The Santa Barbara Unified School District is considering adopting a new sex education curriculum called, Teen Talk , in order to meet updated State requirements, and better prepare our young people for healthy relationships and sexual activity.
Having taught human sexuality at Santa Barbara City College
for the past 20 years, the majority of the hundreds of students I've had who
attended our local junior and senior high schools have consistently said they
were not adequately prepared to deal with the realities of sexual involvement
and intimate relationships. High rates of sexual assault, eating disorders,
homophobia, abusive relationships, unintended pregnancies, and sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) are powerful evidence that we are failing to
protect and prepare our children.
A vocal minority of community members have objected to the
curriculum and more thorough sexuality education, while the vast majority of
parents support comprehensive sex education but tend not to speak up about it.
Our schools clearly need to spend more time and cover more topics to ensure the
sexual health and safety of our young people.