Sen. Steve Meredith’s measure mandating schools teach sexual abstinence passes through House Education Committee

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Earlier this week, the Kentucky House Education Committee passed Sen. Steve Meredith’s Senate Bill 71, which “requires inclusion of abstinence education in any human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases curriculum.”

The measure would require sex education courses to include information that says abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is “the expected standard for all school-age children” and “the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems.”

The Kentucky Department of Education currently provides state standards on health education, which include abstinence along with other methods to prevent pregnancy and disease. Local school councils choose the curriculum they teach based on those standards.

Sen. Meredith’s bill, which he refers to as a “common sense initiative,” would not preclude schools from teaching children about alternative methods to prevent pregnancy, but it mandates only abstinence education.

In January, after the measure was approved by a Senate panel, Sen. Meredith said about the bill: “We still struggle with the quality and quantity of information we present to our children. The intent of this bill is not to limit sex education to abstinence-only education.”

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000