Parents of students in a Texas school district are being told that their children are at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, a letter sent out by administrators explained.
Raw Story reports that out of the approximately 300 students at Crane High School, 20 have chlamydia. None of the students have taken "human sexuality" courses either, according to the district's 2014-2015 student handbook. Rather than focusing on STD prevention scientifically, since 2012 the district's curriculum on human sexuality has focused solely on abstinence.
"Crane Independent School District would like to make our parents aware or more aware of a problem that has been identified in our teenagers and young adults of our community," a letter from the administration to parents, which was obtained by ABC 13, reads.
Crane is not the only district in the state that focuses its STD prevention teachings on abstinence. According to Raw Story, it is state law in Texas that schools "devote more attention to abstinence than any other behavior. And students must be taught that abstinence until marriage is the best way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases."
Local CBS affiliate KOSA reports that Crane High School did offer a three-day seminar on sex-ed this past fall and that plans are being made to change the curriculum:
"The district plans to have a meeting with the Schools Health Advisory Committee, which is made up of teachers, parents and school officials, to discuss the schools sex education and how they should to proceed moving forward.
The committee will present their recommendations to the school board which will meet on May 19."
