Texas Sex Ed - Condoms are ineffective preventing pregnancy!?!?!

My 6th-grade son just finished the Abstinence Only Health class every student in public schools gets in Texas. He and I were talking about the stuff Dads and their 12-year-old sons talk about. He told me his health teacher said condoms are not effective in preventing pregnancy. My son came away from the class also uncertain whether condoms helped prevent STD's. What. The. Fuck.

Maybe my son misinterpreted "Condoms are not always effective." True. There is a very small chance of a condom failing to do its job. But almost all failures are due to user error. The way the information should be given should acknowledge the possibility but emphasize the unlikelyhood. I fear the emphasis in the class is on the "sometimes", implying that the possibility is significant.

Or maybe this was just one teacher giving his own, misleading, spin. Either way I'm afraid a middle-school full of kids now think condoms aren't effective and some might conclude from this that it isn't that important to use them. I'm pissed and have called the principal. Haven't heard back yet.

Actually, your kid probably had it right. At least he is smart enough to ask you. The backasswards sex ed curriculum nation wide is scarey. Its no wonder there are so many teen pregnancies and STDs are spreading. Personally, I wish someone would start suing the school districts for lying to the kids.

And hopefully more parents would start being parents rather than being their kids' friend.

Actually, your kid probably had it right. At least he is smart enough to ask you. The backasswards sex ed curriculum nation wide is scarey. Its no wonder there are so many teen pregnancies and STDs are spreading. Personally, I wish someone would start suing the school districts for lying to the kids.

And hopefully more parents would start being parents rather than being their kids' friend. Originally Posted by pyramider

I agree with ya there. Parents trying to be their kid's friends thats the truth.

I am a parent and can tell you I would make sure that your son understands that the chances are small of contracting STD's and pregancy. I am speaking from experience and can tell you that chances are much higher without the use of condoms. I would be at the school demanding why a teacher is misleading kids in their classroom. All you have to do is look up the CDC information on the use of condoms and STDS/pregnancy as well as visit the Planned Parenthood sites. I am glad your son talked with you about this. I had my daughter on birth control as soon as she started her period, and gave condoms to both of my kids, not to mention sat down with them and talked about the issues concerning sex. My kids are very successful now, and in their 20s and neither has had an incident with pregnancy or STDS. It pays to be open and candid with your children about sex, and be realistic on human behavior concerning sex.

That's Texas for you. The curriculum is highly influenced by the religious right State Board of Education. You son is probably reporting correctly what he heard. When my daughter was getting sex education from the school, her confirmation class at the Methodist church went out of it's way, bless their liberal hearts, to debunk much of the misinformation that was put out by the public schools.

I agree with ya there. Parents trying to be their kid's friends thats the truth. Originally Posted by acp5762

My ex to a T

He told me his health teacher said condoms are not effective in preventing pregnancy. My son came away from the class also uncertain whether condoms helped prevent STD's. What. The. Fuck. Originally Posted by googol^googol

At least they will always work as water balloons.

Children should not be unknowledgeable of sex when they first receive sex education at school. Parents should not hand off the job to schools. In other words, there are some things too important to assume that the person responsible for informing the students is informing them correctly. If you hand me a gun, I would not take your word that it was unloaded. Not because I don’t trust you but because it’s my responsibility for my own safety.

The school should teach it but it’s the parent’s responsibility to make sure it is taught correctly and that your child understands it.
I remember the talk with my 10-year-old son about “nocturnal emissions”, “69ing”, “the pile driver”, and “facials”. (spoiler alert. The following is humor and not true.) It started in the garage and we ended up driving to the Bunny Ranch in NV. He didn’t quite get it so the girl and I had to show him twice

Glad he didn’t ask about premature ejaculation.