Health Education Coordinator Sandra Hale and the Westbrook School Committee has determined that Westbrook schools will go back to the sex education of 15 years ago. Recent scientific studies should lead us in a different direction. Studies show that birth control pills significantly increase the risk of breast cancer and Depo-Provera is shown to cause lifelong bone loss in young girls. Not a good health strategy considering that these are being given to help lower the rates of only one of the many risks involved in sexual activity: the risk of pregnancy.
Condoms can impact the risk of STD’s, another risk of early sexual activity, but not by much. The CDC website shows that the only STD rate lowered by even 85 percent when condoms are used (and used correctly) is HIV/AIDS. For herpes, there is no proven protection for girls, for gonorrhea the rate is 50 percent, and for chlamydia it is only 50 percent. There is no impact on tricomoniasis rates and no evidence that they reduce HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer. This is what Sandra Hale is calling preventive medicine. It is hardly worth calling prevention.
I don’t know anyone who believes that sexual activity is beneficial in any way for 13-year-olds. There is a strong correlation between sexual involvement and other high-risk behaviors – drinking, smoking, violence, suicide.
Why bring all kids across the board down to the lowest level, by giving information about contraceptives to the whole class in this age group?
At this important and pivotal time in their lives, kids need good information, and an uplifting message. They need to be free to focus on developing their talents and strengths and future career goals.
Why not take this opportunity to help make them strong? Every future challenge they’ll face will require strength of character; why not help build it today? Kids deserve better. And that would be a real health message, not a false promise.
To those who say, it’s not practical, check out the statistics for successful research based abstinence education programs that are being used all across the country.
Liza Pajak
Portland
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