Wisconsin passing legislation for contraceptive education in schools

Wisconsin passed legislation Thursday, Jan 28th that will require all sex education classes to include instruction on contraceptives in an effort to reduce teen pregnancies. Information taught in classes would include health benefits, side effects, proper use, and other methods to prevent pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The measure was widely supported by nurses and health departments, the WI teacher's union, and the WI branch of Planned Parenthood. It passed in the Senate 18-15, with all Democrats backing the bill and all Republicans against it. Gov. Jim Doyle said he supported the bill as well. The measure would take effect in the 2010 school year.

Opponents of the bill said that it sent a pro-premarital sex message, and that schools should instead focus on teaching abstinence as a way to prevent pregnancies or STIs.

Sadly, this would make WI only one of 16 states required to include contraceptive education in their sex education classes. Also, WI is one of 22 remaining states that require abstinence and celibacy to be stressed as the best choice for protection against pregnancy.

It is tremendously important that Minnesota follow in Wisconsin's footsteps and add contraceptive education into all sex education class agendas. MN teens are faced with horrifying statistics, like the fact that 1 in 4 MN teens contract an STI by the time they reach 24,rates of HIV infections were up by 13 percent in 2009, and 1 in 3 women will become pregnant by the age of 21. A vast majority of this can be avoided with comprehensive sex education.

Help us to shed light on the necessity of sex education at Pro-choice Lobby Day on March 4th at the Capitol!