education

After reading about the crisis Manatee County is facing in regards to teen pregnancy one thing was evident; the county's approach to abstinence only sexual education is failing miserably. Here are the sobering facts:

Manatee County has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state.

Out of 67 counties, Manatee is the 17th highest; and, in births to teens 10 to 14 years of age, Manatee has the 13th highest rate.

In 2006, one-third of 2,196 ninth-graders surveyed admitted that they had sexual intercourse. This was a 3 percent increase over the 2004 results.

Unfortunately, we live in a culture that both embraces and rejects issues surrounding sex and sexuality. These mixed messages make it particularly difficult for parents and other caregivers to discuss sexual matters at home. Since we are constantly bombarded with mixed messages, social pressures may conflict with family values creating a big problem when it comes to sexual education at home.

Thinking back on my own childhood I learned about sexual matters from my friends, and I might add most of the information was grossly incorrect. How about you?