LETTER: Broad-based sex education necessary

To the editor:

I agree with the point in the Nov. 16 Review-Journal editorial arguing that changes to a curriculum as important as sex education should be undertaken only after the public has had a chance to review it and comment. But I part ways with the Review-Journal’s attempt to politicize and denigrate efforts to address and prevent what are public health problems that impact teens at all economic levels — namely teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and sexual assault, and harassment and discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.

All of these share a common root: a fundamental lack of accurate, science-based information provided to youth. It is naive to believe that sex education centered on abstinence will put a serious dent in the above mentioned issues. To write that “Sexuality education is a solution in search of a problem” seems to imply that you either don’t believe that these issues exist here in Clark County, or that they simply aren’t worth worrying about because they’re somebody else’s problems.

Pregnancy among school-age women; sexually transmitted infections due to lack of information about how to prevent/treat them; teen-on-teen sexual assault; the high rate of depression and suicide attempts among gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered youth — none of these will go away by simply advising teens to avoid having sex.

I applaud the editorial’s support of gay marriage, as well as the sentiment that “people of all sexual orientations should be accepted.” One way to help that come about is to provide age-appropriate information that fosters this acceptance to students. It is now common knowledge that many LGBT adults became aware of their sexual orientation in childhood or their teens. Many were bullied and harassed as a result. Biases against those perceived as “different” are learned, and begin to form in childhood.

Teaching elementary-age children about the variety of romantic relationships need not include coverage about the sexual aspects of these relationships. And it does not encourage experimentation. What it can do is foster respect for the diversity of love relationships, and hopefully reduce bullying, harassment and exclusion of LGBT youth, as well as the incidence of depression and suicide.

JIM BRUSTMAN

HENDERSON