I like what Laura Bunker, President of United Families Utah had t o say about the sex-ed bill, that Governor Herbert vetoed.  So I wanted to post it here.


United Families Utah expresses great disappointment in Governor Herbert's decision to veto HB 363, Health Education Amendments.  We are concerned about the inappropriate content that many Utah elementary students were exposed to last year, as well as other content that may enter elementary and secondary classrooms in the future. Even though the current law is "abstinence-based," parents can no longer assume that everything their child is taught in school aligns with their values. 

As the Deseret News reported, HB 363 "was designed to remove Planned Parenthood from schools," specifically the Planned Parenthood maturation program entitled "Growing Up Comes First" which was used in several school districts last year.  Even though the USOE removed their endorsement of this maturation program in April, 2011, as Senator Margaret Dayton (the Senate sponsor of HB 363) explained, "HB 363 would prevent similar endorsements or collaboration between educators and Planned Parenthood from occurring in the future."  We believe HB 363 would have detached Planned Parenthood from elementary maturation programs, and would have ensured that high school students are taught the truth about what will protect them.

After receiving thousands of letters and emails in opposition to HB 363, Governor Herbert vetoed the bill last Friday night.  In his statement he said, "HB 363 simply goes too far by constricting parental options" and "deprives parents of their choice."  We assume that "choice" refers to some parents who want the schools to provide instruction on contraception.  Yet ironically, that very "choice" allows the state to take over a critical parental responsibility.

What is wrong with teaching contraception in the classroom?
1.     It gives a conflicting double message.  An abstinence message is about how not to have sex. Contraception instruction is about how to have sex. The House sponsor of HB 363, Representative Bill Wright argued, "Teaching contraceptives to youth can cause great damage. We teach children to gratify themselves instead of disciplining [them]selves."
2.    Contraception is not the solution for teen pregnancy.  In January 2012 the CDC reported that 45.2% of teens who gave birth conceived while they were using either a "highly effective contraceptive method" such as birth control pills, or the "moderately effective method of condoms." 
3.    Contraception instruction opens the door to other sexual topics.  As Senator Dayton explained, "We have a clinical discussion but anytime you get into talking about contraceptives or alternative lifestyles or other things, then you're going into a counseling session."  My own experience with "comprehensive sex-ed" in California confirmed this.  When contraception was discussed, students began laughing and making crude remarks. Contraception turned the classroom into a locker room.

What is right with teaching abstinence-only in the classroom? 
1.    This may be the only place some students ever hear about abstinence and self control. Senator Dayton observed, "Teaching abstinence is a matter of public health. Kids are inundated with information about sex from many venues. To counter that, there must be at least one reliable source for teaching the benefits of abstinence." 
2.    A landmark study from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 followed 662 high-risk students from low-income urban schools, and found that "single-focused, abstinence-only programs reduced sexual initiation over two years."  
3.    Our friends at the Sutherland Institute recently reported that "areas where Utah's public school districts teach abstinence-only sex education have unwed teen pregnancy and chlamydia rates lower than areas allowing instruction in contraception."
4.    Abstinence-only curriculum actually increases parental choice.  It allows parents the freedom to individually tailor what additional information--and from whom that information comes--depending on the needs and the desired outcomes of the parents for their children, not the needs and desired outcomes inherent in contraception education. 

We encourage Utah parents to be vigilant about what is being taught to their children in their schools. Don't be afraid to discuss your concerns with your child's teacher and principal.  And perhaps it's time to think twice before signing that maturation or sex-ed "opt-in" permission slip.
Faithfully yours,
Laura Bunker
United Families Utah director
http://unitedfamiliesut.org/