SIECUS E-Mail Alert—Feb. 7, 2002

 

California's medical accuracy bill certainly doesn't ban

abstinence-based sex education; indeed, California law also requires

that sex education emphasize abstinence.  However, under other

provisions of California law (that pre-dated our medical accuracy law),

courses that discuss sexual intercourse must also discuss contraception,

so many abstinence-only curricula were in violation of California law

even before the medical accuracy statute took effect.

 

What the medical accuracy bill does is forbid the extreme, fear-based

abstinence-only curricula that rely upon misinformation to enforce its

abstinence only theme (abortion causes sterility, etc.).  The law has a

definition of medical accuracy, that relies on scientific method,

peer-reviewed publications, and expert organizations such as the CDC. 

Under this standard, some curricula in California are in violation of

the law--but, again, not because they promote abstinence but because

they lie to kids to accomplish their goals.

 

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