Some recommendations about sex education

Below are some of the recommendations offered this month to states and school districts on sexual education by a coalition of health and education groups.

By the end of second grade, students should be able to: Use proper names for body parts; explain that all living things reproduce; identify different kinds of family structures; explain that all people have the right to not be touched; and explain why bullying and teasing are wrong.By the end of fifth grade, students should be able to:Describe male and female reproductive systems; understand changes during puberty; define sexual orientation as #147;the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender;#148; define HIV and ways to prevent it; describe healthy relationships; define teasing, harassment, bullying and sexual abuse.By the end of the eighth grade, students should be able to: Differentiate between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation; explain the range of gender roles; describe the signs of pregnancy; compare and contrast behaviors including abstinence to determine the potential risk of disease transmission from each; define emergency contraception and its use; explain why a person who has been raped or sexually assaulted is not at fault.By the end of high school, students should be able to: Analyze how brain development has an impact on changes of adolescence; define sexual consent and its implications for sexual decision making; explain why using tricks, threats or coercion in relationships is wrong; and compare and contrast the laws relating to pregnancy adoption, abortion and parenting.