Pediatricians: Kids Need Real Sex-Ed

Almost half of American teenagers are sexually active. What does Bush and his Health and Human Services Administration recommend? If they’re already having sex, fine, they can use contraception. But if they’re not having sex yet, don’t tell them about contraception, just make them promise not to have sex. Actually, that doesn’t work.

A new report out from the American Academy of Pediatrics aimed at informing pediatricians about how to help prevent adolescent pregnancy recommends comprehensive sex education in addition to promotion of abstinence. In New York City, the health teachers curriculum doesn’t require any mention in middle school of how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases or contraception—a great way to start out your potentially sexually-active teen years.

To find out more about the recommendations issued this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics, Nell spoke earlier today with Dr. Jonathan Klein, chairman of the committee that released the report and Anna Schissel, Staff Attorney with the NYCLU Reproductive Rights Project.