Texas is making a significant shift toward its “abstinence-plus” curriculum as many US states try to make changes to sex education programs in the aftermath of the Roe v. Wade decision.
This is the first time in more than 20 years that the state has revised its sexual health education standards.
The abortion ban has resulted in changes to Texas’ sex education curriculum, with middle school students now learning about contraception and receiving additional information about preventing sexually transmitted diseases, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), which has been linked to several cancers.
Texas have gone above and beyond the state’s minimum health standards
This is the first time that schools in Texas have gone above and beyond the state’s minimum health standards, which previously focused solely on abstinence to prevent pregnancies.
Furthermore, these classes are becoming mandatory, with parents being forced to enroll their children in these health classes.
According to a 2017 report, 58% of Texas school districts provided “abstinence-only” sexual health education, while only 17% provided a curriculum that went beyond that. In contrast, one-quarter of schools provided no sex education at all.
According to NBC News, Texas continues to have one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy, with 22.4 births per 1,000 girls and women aged 15 to 19.
The lowest rate is 6.1 births per 1,000 girls and women in Massachusetts. (https://prodavinci.com)
Moreover, Texas, along with Alabama, has the highest rate of repeat teen pregnancies in the country.