Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio: Sex Education IS Education: Sex Education Promotes Young People’s Health, Relationships, and Life Goals
For Immediate Release: Oct. 11, 2018
COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio is the only state in the nation with no health standards. Schools across the state teach different curricula based on school board recommendations. On October 17, 2018, the Ohio Center for Sex Education will host The Ohio Sex Ed Summit, bringing together experts from Ohio, and across the nation, sharing strategies for supporting fact-based, medically-accurate sex education for individuals across Ohio. It is vital providers come together and explore new, innovative ways to reach young people, while remaining relevant in traditional education settings.
This fall (October 15 - November 30), in conjunction with the summit, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio reminds the public that sex education helps young people have healthy relationships, make choices about their future, and accept themselves and others for who they are. Young people need and deserve sex education that includes a full range of topics and skills to keep them healthy and meet their life goals.
Statement from Diego Espino, Vice President of Community Engagement, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio:
“Comprehensive sex education is more than just teaching about condoms. And it's even more than preventing STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and unintended pregnancy. Comprehensive sex education has a proven track record of helping young people develop the knowledge and skills they need to make healthy decisions about relationships, their health, and their future.
“Comprehensive sex education helps teach young people what a healthy relationship looks like and gives them opportunities to practice good communication skills before they become sexually active. It should cover a wide range of topics, including healthy and unhealthy relationships, decision-making and peer pressure, abstinence, communication, consent, gender identity and sexual orientation, body image, media literacy, critical thinking, birth control, and STIs.”
The overwhelming majority of Americans want young people to get sex education in middle school and high school — this support includes parents and young people themselves. Unfortunately, fewer young people than ever are receiving any sex education at all — or they’re getting ineffective programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage. Research confirms that abstinence-only-until-marriage programs withhold critical information from young people, leaving them at risk.
###
About Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio: The mission of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio is to protect, promote, and provide empowered health care for generations of women, men, and families across Ohio. PPGOH serves approximately 65,000 patients annually throughout Ohio including metropolitan areas in Toledo, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Mansfield, Cleveland, Columbus, and Athens. www.ppgoh.org.