Sex Ed and you

I'm a huge fan of medically accurate, comprehensive sex education in schools. I've lobbied for passage of legislation here in Washington that requires the Public Schools, if sex ed is to be taught, to teach it well and in accordance with curriculum guidelines crafted by the Department of Health and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. NARAL ProChoice Washington has them posted.

Unfortunately there is no funding for this mandate, and so an organization called the Healthy Youth Alliance has been formed to help. The Healthy Youth Alliance represents a broad coalition of parents, teachers, youth advocates, health professionals, and state agencies. The coalition, includes: the WA State Department of Health; the WA State Medical Association; the Association of Washington School Principals, the Washington Association of Local Public Health Officials, the WA State Parent Teacher Association; the American Academy of Pediatrics, WA Chapter; the School Nurse Organization of WA; American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU); the Governor's Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice Washington, the Northwest Women's Law Center and the Safe Schools Coalition.

The Healthy Youth Alliance is a statewide coalition working to increase the number of youth in Washington who receive effective, researched sexual health programs with the ultimate goal of decreasing the rates of STDs, HIV, unintended pregnancy, bullying and dating violence. They offer teachers and school administrators training and resources that ensure students receive accurate, research-based sexual health information.

I'm working now to create a fund raiser to help in this work. I'd love help, so if anyone out there is inspired, drop me a line.

Blessings!