Planned Parenthood Los Angeles believes that men, women, teens, and families need honest, factual sexuality information in order to make responsible and healthy decisions. We also know that parents are the primary educators of their children, and that they often need help talking to their kids about sex. Planned Parenthood Los Angeles provides workshops and training on responsible sex education for both parents and their teens. Please use the links on the left side of this page to access more information about our education services for parents, students, and others in Los Angeles County.
About Sexuality Education
Sexuality education is an important way of providing young people with the information and skills they need to make responsible, informed choices about their sexual and reproductive lives. While parents are (and should be) the primary sexuality educators of their children, many would like help from schools and community-based organizations. Age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education is education that both emphasizes the benefits of abstinence and also teaches about contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Currently, no federal program is dedicated to supporting medically accurate sex education, despite the proven effectiveness of such programs.
What's Wrong with Abstinence-only Education?
With American teenagers facing increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections, particularly HIV/AIDS, and a teen pregnancy rate that is one of the highest among developed countries, it is dangerous to deny them the age-appropriate, medically accurate information that may save their lives.
Exporting Abstinence-only Policies
Federal funding of abstinence-only programs does not stop at U.S. borders. Not only is the United States funding dangerous abstinence-only programs at home, but it is also exporting them to other countries, including nations that have chillingly high HIV/AIDS rates.
Abstinence-Only "Sex" Education
Abstinence-only education is one of the religious right's greatest challenges to the nation's sexual health. Although the vast majority of Americans support comprehensive, medically accurate sexuality education, Congress has approved nearly $1 billion in abstinence-only funds since 1996. A 2004 report by the Committee on Government Reform — the Waxman Report — details the sexual and reproductive health misinformation that's being taught in today's public schools.
