Tuesday letters: Put the ed back in SC sex-ed

My children deserve medically accurate sex education when they are ready for it. They should be taught that abstinence is the only sure way to prevent sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. I also want them to learn that the American Academy of Pediatrics says all hormonal birth control methods are safer than pregnancy but don’t protect against infections. They need to hear that the Centers for Disease Control and Protection says that although condoms reduce transmission of HIV, the most reliable methods are abstinence or a “monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.”

I will try to communicate this to my kids, but I want the help of certified health teachers armed with facts. If some parents don’t want their kids to hear these facts, they can opt out. Schools require immunizations based on the CDC’s recommendations while some parents refuse vaccinations, invoking religious freedom. They have that right. But our kids need medically accurate information about the risks of sexual activity. It's time we put the ed back in sex-ed.

Columbia