When it comes to sex education in Texas, students are more likely to learn the details on the street than in the classroom. More than 83% of state school districts either don’t teach sex education or teach abstinence-only lessons, according to a new study from the watchdogs at Texas Freedom Network‘s Education Fund.
The report, Conspiracy of Silence: Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools shows that the number of districts that don’t teach sex ed jumped from 2.3% in the 2007-08 school year to more than 25% in 2015-16. More than half of the districts that took the abstinence-only approach provided medically inaccurate instruction on condoms and other forms of birth control – which doesn’t bode well for a state that ranks fifth nationally in teen birth rates. The study also found that most sex ed in Texas doesn’t consider LGBTQ youth experience and perpetuates fear and gender stereotypes in instruction. Austin ISD teaches the abstinence-plus “Big Decisions” curriculum and the abstinence-only Holt Lifetime Health textbook, according to the report. Anti-choice, Christian-based crisis pregnancy center Austin LifeCare offers an “Austin LifeGuard” curriculum.
“When it comes to sex education, Texas is failing our students and their families,” said Kathy Miller, president of TFN. “We have to trust young people with the information they need to make wise decisions about their reproductive health and their future. Ignorance won’t protect them.”
The Lege hasn’t helped: In 2009, it voted to nix high school health class (where sex ed is usually taught) as a graduation requirement. This session, as in the recent past, Dem lawmakers have attempted to undo some of the damage: State Rep. Mary González, D-Clint, has filed House Bill 1547, which would require sex ed instruction to include medically accurate information on abstinence and birth control.
This article appears in February 24 • 2017.