All About Abstinence
by Sharyll Martin, SRA Director
Did you know?
The Indiana Department of Education recommends that sexual education be taught as part of a comprehensive health education program. Although local school districts are not required to do s
o, the law does state that when Sex. Ed. is taught, abstinence from sexual activity until marriage must be stressed. Abstinence instruction must also include information about avoiding the risks associated with all types of sexual activity, including sexually transmitted infection (STI) information, as well as other related health problems that may occur from sexual activity. The Creating Positive Relationships curriculum presented by First Choice is compliant with all of the Indiana statutes for each grade level we teach, 6th through 12th grades.Our instructors are excellent classroom facilitators. Every week both the health teacher and their students enjoy the time we spend talking about:
- Puberty
- What constitutes a healthy relationship
- How to communicate with peers and parents
- The risks associated with sexual activity
- And why waiting until marriage is a healthier choice
Parents can be awesome teachers too! It is our hope that sexual education is discussed at home first. Sharing this information with your child can prevent any misconceptions early on, and may help promote open communication about a topic that children often feel awkward discussing with parents.Youth today have tons of questions! Most questions revolve around the physical consequences of sexual activity. However, this year we have been asked more and more frequently as to why these discussions are important to asexual people. Or why don't we talk about transgenders or other types of gender identity. The answer is simply this, your health is your responsibility. Knowing how to avoid risks now will be a benefit to you later….as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
