State News  


Utah: Concern Over Content
The update of sex ed curriculum earlier this year and the accompanying instructional guides prompted concerned parents and community groups to address the State Board of Education over the "explicit" content contained in some of the new material.  While "Utah law prohibits teachers from answering questions concerning sexual techniques," parents took issue with the fact that educators "are being encouraged to answer spontaneous questions that in many cases, by simply defining the individual sexual practice, they are describing the technique.” Teachers are concerned as well, with some asking for a "clarifying measure in law to protect them if their instruction was mistakenly construed as advocacy."


Washington: Common Sense Approach to Sex Ed
Somewhat surprisingly, the WA state legislature failed to pass a controversial sex ed bill (SB 5395) earlier this year, but reportedly it will still be a priority for legislative leadership in 2020. This opinion piece rightly says that there is room for consensus on this issue, but unfortunately, "the kind of 'comprehensive' sex-ed being proposed in Washington and other states goes beyond that, into ideological territory that loses broad support — and even creates hostility toward public education."  Results of a new survey conducted by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) will be released soon but some are concerned since OSPI was an original proponent of SB 5395.

Scope


Vaping Intervention in Schools
With multiple states reporting vaping-related cases ranging from severe respiratory illness to fatalities, schools are seeking ways to stem the usage tide among high-schoolers. The popularity of vaping among youth shows no signs of mitigating, which has experts suggesting that schools "adopt both preventative and interventionist approaches." Suggestions range from implementing after-school programs and in-school instructional material that informs students on the consequences of vaping, to hiring additional school nurses "who can identify e-cigarette use early, support prevention education and provide a referral for treatment if necessary."   

Resources


Compounded Adolescent Risk Behavior
We all know that substance abuse is associated with other risk behaviors, but according to this report, "the adolescent years are particularly critical at-risk periods." Young people who drink alcohol, use marijuana, cocaine, or prescription drugs are more likely to have multiple sex partners before the age of 15.  More likely than not, adults who struggle with substance abuse began using in their teen years. This resource from the CDC identifies some common risk factors and primary prevention strategies for avoiding substance abuse in the first place.

Adolescents and HIV
The most current data available tells us that at the end of 2016, over 5,000 adolescents aged 13-19 were diagnosed with HIV infection in the United States and 6 independent areas. Find out which areas have the highest prevalence of HIV diagnosis and how your state ranks.


Parent Corner