Utah: State Lawmaker Debates Sex Education With Teens

Wednesday evening, state Rep. Paul Ray (R-Clearfield) debated 25 students, mainly from West High School, about how Utah schools should teach sex education. The half-hour discussion was organized by the Planned Parenthood Action Committee to offer Ray, who chairs the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, students' perspective on the issue.

The debate's main focus was a bill, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Hemingway (D-Salt Lake), that would allow teachers in the state to instruct students on birth control "without fear of reprimand." Currently, Utah law states that educators may instruct on contraception with prior parental consent, but they are not to "advocate or encourage the use of contraceptive methods or devices." The measure was tabled by the House Health and Human Services Committee during the 2009 session.

The teens presented facts and statistics showing that abstinence-only sex education, compared to comprehensive instruction, does not change the rate of sexual activity among youth. Students who receive the complete facts have a lower pregnancy rate, they argued.

Ray countered that parents should have the ultimate say on what their teens learn about sex. "It should be taught in the home," he said. "We don't want people teaching things to our kids that we don't approve of," he added, noting, "Our value system in Utah is a lot different than in other states."

The Legislature has long supported abstinence-based sex education, Ray said, and "probably most school boards would feel the same way."

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