that opponents of sex education point to, there is no accepted pre-college program that teaches human sexual response to minors and I know there is no Juneau County school district curriculum that teaches techniques of sexual pleasure.
What do reproductive health educators teach young people?
- They can prevent cancer by being vaccinated against HPV.
- Consistent and correct use of condoms can prevent sexually transmitted infections.
- Testicular and breast self-examinations are important preventive health care regimens.
- Folic acid is important to pre-pregnancy planning.
- Coercive sexual touching is illegal and destructive.
- Hormonal contraception can prevent pregnancy.
- . . . and other information that helps people make informed decisions to protect their health.
None of the material is erotic and none of it could be considered in a court of law to be “encouraging young people to have sex.”
Family Planning Health Services (FPHS) is a private non-profit corporation with a mission based on the ideal that information is better than ignorance when it comes to sexual health. When we are invited to participate in any classroom, our presentation respects school district standards. We strive to be age-appropriate and medically accurate. Our first concern is always the health and well-being of community families.
District Attorney Southworth has gained a lot of media attention and there will be controversy and fund-raising on all sides of this issue. Through that turmoil, FPHS will continue to provide the community with access to family planning services and education that is responsible and professional. We support Juneau county school districts who educate our young people and we promise to support any district or local teacher who provides lawful sexuality education as described in The Healthy Youth Act and who is charged with a crime by District Attorney Southworth.
No Comments • Posted in: Sex Ed
April 23rd, 2009 • Contributed by Frances Irwin
For a number of years, advocates for reproductive health care and for the empowerment of young people have been warning about the dangers of Abstinence-Only Sexuality Education. As predicted, years after heavily funding this initiative to deny people, particularly young people, accurate information about reproductive health topics, we are beginning to see an up tick in the number of teen pregnancies, births and sexually transmitted infections. SIECUS released it’s State Profiles: A Portrait of Sexuality Education and Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs in the States for Fiscal Year 2008. It’s a fascinating and complete look at what kind of sex ed is happening and the related health outcomes.
Coincidentally, Tara Malone of the Chicago Tribune took a look at the issue in Illinois which ranks fourth in receipt of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage funds. Her article, Sex ed: Abstinence-only programs under review, is a great read on the tough challenges that state faces. As we see increasing numbers of teen pregnancies, births, and sexually transmitted infections, more communities are discussing the sex ed programs in their communities. In my community, I know we have a curriculum for sex ed, but it’s hard to find out if it is being taught district wide. What’s happening in your community?
No Comments • Posted in: Sex Ed
April 15th, 2009 • Contributed by Dino Corvino
From The Guttmacher Institute
Low levels of contraceptive use in the Philippines result in high rates of unintended pregnancy and a broad range of negative consequences for women, their families and the national health care system. “Meeting Women’s Contraceptive Needs in the Philippines,” a new report from the Guttmacher Institute and the University of the Philippines Population Institute, documents the considerable social and financial benefits that would accrue from investing in contraceptive services to enable women to avoid unintended pregnancies.
Continue reading this article »
No Comments • Posted in: Birth Control, Policy, Sex Ed
February 26th, 2009 • Contributed by Lon Newman
Neither Do I Condemn You
A young mother visiting our Women Infants and Children’s nutrition clinic in Central Wisconsin was frightened by a male picketer as she came into our clinic a few weeks ago. Other women, sometimes our patients, sometimes our employees, have felt threatened by the “40 Days for Life” anti-birth control demonstrators leading a Lenten protest that began yesterday in front of our clinic in Central Wisconsin and in 131 other communities across the nation.
Continue reading this article »
1 Comment • Posted in: Birth Control, Emergency Contraception, Family Planning, Sex Ed
February 24th, 2009 • Contributed by Sue Kettner
[We recieved this today from The Guttmacher Institute, and wanted to make sure to pass it along.]
Publicly funded family planning programs save the U.S. billions of dollars each year though the prevention of about 1.94 million unintended pregnancies, including nearly 400,000 teenage pregnancies, in the U.S., according to a report released Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute, the AP/Miami Herald reports. The report estimates that the unintended pregnancies prevented each year would have resulted in 810,000 abortions, 270,000 miscarriages and 860,000 unintended births. The report states that without publicly funded family planning programs, the U.S. abortion rate would be nearly two-thirds higher than the current level and nearly twice as high among low-income women.
Continue reading this article »
No Comments • Posted in: Birth Control, Family Planning, Policy, Sex Ed
February 23rd, 2009 • Contributed by Dino Corvino
[For more information contact Below The Waist for call in numbers]
The Female Condom – where the girls – AND boys – are
Please join IRMA, the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) and the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) for the first IRMA global teleconference of 2009.
Get the skinny on the NEW female condom and discuss its implications for anal sex.
Continue reading this article »
No Comments • Posted in: STIs, Sex Ed
January 12th, 2009 • Contributed by Frances Irwin
I caught this article, Get over it: Talk to kids about sex, from the Miami Herald on Saturday and couldn’t help but envy Ana Veciana-Suarez for her clear message to parents about stepping up. I admit that I am not yet a parent, but I wish my parents could have gotten over their hurdle to talk about it in more than vague terms of responsibility. For those parents out there who need help, check out www.advocatesforyouth.org, www.avert.org or just call your local family planning clinic.
No Comments • Posted in: Sex Ed
December 30th, 2008 • Contributed by Lon Newman
As the fable goes, an eagle is brought to earth by an arrow fletched with his own feathers.
Listening to the spokesperson for Pro-Life Wisconsin as he defended the new ‘right of conscience’ regulations on Wisconsin Public Radio last week reminded me of the wisdom of the tale.
Continue reading this article »
1 Comment • Posted in: Abortion, Abstinence, Action, Birth Control, Emergency Contraception, Policy, Sex Ed
November 24th, 2008 • Contributed by Dino Corvino
[From The Guttmacher Insitutute]
As the global community marks World AIDS Day on December 1, advocates and policy experts welcome the promise by the incoming Obama administration to put sound scientific evidence at the forefront of the U.S. global AIDS program (PEPFAR). President-elect Obama’s campaign Web site states that the “first priority is…to ensure that best practices—not ideology—… drive funding for HIV/AIDS programs.” And indeed, both the new administration and the incoming Congress will have opportunities next year to do just that.
In August 2008, the U.S. government reauthorized the PEPFAR program, committing $39 billion over five years to the global fight against HIV. The new PEPFAR law features many improvements over the law that guided the program’s first five years; however, it, too, falls short in terms of HIV prevention policy.
Continue reading this article »
No Comments • Posted in: Action, Policy, STIs, Sex Ed
