Making the right decisions

This is in response to the letter from Cecile J. Hecker (July 1) about sex education. I am a 16-year-old high school student who is very happy to have had sex education in the classroom.

In the fifth grade, I learned about my own bodily functions, and up to sophomore year, I have been taught methods of birth control, including abstinence.

What shocks me is that sex education is considered "gross" and a "grave, moral evil." What is so evil about my knowing how my body works? About knowing how to prevent HIV and STDs?

Sex education doesn't make children sexually active; children make children sexually active.

I don't want to have sex because I learned around what age I would get my period, I want to have sex when I feel that I am ready and with someone I trust and love.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the parents shouldn't get involved, too, but I don't think sex education should be limited to the parents. If school and family were to work together, they could thoroughly educate children to ensure they make the right decisions when, or if, they choose to have sex.

Coral Howe, Dixfield

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Displaying comments, from newest to oldest

ajg1959's picture

I taught my kids

everything they needed to know, and neither of them had children out of wedlock or caught an STD.

I dont need left wing liverals that promote abortion as an alternative to child birth to be teaching my youngest son that is just starting school.

I am not saying here, because I dont know about here, but in many schools they promote and encourage birth control without parental consent, abortion without parental consent, and some even teach that homosexuality is normal.

All of these issues should be handled by the parent so that the morals of the parent are taught to the child and not the immorality of the left wing liberals.

verified

What a joke

What a joke ajg we had Conservatives who taught sexual education in school who never let their bias cloud what they were teaching and they taught us more about having a morale cognitive structure then what some of us had learned at home. You keep talking about liberals and how they are always bad for society, that is not the truth, and you know it is not. When you turn you're back on something it largely back fires like a pie in the face. I'd love to believe you if not for the factors that so much of the intolerance is born and bred at home for the homosexuality is normal, it is, and if you think of yourself as not being a sinner then what you saying is that you are. By making homophobic remarks it makes you seem just the cup of tea fit for a Nazi uniform in a homosexual block during WWII.

Lil's picture
verified

parents

And when parents don't care? Should we leave it up to the whack-a-doodle right wing clowns and their "abstinence only" failure?

jalbrecht1's picture
verified

Coral, thumbs up

Glad to see such a well written and thoughtout letter from obviously a very talented young woman.

ojhuig's picture

Well written, Coral! Thanks

Well written, Coral! Thanks for speaking up.

oldgrump's picture

I would rather a child learn

I would rather a child learn by instruction than by trial and error with "real life" experimentation. When one is forewarned, one is forearmed. To have an adequate understanding of the bodily functions helps one to understand when something is "not quite right". And to consider the uterus "gross"? Moreso than the heart, kidney, epidermis or any other part of the human body? In the words of my 16 y/o niece "Oh Puleeeaze!!"

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