Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune - January 31, 2008
Stephanie Banchero, sbanchero@tribune.com
The study, to be published Thursday in the American journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, found that one-third of sex education teachers in Illinois public schools were not teaching comprehensive sex ed.
About 30 percent of the teachers had never been trained to deliver sex ed classes and many of them did not have the textbooks and other necessary curriculum materials.
"Schools are an important place where young people get information about health, including sexuality, but we are seeing serious and troubling holes in that education," said senior author Stacy Tessler Lindau, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
"Doctors need to be proactive and initiate discussion about sexuality with adolescents and their parents," she said. "Accurate knowledge is power."
The study, commissioned by the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health and Planned Parenthood, surveyed 335 sex education teachers in 201 public middle and high schools across Illinois.
Most of the respondents said they covered topics such as abstinence, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS education. But only 68 percent said they discussed birth control with their students and about 34 percent talked about condom use.
The paper points out that nearly two-thirds of high school seniors say they are sexually active, yet many are not receiving education about birth control, where to get contraceptives and how to use condoms.
Federal funding of abstinence-only education programs under President Bush is partly to blame, the paper concludes. Under federal law, abstinence-only programs cannot include discussion about contraception, except to note failure rates.
"We worry that such restrictive approaches leave students unprepared to prevent pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases," Lindau said.
080131
CT080106
Copyright © 2008 - Chicago Tribune. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Chicago Tribune, Permissions Desk, 435 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 http://www.chicagotribune.com
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2008. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2008. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .