Massachusetts News Staff 

January 5--Although the sex education curriculum for the Massachusetts public schools presents abstinence as the only 100-percent effective way to avoid pregnancies or disease, it falls far short of what Patricia Stewart calls "authentic" education about abstinence. 

Abstinence is presented only as a "choice" — with the obvious implication that other choices are available. 

As Stewart notes, that isn’t the approach taken when it comes to drugs. In that case, students are taught refusal skills, to "just say no." They are warned about zero tolerance — not how to use "clean needles" to protect themselves. 

But even if an emphatic abstinence message were presented to teen-agers, it would be coming too late, she argues. Public school students have already been taught the mechanics of sex during what some psychologists call the "latency period," between age 6 and 12, when children are essentially asexual. 

When the schools cause an artificially induced arousal of erotogenic zones, this can lead to emotional retardation and decreased capability for academics, she says. 

Stewart, who spent months reviewing the sex education curriculum in the Nauset Regional School District during the past year, found the following topics taught at the various grade levels. The Chairman of the School Committee says the district does not include much of what could be taught under the state curriculum. 

Elementary School In Nauset 

• Grade 1 Anatomically correct dolls, complete with genitals and other sexual organs. Students discuss refusal skills, feelings, choices, and are told about HIV tests. 

• Grade 2 Discussion of good and bad touch (with private parts optionally named), early growth and development of babies and a Child’s Bill of Rights. 

• Grade 3 Families are defined as "a group of people who care about each other. Many times they are related and live together." Families are described as nuclear, blended, adapted, adopted, extended and foster. Students are asked to teach an adult at home how to say "no," to consider whom they trust and to make a list of family values. Various methods of HIV transmission are discussed. 

• Grade 4 Focus on building self esteem. Optional sections include sexual intercourse, with definitions of abstinence, heterosexuality and homosexuality. Students are told that HIV is not a "gay" disease, and that in other parts of the world it is spread mostly by heterosexual sex. 

• Grade 5 Focus on consequences of choices. Discussion of puberty includes erections and nocturnal emissions for boys; and breast development, menstrual cycles, ovaries and fertilization for girls. An optional section discusses sexual intercourse, ejaculation, sexually transmitted diseases and contraception, with specific reference to condoms. Definitions of physical abuse, sexual abuse and harassment. Discussion of technical aspects of HIV. 

Middle School In Nauset 

• Grades 6-8 Discussion of male and female reproductive systems, parts and functions, along with stages of fetal growth and development. 

• Students are asked to list five things they like or dislike about their parents or guardians. 

• The impact of TV, rock music, videos, Internet chat rooms, unsupervised parties, and drugs and alcohol on adolescent behavior. 

• Reasons to abstain from sex, including personal values, fear of pregnancy, HIV and disease, being too young for such an emotional experience, not being ready for that level of intimacy, parental disapproval, and loss of good friends. Abstinence is called the "safest, most logical choice for middle school students." 

• Suicide, with a list of 14 sources of help, starting with a trusted adult, including teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, doctors, nurses or crisis prevention centers and ending with a member of the clergy.  

• Consideration of adverse effects of sex outside of marriage, including unwanted pregnancies, disease, inability to handle the emotional or financial consequences and conflict with the beliefs and values of family or religion. 

• In discussion of birth control, students are taught the flaws in the rhythm method. Regarding masturbation, they are told it is just as normal not to masturbate as it is to masturbate. 

• Developing human embryo is described as resembling animals at a number of stages. The word "fetus" is defined as "fruitful," rather than by its Latin root meaning "young one."  

• Optional topics include: Abstinence, sexual intercourse, disease, masturbation, methods of birth control, nocturnal emissions, homosexuality, rape, incest and child pornography. 

High School In Nauset 

• Grade 9 Review of male and female reproductive systems. A discussion of the various options for a pregnant teen. Fetal growth and development and the feeding of a baby. The African roots of the HIV virus.  

• Grades 10 and 11 Behaviors that can cause disease, along with their symptoms, transmission, incubation, treatment and preventive measures. Latex condoms are recommended, and abstinence is mentioned as the only 100-percent effective method of birth control. Other options mentioned include withdrawal, douching and Norplant.  

• Grade 11 only Reproductive system review. A discussion of abortion, relative to various stages of fetal development. Discussion of date rape and violence. In discussion of birth control, a chart is used, showing various methods of contraception and their effectiveness. 
  

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