I was both surprised and disappointed when I saw the article in The Columbian titled “Referendum to repeal sex ed law going strong” (The Spokesman-Review, June 12). Teenagers need to know about sex and the repercussions of having sex.
Adults have to be naive if they think that teens with their naturally raging hormones aren’t going to have sex. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 40 percent of teens in this country are sexually active. Yes, there is some abstinence going on but it isn’t very high.
The newspaper article, originating in The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review, states that the group gathering signatures to place the referendum on the November ballot are members of Parents for Safe Schools. How is educating students about sex unsafe? What is unsafe are the diseases that teens can catch, and do catch, including both HIV and STDs. Plus, the risk of teen pregnancies.
Hopefully most parents in Washington are interested in educating their children about sex and this referendum will fail in the general election.
