Information Alert: Coming to a city near you?

Victoria Cobb, President
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Last week the Richmond Times Dispatch reported that a group of school children had addressed the Henrico County School Board, saying that the state needs to change the guidelines for sex education curriculum from abstinence-based to the model promoted by Planned Parenthood, so-called “comprehensive sex ed.”

Planned Parenthood Federation of America has as one of its top legislative priorities ending abstinence education in the United States. Late in 2007 they successfully convinced Governor Tim Kaine to stop accepting federal money for abstinence education, effectively ending many abstinence-centered programs in the Commonwealth.

While we would hope the idea that we should base our public policy and what is taught in sex education classes on what school age children think would be immediately dismissed by any reasonable adult, several school board members in Henrico County seemed to agree with the kids – teach more sex to decrease the number of kids having sex.

The issue of what our children is being taught in sex education classes, called Family Life Education in Virginia, has been controversial since the concept was introduced to public education decades ago. And, of course, the misinformation about the effectiveness of abstinence education and the ineffectiveness of “comprehensive sex ed” continues.

Don’t be fooled by what you read in the article. Where one student is quoted as saying 5 percent of parents want abstinence based curriculum, the actual number is closer to 80 percent.

And abstinence education works. A recent study in Virginia showed that kids who were taught abstinence were far more likely to postpone sexual activity than those who were not. Several national studies agree.

It would be interesting to find out exactly what motivated students to begin carrying the sex ed banner of Planned Parenthood. While the organization is not mentioned in the article, one has to wonder if this isn’t Planned Parenthood once again using our children to accomplish their agenda. After all, every time a teenage girl that listens to the “safe sex” message of comprehensive sex ed and ends up pregnant – Planned Parenthood has another potential “client” knocking on their door asking about an abortion. Coincidentally, May just happens to be “Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Month” as advocated by, guess who, Planned Parenthood.

I doubt that Henrico County is the only place in Virginia where this is happening. Planned Parenthood is a well-organized, $1 billion political behemoth. Their entire purpose is more abortion more of the time and I would guess this is a very planned, very coordinated effort. If you are the parent of a public school child, I urge you to contact your local school board representative and make sure they know that you support the Commonwealth’s emphasis on abstinence education.