The Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service held its weekly Pizza and Politics event on Wednesday, Feb 14, with this week’s discussion being on sex education in schools.
Presenters Cambria Slaugh and Tanner Moss began the presentation by defining the two main types of sex education. First is the comprehensive style, which aims to give young people accurate and age-appropriate information about sex, while the second is sexual risk avoidance, which takes an abstinence-only approach.
Slaugh and Moss explained that Utah typically only engages in abstinence-only education, as it is the only form of sex education required by the state. Other states that only require this approach are Texas, Hawaii and Mississippi.
Utah Code 53g-10-402 defines Utah schools’ sex education curriculum as being composed of topics relating to the importance of abstinence and encouraging the use of contraceptives. These classes, prohibited from carrying any religious or political doctrine, are mandated by the code to be taught at least twice between eighth and 12th grade, and parents are to be notified in advance.
Those in attendance were then asked the question, “Did you receive sex education? And if so, to what extent?” One participant responded, “I grew up in Utah, so I didn’t receive the best education,” and another student stated, “I took it online in middle school, and it covered abstinence, some STIs and basic anatomy.”
The presentation closed with some information on sex education globally. For instance, the World Health Organization states that learning should be done incrementally starting at age five.
Next week’s Pizza and Politics will focus on the prison systems in America. That event will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at 12 p.m. in the Leavitt Center.
Story: Aidan Mortensen
Photographer: Aidan Mortensen
Editor: Anna Mower
news@suunews.net
