Support Responsible Sex Education!
On Monday, January 26, the Senate Health, Housing, and Family Security Committee heard SF274. The chair of the committee and author of this legislation, Sen. John Marty, has developed a broad prevention package that would address unintended pregnancy prevention and testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. The bill includes legislative language on Responsible Sex Ed. Please contact your State Senator today and let them know you support Responsible Sex Ed! To find out who represents you and find their contact information, go to: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/ See below for helpful talking points on Responsible Sex Ed: - Sex education helps young people be safe and healthy. It provides information that Minnesota youth need to become responsible adults.
- Minnesota parents support and want sex education taught in public schools. A study conducted by the University of Minnesota in late 2007 confirms that 89% of Minnesota parents support sex ed in their schools.
- The Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed, a broad coalition of health, education, social service, faith, and advocacy organizations supports this legislation.
- The responsible sex ed language in Sen. Marty’s bill would create standards for medically accurate, age appropriate sex education for public school students in grades 7-12, and is one way to help prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. This language mirrors the bills that have been introduced on responsible sexuality education in past years.
The need for prevention measures is vast; in 2006, Minnesota reached the state's highest level ever of Chlamydia cases, with total cases more than doubling over the last decade. In this economic downturn, it is of the utmost importance that we fund programs like FPSP that provide a critical safety net for thousands of Minnesotans who won't be able to afford health care anywhere else.
At the same time, it is also important that we make smart fiscal decisions. Preventative programs actually save money in the long run and help improve the lives of Minnesotans at the same time.
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