Friday, January 6, 2012

Parents shut down Planned Parenthood sex ed for middle schoolers

by Kathleen Gilbert

CLIFTON PARK, New York, January 5, 2012 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Planned Parenthood has been kicked out of a New York state school district after a group of parents complained about the group’s promotion of oral sex as a form of “abstinence” and class demonstrations on how to put on a condom.

The Albany Times Union reported Tuesday that the Shenendehowa school district had ended its 20-year contract with Planned Parenthood - Mohawk Hudson for sex education courses following pushback this fall. Although the school told media the class was merely being “evaluated,” the Times Union report stated that the school had sent a letter to the abortion affiliate announcing its intention to cancel in October.

“If you bring in something that’s supposed to enhance the curriculum and it distracts, then you need to evaluate it,” said Shenendehowa spokeswoman Kelly DeFeciani.

Local mom Maureen Shifler said that she recruited about two dozen parents in her campaign against the material through the bulletin at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Clifton Park. Shifler objected to the family planning organization’s dismissive attitude towards behavior that poses the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and said parents hadn’t been adequately informed of their option to opt-out.

“There’s a difference between teaching something and promoting something,” said Shifler.

A Planned Parenthood educator defended the program, saying that most teachers approve the curriculum and that the middle school material is not as detailed as that of high school, where students learn more about homosexuality and birth control methods.

A school board meeting slated for January 10 is expected to visit the issue.

Planned Parenthood sexual education classes have met with parental resistance in other parts of the country for including explicit material, including demonstrations of sexual positions, which caused an uproar in Iowa in 2010. The Iowa curriculum was also defended by Planned Parenthood as “medically accurate and science based.”

On its website aimed at teenagers, Planned Parenthood hosts graphic info about heterosexual and homosexual activity and attaining sexual pleasure, including a detailed page entitled “All About the Anus” that was pulled after receiving media attention.

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