Newspaper Articles about Texas Health Textbooks
and Abstinence-Only Sex Education
for the July 14 Public Hearing

Sex content for textbooks urged

Speakers say health materials for schools need more on subject

By TERRENCE STUTZ
The Dallas Morning News
Thursday, July 15, 2004
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/071504dntextextbook.2af3a.html

AUSTIN &endash; Scores of speakers urged the State Board of Education on Wednesday to shelve proposed high school health textbooks because they contain little information on condoms and contraception in a state that leads the nation in teenage births.

Most of the witnesses testifying on the four proposed health texts criticized their lack of information on sex and how to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases except through abstinence.

Supporters of the books said there is nothing wrong with an abstinence-only approach for high school students, arguing that parents and local school officials can give out more information if they choose.

Board member Terri Leo, R-Spring, suggested that the state's high teen pregnancy rate is the result of too much sex education information and not enough emphasis on sexual abstinence.

"I think the numbers may go down with these books," she said.

Board member Alma Allen, D-Houston, had a different view, contending that a lack of information about sex is "killing our kids."

"I can't in good conscience vote for any of these books," she said.

The comments came during the first of the board's two annual hearings on new textbooks for public schools. Board members will vote in November on the books, which then will be distributed to schools in the 2005-06 school year.

Textbook selection in Texas is closely watched by educators because the state is the second-largest purchaser of school books in the nation. Books adopted in Texas generally are marketed in dozens of other states.

Among those criticizing the books was Bernard Kaye of Frisco, who served on one of the panels that reviewed and recommended the health books. Mr. Kaye opposed adoption of the books but was outvoted 2-1 on his review panel.

"I am ashamed of what is in these books and what they don't cover," said Mr. Kaye, a lawyer. "These books are holding back information on barrier protection that should be available to teenagers."

Michelle Rutherford of Dallas, noting that Texas has the highest rate of teen births in the United States, told the board that the textbooks "dangerously fail to address the reality in which our teenagers live."

"These textbooks are sending our kids mixed messages, and they refuse to give them information that could save their lives," she said.

Three of the four health textbooks up for adoption contain almost no information on condoms and other forms of contraception, focusing only on abstinence as the way to prevent pregnancy and disease.

Emily Herring of San Antonio, representing the conservative Texas Justice Foundation, said abstinence gets less attention when a comprehensive sex education program is used.

"It could be that these programs are contributing to higher rates [of teen pregnancies]," she said. "Should parents wish to teach their children about practicing safe sex, they have every opportunity in the privacy of their family."

A coalition of groups, including the Texas Freedom Network and Planned Parenthood, told the board that the books don't meet state curriculum standards and should be rejected. Those standards specify that the books "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods including the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage."

Publishers &endash; including Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and Holt, Rinehart and Winston &endash; insist that their books comply with the standards because contraceptive methods are discussed in teacher editions and student supplements to the textbooks.

Samantha Smoot of the Texas Freedom Network dismissed the publishers' assertions, saying the teacher editions don't meet state requirements because they contain so little information on contraception. She added that her group supports the teaching of abstinence but recognizes that not all teens will follow that course.

"Regardless of how you personally feel about whether teenagers should have access in their textbooks to family planning and disease prevention information, the curriculum clearly requires it, and these books clearly lack it," she said.

E-mail tstutz@dallasnews.com

Activists debate sex in textbooks

By R.A. Dyer
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Thu, Jul. 15, 2004
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/9159469.htm

AUSTIN - The State Board of Education would risk the health and welfare of schoolchildren if it approves controversial health science textbooks that violate Texas curriculum guidelines by limiting discussion of sex education, according to reproductive-rights and liberal activists.

But textbook proponents, who also spoke during a public hearing Wednesday, said the books protect parental rights while providing local school districts more options for sex education.

At issue are four textbooks proposed for ninth- and 10th-grade health science classes that are published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and Delmar Learning.

If approved by the 15-member board this fall, the books could be purchased by local districts with state money for the 2005-06 school year.

Samantha Smoot, director of the Texas Freedom Network, said the books violate the state's curriculum guidelines that call for more extensive sex education.

Three of the books fail to mention condoms or other forms of contraception, and all four fail to include a detailed discussion of sex education, she said.

"Regardless of how you personally feel about whether teen-agers should have access in their textbooks to family planning and disease prevention information, the curriculum clearly requires it, and the books clearly lack it," Smoot said.

Others disagreed, saying that the books meet the guidelines and that local districts can provide more extensive sex education through supplemental materials provided for free by textbook publishers.

"Texas families are the ultimate winners," said Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life Coalition.

The board's decision could have nationwide effect because publishers typically market their Texas books in other states. A final vote is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Texas Education Agency, www.tea.state.tx.us

R.A. Dyer, (512) 476-4294 rdyer@star-telegram.com

Public urges board to reject high school health textbooks

Books up for OK by State Board of Education members lacking needed info about condoms, say doctors and other speakers

By Melissa Ludwig
Austin American-Statesman
Thursday, July 15, 2004
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/metro_state_046fc2442252118100d0.html

Many Texans may favor abstinence-only sex education for high school students, but few showed up at a State Board of Education hearing Wednesday to support textbooks that follow that philosophy.

About 120 people signed up to testify about four high school health textbooks submitted to the board for adoption in November.

Most in the crowd, which included ministers, doctors, lawyers and students, said the books would do teens a disservice by omitting information about using condoms and other contraceptives as a way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Instead, the books under consideration focus almost entirely on abstinence.

"I believe all of you have the same naive view of society," Melanie Cox, a former nurse from Dripping Springs, told the board. "It's fine to preach abstinence . . . but the truth of the matter is that teenagers are human beings with raging hormones. It is as important to discuss this . . . as it is handwashing techniques."

During the hearing, board members argued with each other, and speakers, over the value of teaching about condoms versus abstinence.

"The publishers have presented (the information) according to the law," said board member Terri Leo, a supporter of abstinence-only education.

The crowd laughed and booed when Leo said that condoms were ineffective in preventing diseases and that research shows that abstinence-only sex education works.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, condoms are highly effective in preventing transmission of HIV and reduce the risk of most other sexually transmitted diseases.

The scene was an exact opposite of what happened in 1994, when the board last adopted health textbooks. Then, the books up for adoption included discussions about contraception, and vocal crowds lobbied board members to throw them out, along with drawings of breast and testicular examinations and toll-free numbers related to sexual problems.

One book was eventually withdrawn from consideration; the rest were approved after many changes were made.

In 1995, the Legislature restricted the board's authority to change content in textbooks, allowing it to reject books only if they contain factual errors, manufacturing defects or do not conform to state curriculum guidelines.

Board Chairwoman Geraldine Miller, who in 1994 advocated a strong role for the board in judging textbook content, took a difference stance Wednesday.

"Basically, all we can do is go through and check the box and see if it has been mentioned once," Miller said of the specific curriculum requirements each book must cover.

At issue is a mandate for texts to "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage."

Samantha Smoot, president of the Texas Freedom Network, said a having a "mere mention" of a required element in a textbook -- or putting it in sidebars, captions or in one question at the end of the chapter -- does not meet the state standard.

"It doesn't matter what any of us believe about this; what matters is, 'Do these four books meet the Texas curriculum standards?' " Smoot said. "I think it's quite clear they don't."

Publishers still have time to make changes, but if the board gives a book a "nonconforming" grade or rejects it in November, that will effectively remove it from the $20 million Texas market for high school health books.

Another public hearing on the textbooks will be held Sept. 8.

mludwig@statesman.com; 445-3620

Textbooks fire debate at hearing in Austin

Karen Adler
Express-News Staff Writer
July 15, 2004
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA071504.01B.textbooks.bd8d9db.html

AUSTIN &emdash; In a state with one of the nation's highest teen pregnancy rates, how &emdash; and if &emdash; abstinence should share space with condoms in high school health textbooks has become the focus of a lively debate before the State Board of Education.

More than 100 people signed up to speak at a public hearing Wednesday, and testimony from educators, students, health professionals and representatives of public policy groups went well into the evening.

At issue is whether health textbooks being considered for adoption by the state board should include more information about condoms and other "barrier methods" that may reduce pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

All the books recommended to the board by a textbook review panel emphasize abstinence as the best option for teens and give minimal coverage to condoms.

The reality is more than 50 percent of Texas high school students are sexually active, said Dr. Janet Realini, a San Antonio physician who works with the city of San Antonio on teen pregnancy prevention programs.

"Sometimes abstinence intended is not abstinence achieved," she said.

Lots of teens are having sex, agreed Madison High School senior Robert Dudley Jr., saying it's because students don't learn enough about abstinence.

The intern with the Justice Foundation said he reviewed three of the health textbooks and supports their adoption.

"As a whole, they send out the message that teens need to live a healthy life," he said.

State rules and law give credence to both sides in this battle.

The state curriculum, called Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, requires students be able to "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods."

But at the same time, the state education code lets individual school districts decide what lessons are to be taught as part of sex education.

Anna Kreisberg, a junior at Churchill High School, said she was appalled that one book she reviewed didn't mention barrier protection at all.

"As a high school student, I am aware that abstinence is the best choice, but by not stating other options, as well, students are not prepared to responsibly decide what's best for their own health," she said during afternoon testimony.

A second public hearing will be held Sept. 8 in Austin, and a vote is scheduled for Nov. 5.

The State Board of Education also is considering textbooks for foreign languages, fine arts and physical education, but those have not attracted controversy.

The board's decision will have national implications because Texas buys more textbooks than any other state except California. Publishers often market in other states the books adopted in Texas.

Joe Bernal, San Antonio's representative on the board, said he's just beginning to study the health textbooks and hasn't decided if he will approve them.

But, he notes, "you're not limited to just a textbook to fit the TEKS," he added. "You can bring in a lot of outside material."

kadler@express-news.net

Commentary: John Kelso

Life, liberty and pursuit of condoms

The Austin American Statesman
Saturday, July 17, 2004
http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/metro/kelso/07/18kelso.html

I'm a little suspicious of these four health textbooks that the state is looking at for high schoolers, but not because they recommend a heavy dose of abstinence to cut down on teen sex and pretty much ignore condoms.

It's the Yankee Doodle Dandy way condoms are mentioned that makes me wonder.

I'm as pro-Made in America as the next guy. I usually check inside any new gimme hat I get to see where it's made. I'm often disappointed to discover that a hat advertising so and so's barbecue is manufactured by some underpaid schlep in China or Bangladesh who wouldn't know a sausage wrap from a tuna roll.

But does it really matter if the condom you use is made in the good old USA?

Apparently, the authors of "Essentials of Health & Wellness" think so. This textbook is one of the four being considered for Texas ninth- and 10th-graders by the State Board of Education, which will decide in November whether to approve them for purchase by school districts.

This book is important because, according to a watchdog group called the Texas Freedom Network, it is the only one of the four health books that mentions condoms at all. And, the group says, the book gives condoms only one mention.

"Using an American-made latex condom or female condom creates a barrier between the two partners," the book tells us on Page 436. The book adds that we should be wary of "novelty condoms and foreign-made condoms" since they "are not completely effective."

I'll buy the part about novelty condoms not being worth a flip. Not that I have any kids out there who are the result of comedic condoms. It's just that it makes perfect sense to steer away from condoms that play Aerosmith tunes and light up in the dark.

But when people go to the store to purchase condoms, should they really ask their druggist whether the condoms are made in Japan?

I mean, buying a condom isn't quite the same as buying a Honda. Besides, it's embarrassing enough as it is to go into a pharmacy and pick up a package of condoms without having to ask whether it came from South Korea.

To find out whether condoms should be made in the U.S., I took the "Essentials of Health & Wellness" textbook into the Eckerd drugstore on South Congress Avenue and spoke with the pharmacist. (I felt just like Michael Moore making a movie called "Trojans and Me.")

Jack Bhakta said it doesn't really matter where the condoms are made. What matters is what they are made of.

"The main thing the people need to look for is a latex condom," he said. "That material is pretty much the standard.

"As pharmacists, we have to concentrate on what type of product it is, not the country where it is made," he added.

Jack said no one buying a condom has ever asked him about the country where it was manufactured. Although he did say that the funny condoms you find in truck stops should be avoided.

So, should we really be recommending in kids' textbooks that people stay away from foreign-made condoms? No wonder the French hate us.

John Kelso's column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 445-3606 or jkelso@statesman.com.

Editorial: State shouldn't censor students' sex education

San Antonio Express News
July 18, 2004
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/stories/MYSA071804.2H.textbooks2ed.10777cc6.html

Knowledge is power.

Denying Texas high school students access to information about forms of contraception in health class is bad policy.

Withholding the information is not going to stop high school students from having sex if they are determined to do so. Providing information can prevent unwanted pregnancies and end the spread of sexually transmitted disease.

Keeping students uninformed and ignorant will not guarantee abstinence.

The State Board of Education should listen to the pleas of parents from across the state who want high school health education to include basic scientific information about family planning and birth control.

Publishers of health textbooks under consideration for adoption by the education board have allowed social conservatives to taint their product.

The state's curriculum standards require that textbooks and students "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage."

Yet, there is little information in the textbooks being considered for adoption about contraception and sexually transmitted disease.

Three of the four health textbooks focus primarily on abstinence. One textbook even recommends students get plenty of rest to avoid sexually transmitted diseases because when a person is tired it is difficult to think clearly.

Let's open our eyes.

State health statistics indicate a desperate need for the information.

Texas has the nation's highest teen birth rate among girls from 15 to 17. Many new cases of sexually transmitted diseases occur among 15- to 24-year-olds.

Publishers of the textbooks under consideration want to provide the sex information in supplements, which do not adhere to the textbook adoption process or state guidelines.

That's not good enough.

The responsibility of the State Board of Education is to ensure that students receive a quality public education. Pushing personal agendas is not part of that mission.

Encouraging abstinence a hot topic

Group gets $600K to use in local schools

By Leanne Libby Caller-Times
July 18, 2004
http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_3046209,00.html

Texas health education increasingly is looking to woo students with abstinence programs, a conservative "just say no" approach some welcome but that others worry doesn't go far enough.

Communities in Schools-Corpus Christi Inc., which provides social services to schools, recently received a $600,000 abstinence education grant from the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Teens and sex

AIDS cases in Nueces County 1984-April 2004:

Chlamydia cases in Nueces County 2003:

Gonorrhea in Nueces County 2003

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Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas said the grant "will provide resources to help educate teenagers to make more responsible choices and meet their full potential."

Veronica Trevino, executive director of Communities in Schools, said the grant started July 1 and reimburses the program after it has made its purchases and hires. She said the grant, which requires that only abstinence be taught, was written to provide service to the West Oso, Flour Bluff, Calallen and Tuloso-Midway school districts as well as Incarnate Word Academy. The grant will allow the 42-member staff to add 13 case managers.

"We've been in existence for 18 years and this is one of the biggest grants we've received," Trevino said. "More than 450 groups applied and we were one of 50 awarded nationwide."

The three-pronged program includes parental involvement, case management and an educational curriculum called "Choosing the Best." "It's based on prevention and building self-esteem," Trevino said.

The curriculum has materials designed for grades 6 though 12. It discusses abstinence and building healthy relationships. The company cites a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study based on student surveys that predicted a 50 percent to 60 percent reduction in the initiation of sexual activity among students who receive the instruction. "We present the curriculum to the parents first," Trevino said. "We want to help students open lines of communication with parents because they know parents have already seen the curriculum."

Students who raise questions about sexual activity and contraception are generally told to discuss such issues at home. The agency can give parents materials about subjects outside the scope of the grant, Trevino said.

"If we get lots of questions, we need to go back to parents and say this is what kids are asking," Trevino said.

Jeffrey Hons, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South Central Texas, which includes clinics in Alice and Kingsville, said abstinence-only education is incomplete. Hons said 12 percent of clients in 2003 in his region were 17 years old or younger.

"The position we've been advocating is, for one, choosing to postpone sexual involvement is the safest and healthiest thing for young people to do," Hons said. "The second message they need to get to be complete in this area is when people decide to become sexually active, whether they are 16 or 26, many people need protection to avoid pregnancy or avoid sexually transmitted infections."

Citing statistics that the median age for marriage is 28.6 for men and 26.6 for women, Hons said an abstinence-until-marriage message might be unrealistic. "I look at that number and it's not that some people won't postpone, but that number has to be very, very small," he said. "Sex is part of the young adult landscape."

Amanda Stukenberg, executive director for Planned Parenthood of South Texas, said the group has worked closely with Communities in Schools and the Corpus Christi Independent School District in abstinence-based education. "We have taught courses in decision-making and relationship-building, which is such a big part of it," Stukenberg said.

Elizabeth Greenwell graduated from Flour Bluff High School in May. She welcomes abstinence-only education in schools.

"It's a better alternative than education on birth control," she said. "It teaches kids about the only surefire way (to avoid pregnancy and disease) and teaches morality."

Greenwell, 19, said few of her peers are abstinent.

"You walk the hallways at school and kids are talking about what they did last night," she said. "It's shocking sometimes."

Greenwell said she hopes the program will be in place for her sister, who will be a sophomore in the fall. Her mother, Betsy Greenwell, also welcomed abstinence education.

"When (Elizabeth) was four or five months old, I was volunteering to teach pregnant teens about basic care for the babies they were going to have," she said. "I noticed most girls showed real joy and amazement when they were told, 'You can say no (to sex).' Many of the girls looked at me like they had never heard that before."

Betsy Greenwell said her beliefs are rooted in her Catholic upbringing, and said sex among teens is "not age-appropriate." Still, she said, adults should trust the younger generation.

"I think a lot of people sell teens short. I expect a lot of my (three) children. Are they perfect? No, they are not, but the more you expect of them and the more you respect them, the more you will be able to trust them. You're going to have to take care of them so they don't look for love in the wrong places."

She's opposed to programs that include information on condoms and contraception.

"That's like handing them clean needles and telling them to go do drugs," she said.

The July 8 announcement of the grant came as the Texas State Board of Education is selecting new health education textbooks for the first time in 10 years. Textbooks under consideration have been criticized for emphasizing abstinence and, in some cases, not mentioning condoms. The board will vote on which textbook to adopt in November.

Racheka Garza-Hook, executive director of the Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation, said they tailor their outreach presentations to abstinence-only upon request. If they do not have the restriction, however, they discuss effective use of condoms and other protective measures.

"We take it a step further," she said. "If you are sexually active, here are the options."

Garza-Hook agrees that abstinence is the only way to guarantee protection against sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies, but she worries about the limitations of abstinence-only presentations.

"They're learning from their friends and their peers, and what they're learning is not correct," she said. "A lot of kids think oral sex is not a risk."

Cynthia Bunton, education director for South Texas Family Planning & Health Corporation, said abstinence has "been at the forefront" of the agency's message for 32 years. She said such programs need parental involvement to be successful.

"Parents are primary sex educators of their children," she said.

Abstinence programs, Bunton said, often focus on building self-esteem and forming healthy, platonic relationships.

"We talk about relationships, and not just in dating," Bunton said. "Then they can take that information into relationships when they start dating."

Contact Leanne Libby at 886-3618 or HYPERLINK mailto:libbyl@caller.com libbyl@caller.com

Activists debate sex in schoolbooks

By R.A. Dyer
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Mon, Jul. 19, 2004
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/9189026.htm

AUSTIN - The State Board of Education would risk the health and welfare of schoolchildren if it approves controversial health science textbooks that violate Texas curriculum guidelines by limiting discussion of sex education, according to reproductive-rights and liberal activists.

But textbook proponents, who also spoke during a public hearing Wednesday, said the books protect parental rights while providing local school districts more options for sex education.

At issue are four textbooks proposed for ninth- and 10th-grade health science classes that are published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill and Delmar Learning.

If approved by the 15-member board this fall, the books could be purchased by local districts with state money for the 2005-06 school year.

Samantha Smoot, director of the Texas Freedom Network, said the books violate the state's curriculum guidelines that call for more extensive sex education.

Three of the books fail to mention condoms or other forms of contraception, and all four fail to include a detailed discussion of sex education, she said.

"Regardless of how you personally feel about whether teen-agers should have access in their textbooks to family planning and disease prevention information, the curriculum clearly requires it, and the books clearly lack it," Smoot said.

Others disagreed, saying that the books meet the guidelines and that local districts can provide more extensive sex education through supplemental materials provided for free by textbook publishers.

"Texas families are the ultimate winners," said Kyleen Wright, president of Texans for Life Coalition.

The board's decision could have a nationwide effect because publishers typically market their Texas books in other states. A final vote is scheduled for Nov. 5.

Editorial: The real risk

The Waco Tribune-Herald
July 21, 2004
http://www.wacotrib.com/news/newsfd/auto/feed/news/2004/07/21/1090385303.18121.5462.3318.html

When it comes to teenage births, Texas leads the nation.

This is not one of those facts Texans want to put into a book of brags.

A common sense reaction to this sad reality would be a demand for Texas youngsters to be better educated about the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and the various methods that can be used to prevent them.

Unfortunately for the school children of Texas, a member of the State Board of Education told a group of parents, health professionals and others at a hearing on proposed health textbooks that Texas' tragically high teenage birth rate is the result of too much education.

According to Dallas Morning News writer Terrence Stutz, District 6 board member Terri Leo, R-Spring, suggested that the state's high teen pregnancy rate is the result of too much sex education.

Leo's suggested solution to the state's high rate of teenage pregnancies is to put more emphasis on sexual abstinence.

The prospect of solving this life-altering problem with education appears bleak when a person responsible for shaping the education of young Texans believes that sex education, like smoking, is a health hazard.

Currently Texas is in the process of approving textbooks that will be used in the state's public schools for the 2005-06 school year.

Four textbook publishers have submitted health textbooks for adoption to the State Board of Education.

Other than abstinence, the textbooks submitted provide little or no sex education information on how to prevent unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases.

Dozens of concerned speakers at a State Board of Education hearing in Austin last week told board members that the proposed textbooks may put high school students at greater risk of pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases because of their lack of information on alternative prevention methods.

While board member Leo felt the dismal statistics would improve if the textbooks omitted other prevention methods, board member Alma Allen, D-Houston, responded by saying the lack of information about sex is "killing our kids," according to the Dallas Morning News story.

Abstinence-only supporters of the textbooks worry that abstinence will be de-emphasized if textbooks contain comprehensive sex education for high school students.

Supporters of a complete sex education program do not oppose teaching the effectiveness of avoiding sex until marriage. They just believe that students are helped by obtaining a complete education.

The textbook publishers say they comply with state requirements by providing more complete sex education information in textbook supplements given to teachers.

It's not the teachers who need this information, it is the students.

A second public hearing will be held in September and the board will vote on the textbooks in November.

The State Board of Education needs to remember that education is good and more education is better.

Should sex be considered a health topic in high school?

Several organizations are hoping parents will get involved in a debate that will determine whether sex education will be taught in health classes or not.

By BRITTANIE HOOFARD
The Woodlands Villager
07/22/2004
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1574&dept_id=532542&newsid=12435500&PAG=461&rfi=9

Several organizations are hoping parents will get involved in a debate that will determine whether sex education will be taught in health classes or not.

Debates are expected to rage on in Austin until November, when the State Board of Education will make a final decision whether to adopt four new health education textbooks.

Some have referred to the debate as abstinence-only versus abstinence-first. At issue is whether the books provide enough information about protected sex to pass the strict Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements.

The 15-member board may only decide to reject books that contain factual errors or that fail to follow the TEKS curriculum as outlined by the Legislature.

According to TEKS' published guidelines for health education, sexual education classes must teach students to both "analyze the importance and benefits of abstinence as it relates to emotional health and the prevention of pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases" and "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods including the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, keeping in mind the effectiveness of remaining abstinent until marriage."

Several groups, which have joined to form the Protect Our Kids organization, say that because three of the four books do not mention latex condoms, they do not meet TEKS requirements. The fourth book, "Essentials of Health and Wellness," includes a brief mention of condoms.

Publishers of the books, which include "Health" published by Glencoe, "Health and Wellness" published by Glencoe/Meeks-Heit, and "Lifetime Health" published by Holt, Rinheart and Winston, argue that additional teacher supplements include more detailed information about contraceptives and give schools more flexibility in how the subject is addressed.

If the books are adopted, they will be used in the 2005-06 school year. In addition, if the state decides to adopt the books, the effect could be widespread. According to ProtectOurKids.com, because the Texas market is so big, textbook publishers often cite the state's adoption as a selling point for other markets.

The books were reviewed last month by the Texas Education Agency, a government entity that manages the textbook adoption process. All state high school students must take a half-credit health course to graduate.

On July 14, the SBOE held public hearings on the textbooks, during which more than 100 people signed up to speak. A second hearing is scheduled to take place Sept. 8, before the Nov. 5 vote. On its Web site, Protect Our Children is urging parents to testify at the hearings, sign a statement of support drafted by members of the state clergy, and analyze the textbooks and the adoption process for themselves. The deadline to sign up to testify Sept. 8 is Sept. 3.

The Woodlands SBOE representative, Linda Bauer, attended the hearings earlier this month, but said no one else from The Woodlands was present. She encouraged parents to looks at the books themselves, and to participate in the adoption process.

She said she personally supports providing a variety of information to students, mainly so teens can learn the consequences of their actions.

"They need to know the failure rates of other methods -- the consequences of their behavior," she said. "I think that's so important for people to know."

On the contrary, many people who oppose giving teens access to, and information about, condoms and birth control argue that doing so only encourages them to participate in risky behavior.

Meryl Cohen, an education counselor at Planned Parenthood, said studies have proved that is not the case.

"Research is very clear that comprehensive information does not increase the frequency of sexual activity," she said. Planned Parenthood absolutely wants medically accurate sexual education."

Cohen said most high school students learn about "the birds and bees" from their friends, and in the halls of schools, not the classrooms. Few students learn about sex from their parents, she said.

"There is not good sexuality education taught consistently in classrooms," she said. "Young people talk about sex and sexuality with each other, but often with myth and misinformation. They really do lack medical information."

Brittanie Hoofard may be reached via e-mail at bhoofard@mail.hcnonline.net.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Know at the SBOE

BY RACHEL PROCTOR MAY
The Austin Chronicle
JULY 23, 2004
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-07-23/pols_feature4.html

This year's opening round of the textbook review hearings lit the annual fireworks at the State Board of Education on July 14, as activists left and right urged the board to reject (the lefties) or approve (the righties) four proposed health textbooks that the board will vote on in November. Textbook clashes in recent years have focused on such issues as where creationism might fit into the biology curriculum, or how much a textbook can criticize slavery before sounding officially un-American. At stake this year is something even more pressing: high school students' access to contraceptive information (or, as some would have it, access to an unsullied abstinence-only message) in the state with the highest teen birth rate in the nation.

The SBOE, at least officially, does not change content of textbooks: The Legislature put an end to that in 1995 when it became clear that the conservative-dominated board was putting way more than its two cents into the texts. By law, the board can only determine if the books meet the state-mandated curriculum and contain no "factual errors." However, the board still approves the books, and the proposed health texts make it clear that the publishers fully understand which side of the political spectrum butters their bread. Only one of the four books uses the word "condom," and then only in a brief reference. The others refer only to an undefined "barrier method," and then only to point out that this method is not 100% effective.

That is not an absolutely untrue statement &endash; but standing alone it is more misleading than helpful to a teenager hoping to learn about contraception. The majority of the 109 speakers who signed up to testify argued that condoms are still highly effective in preventing pregnancy and STDs &endash; and that Texas high school students, half of whom are sexually active, need to know that.

"I am ashamed of what is not in those books," said Bernard Kaye, a Frisco attorney and school volunteer who served on one of the textbook review panels.

Like most who opposed the textbooks (and that meant most of the speakers &endash; only 15 people signed up to speak in favor), Kaye argued that the books do not conform to the state-defined Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills requirements and thus cannot legally be approved. According to the TEKS, a health textbook must "analyze the effectiveness and ineffectiveness of barrier protection and other contraceptive methods." None of the textbooks do this; at best, the teachers' guides (whose content counts toward meeting TEKS) include the suggestion that students conduct this kind of "analysis" as a classroom activity &endash; though they don't provide enough information in the main text so that students could actually do so.

"How in the world can you analyze the effectiveness of something if it's only mentioned?" asked Kaye.

Publishers argue that plenty of information is to be found in supplements that accompany the main texts. Rick Blake, a spokesman for Holt, described their 128-page supplement as "detailed" and "explicit," and said that it allowed the book to be used in school districts with varying political climates. "The reason for including the more explicit sexual content in a separate volume is that it gives local school districts more flexibility in when and how they want to treat this material," Blake said.

He pointed out that Holt's Lifetime Health, which included the most-mocked line of the four offerings (the inclusion of "get plenty of rest" in a list of ways to prevent STDs) was already approved without controversy in Arkansas and North Carolina, and is being sold in many other states without centralized textbook adoption processes, such as Illinois and New York.

But clearly there are some in Texas who would prefer teens don't see the material at all. Terri Leo, who represents the northwest Houston suburbs, was one of several board members who repeatedly argued that Texas needed to do more to champion abstinence. "Maybe the reason Texas has such high numbers is that abstinence has never been taught," she said. "I believe that with the adoption of these books the numbers will go down."

Leo also made the classic conservative argument that if it's good enough for East Africa, it's good enough for the Lone Star State, and (incorrectly) cited an abstinence-only sex ed program in Uganda as the reason that country is the only one in Africa to reduce its HIV/AIDS infection rate. (The successful Uganda program is actually called "ABC" for "Abstinence, Being faithful, and Condoms" &endash; a good two steps more than Texas teens would get in their proposed health education.)

It is this question &endash; where abstinence-"based" ends and abstinence-"only" begins &endash; that rankles opponents of the textbooks. "Abstinence-based education that is complete, factual, medically accurate, and includes contraceptives is what we all want, but abstinence-only leaves out half that information," said Janet Alyn, who argued against adopting the textbooks.

Several board members agreed.

"I want you to think about our children, and not just your political future," said Alma Allen, who represents Houston. "We are killing our kids. We might as well take a gun and blow them all down." Similarly, Mavis Knight of Dallas sparred with Beaumont's David Bradley when the latter shared an anecdote about his plumber's two children being the result of condom failure.

"I don't know one thing in this world that's fail-safe," she said.

"Abstinence," Bradley shot back.

"Oh, abstinence can fail," said Knight. "If you fail to practice your abstinence."

For those who missed the midsummer spectacle, a second hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8. Members of the public can sign up to testify by contacting the SBOE by phone at 463-9007 or fax at 936-4319 before Sept. 4. (For more info, go to www.tea.state.tx.us/sboe/input/hearing.html.)

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Eight Steps to Protect Yourself From STDs

The Austin Chronicle
JULY 23, 2004
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-07-23/pols_feature5.html

Eight Steps to Protect Yourself From STDs (from Holt's Lifetime Health, pp. 482-483)

Practice abstinence
The best way to prevent STDs is to remain abstinent. Even if you have been sexually active, you can choose abstinence now. However, if you have been sexually active, you should be tested for STDs.

Stay away from alcohol and drugs

Alcohol and drugs will dull your ability to think clearly and make good decisions.

Respect yourself

Individuals with high self-esteem are less likely to let anyone pressure them into something they don't feel comfortable doing.

Learn the facts about STDs, and use those facts to make good decisions

You can do your part to fight the "silent epidemic" by learning about STDs. Knowledge helps you know the risks. Knowledge helps you make good decisions.

Choose friends who influence you in a positive way

The people you hang out with have a big influence on you. Choose friends who share your values and beliefs. You'll be more comfortable with people that won't ask you to do things that go against your better judgment.

Get plenty of rest

When you're tired, it's hard to think clearly. Don't put yourself in a situation in which you have to make a tough choice when you are tired.

Go out as a group

Besides being lots of fun, you're a lot less likely to make poor decisions when you are around others. You can also take the pressure off by double-dating.

Be aware of your emotions

Don't try to ease the hurt of a painful emotional experience in your past by engaging in sexual behavior that does not agree with your beliefs and values.

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Last updated: 2004/09/18