Abstinence is best ‘safe-sex’ message

An Illinois Senate committee recently passed SB 1619, a “comprehensive” sex education bill that will require many schools to teach graphic, inappropriate sex education programs. Most parents don’t want their children being taught the “how to’s” of sexual activity when that activity jeopardizes their lives and health.

Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union are behind this bill. The ACLU claims that by teaching the traditional abstinence-until-marriage curriculum, schools “deny students crucial information they need to prevent pregnancy and protect them from sexually transmitted diseases.”

This is absurd since abstinence will never result in pregnancy and STDs. Yet these liberal organizations would rather use your tax dollars and public school resources to encourage young people to experiment with risky sexual behavior, such as oral sex and homosexuality.

Many sexual activities, too graphic to describe, are found in the SIECUS (Sexuality Information Education Council of the United States) manual, upon which “comprehensive” sex-ed curriculums are based. The failures of “safe sex” are clear: unwanted pregnancies, abortion, disease and devastating emotional ramifications.

Abstinence until marriage is the only dependable safe-sex message Illinois policymakers should be promoting in our public schools. Contact your state lawmakers and tell them to vote no on SB 1916.

David E. Smith

Executive Director

Illinois Family Institute

Carol Stream