Sex Education

On a recent weekday, Clemence Dubreuil had no school because her teachers were on strike, so the 9-year-old begged her mother to take her to a museum to see a new exhibit about sex. If that all sounds very French, it is: Strikes are as much a part of the national character as frank talk about sex. But as the exhibit and the mild controversy surrounding it are proving, the cliches need some updating.

In an emerging revolt against abstinence-only sex education, states are turning down millions of dollars in federal grants, unwilling to accept White House dictates that the money be used for classes focused almost exclusively on teaching chastity. In Ohio, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland said that regardless of the state's sluggish economic picture, he didn't see the point in taking part in the controversial State Abstinence Education Program anymore.

Jane Fowler thinks it's about time college students had "the talk" with their grandparents. She doesn't mean grandmothers and grandfathers explaining the facts of life. She wants kids to explain safe sex to their elders. It's part of a broader message the 72-year-old has advocated for more than a decade. Ever since she contracted HIV when she was in her 50s, Fowler has made it her mission to help aging baby boomers and members of her generation avoid her mistakes.

Teenagers who have had formal sex education are far more likely to put off having sex, contradicting earlier studies on the effectiveness of such programs, U.S. researchers said Wednesday. They found teenage boys who had sex education in school were 71% less likely to have intercourse before age 15, and teen girls who had sex education were 59% less likely to have sex before age 15.

School districts in Kansas must get parents' written permission before teaching their children sex education, the state Board of Education decided Wednesday. The board adopted the policy in a 6-4 vote. Up to now, most Kansas districts had an "opt-out" policy -- they enrolled children in sex education unless a parent objected in writing.

When it comes to sex, the Web has a dark side: It helps people hook up with strangers, fueling the spread of disease. But recently, health authorities in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities have been trying to use the Internet for healthier purposes.

The students were giggling, trading gossip, but they stopped when Maria Elena Chavez dumped her stash of teaching aides on the table: Cola-flavored condoms. A cervical cap. An IUD. A diaphragm. As the room quieted, Chavez unrolled a condom and stretched it over her hand. "Many men will say they don't fit, but you can see how much this can stretch," she said. The students nodded, murmuring in surprise. One hand shot up, then another. "Do they come in different sizes?"

My 10-year-old daughter was halfway through a four-part human development course at school, and I was curious about her reaction to the information. So on a recent ride home from school, I casually asked if she had learned anything interesting that day. She responded: "I learned that people have sex for pleasure." Needless to say, I was surprised. But I also recognized the conversation as an opportunity.

Two groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block a health curriculum that would allow discussions of homosexuality with eighth graders and a video to be shown to 10th graders demonstrating how to use a condom. Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum and the Virginia-based Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays want to prevent Montgomery County from starting the program in six schools this week. A hearing has been set for Thursday.

A federal judge in Greenbelt has blocked a county school system from instituting a new health curriculum that includes discussions of homosexuality and religion and a demonstration on how to use condoms. U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams issued a temporary restraining order that prevents the Montgomery County school system from using the pilot program in six schools, pending a full hearing.