Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Salt Lake Tribune (10.28.09) - Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Lisa Schencker
The curriculum, using materials from the Department of Health and Human Services' "Parents Speak Up" campaign, targets adults who will then instruct parents on the finer points of taking about sex with their children. About 20 people, including parents, local health department officials, and others, attended the first session in late October.
"The approach we want to take is instead of liberalizing the [school] curriculum and putting information in there a lot of parents don't feel comfortable with, we wanted to train the parents and let the parents teach the kids," said Utah PTA Health Commissioner Liz Zentner.
Although Planned Parenthood has opposed the Utah PTA in recent discussions on sex education legislation, it supports the PTA's efforts to reach parents.
"I think parents should definitely be empowered to have this conversation with their children, said Melissa Bird, executive director of the Planned Parenthood council.
The PTA's campaign comes at a time when state lawmakers are considering legislation that would create two tracks for school-based sex education. Both would teach abstinence, but one also would include information about contraceptives and other issues. Attendance in either track would require parental permission.
The Utah Department of Health estimates that in 2006-07, a baby was born to nearly 18 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-17.
"Even great kids from great families with strong moral values, [Latter Day Saints], Catholic, whatever, it can happen to any kid," said Michelle Brown, president of the Hillcrest High PTA. "If parents trick themselves into thinking it can't they're wrong."
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