Non-newsflash: the Lone Star State isn't alone in teaching
sex misdeducation. Right on the heels of a report detailing Texas' dismal
sex ed programs, a new report finds that the Sunshine State is also keeping kids
"in the dark." Florida's school districts are legally required to promote
"abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for
all school-aged students" but aren't expected to offer even basic information
about safe sex, says the report.
Abstinence-only programs have taken the state by storm, thanks to a whopping
$64 million in federal funding. The report, by the Sexuality Information and
Education Council and the Healthy Teens Campaign of Florida, points out that
"only Texas receives more money." And, just like Texas, Florida's sex ed
programs promote un-sexy things like fear, shame, gender stereotypes and lies.
Here's a sampling of the gems of wisdom that can be found in state
curricula:
"Men sexually are like microwaves and women are like crockpots."
The consequence of premarital sex: “No ongoing relationships, no commitment,
no security, no family and possibly no children."
Sex within marriage “will eliminate any of the physical and/or emotional harm
caused by contracting a sexually transmitted disease."
“Condoms fail so often in preventing pregnancy (10-36%) that doctors call
them ‘antiquated birth control.’"
More on condoms: “Would you buy a ticket to go bungee jumping from a company
that admits their bungee cords will fail about 40% of the
time?”
I might laugh, if these blatant lies weren't so damn destructive. "The most
recent data available shows Florida has the third highest rate in the nation of
new AIDS diagnoses, the fifth highest rate of new HIV infections; teen pregnancy
rates that are the sixth highest in the nation; nearly two-thirds of all new
sexually transmitted diseases in the state were among young people; and 15% of
new HIV infections occurred among those under the age of 25," according to the
report. "In sum, Florida has some of the worst health outcomes on these key
indicators of reproductive and sexual health nationwide." There's nothing funny
about that.
Salon.com
Tracy Clark-Flory
