Beyond Abstinence: Advocating for Additional Sex and Relationship Education in FHSD

The Benefits:

 Studies show, additional sex and relationship education — beyond Ohio's abstinence only curriculum — can improve school safety and reduce child abuse, gender-based violence, and LGBTQ+ bullying. Honest, evidence-based instruction can prepare students to communicate well about complex and often difficult topics, and to have healthy, satisfying relationships for the rest of their lives. Advocating for an "abstinence plus" curriculum supports both our mission and core values as an organization.

Additional sex education can have many benefits, including:

• Healthy behaviors
  Additional sex and relationship education leads to reduced sexual activity, fewer sexual partners, and less unprotected sex. It also increases condom and contraceptive use.
• Social-emotional learning
  Additional sex and relationship education helps with positive communication skills, self-control, and a sense of safety. It also helps with empathy and respect for others, and better body image.
• Healthy relationships
  Additional sex and relationship education helps develop healthy relationships and prevent child sex abuse, dating violence, and intimate partner violence.
• Knowledge
  Additional sex and relationship education increases knowledge about bodies and relationships, and gender equity. It also helps protect against misinformation from peers and online.
• Risk-taking
  Additional sex and relationship education decreases risk-taking behaviors, such as having sex while using drugs or alcohol, and non-consensual sex.
• Acceptance
  Additional sex and relationship education helps students appreciate and accept individual differences.
• Communication
  Additional sex and relationship education helps students feel more comfortable talking to parents about sex, and other sensitive topics.

Advocating for Change:

At the April 2024 meeting of the Forest Hills School District (FHSD) Board of Education, Board Member Jason Simmons offered comments during board discussion on the district's proposed Health Course of Study, specifically the role of sexual literacy education in our schools. The video from the meeting is below.

Dr. Simmons pointed out that Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.6011 allows local school districts to offer additional instruction on sexual literacy (beyond abstinence only and venereal disease instruction currently required under Ohio law), as long as parents have the opportunity to review the curriculum and OPT-IN for their children.

During the board meeting, Dr. Simmons offered data from the peer-reviewed scientific community on various facets of sexual literacy in public schools. Taken together, the data strongly suggests that the schools are doing our students a disservice when it comes to sexual literacy. There are better ways to achieve the outcomes that parents want for their students, but the district is opting for sex and relationship education that is proven ineffective.

Letter Writing Campaign
Polls have shown that families with school-age children largely support additional sexual health and relationship training, taught by professional health educators in schools. Please consider writing the Forest Hills School District Board of Education with your support.

Show Your Support

Peer-Reviewed Studies:

Atkins & Bradford (2018): Effect of State‐Level Sex Education Policies on Youth Sexual Behaviors
Corcoran et al (2020): Adolescents’ perceptions of sexual health education programs: An integrative review