KIDS THESE DAYS:

Count me as one parent who is very pleased that Planned Parenthood recently gave the Newport-Mesa Unified School District a failing grade in its sex education curriculum.

Planned Parenthood’s idea of sex education should not be the standard for any parent. For proof, just visit their website, www.plannedparenthood.org.

While Planned Parenthood failed the district for “obvious omissions to include any discussion of condoms, even when discussing HIV/AIDS or contraceptive methods,� I am giving Planned Parenthood an “F� for hiding and then ridiculing abstinence on its website.

On their home page, for example, you will find the following health topics: birth control, abortion, STDs, HIV & Safer Sex, Pregnancy and Emergency Contraception.� No mention of abstinence.

That list is followed by a button reading, “More Topics.� Click on that and a longer list appear — also without any mention of abstinence.

But wait, it gets better. To find information on abstinence, you have to use the search option. That brings you to a page which, thankfully, admits abstinence is a 100% positive way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Unfortunately, this valuable information is then tainted by a bullet point that reads, “[Abstinence] is endorsed by many religious groups.�

Now, that may be true, but it is also endorsed by a lot of clear-thinking, levelheaded parents who do not watch televangelists and do not speak in tongue.

Planned Parenthood can’t say that, however, because that would legitimize abstinence and possibly reduce their future client pool.

Most parents are relieved that schools are teaching sex education because they have no desire to do it themselves.

But you may be surprised to read what I was told by Tom Antal, superintendent of secondary instruction for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District: “Schools do not have to have a sex education curriculum.�

This is what makes the Planned Parenthood criticism so laughable: The district is under no legal obligation to offer sex education, but they do, and are still slammed by Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood criticized the textbook used, “A Guide to Wellness,� from Glencoe Publishing.

This book was selected before Antal was in his current position, but he offered a glimpse into the criteria that was used in its selection, “[Most important was] meeting state standards, covering the curriculum and the presentation of the language so that it’s clear,� Antal said. “Lots of time language can be used that is crude or inflammatory, that sort of thing, so it’s being read for its general acceptability.�

In this district, too, teachers have some discretion.

“There are certain things that are outside of the course description that if we found out it was happening we would ask them not do that,� Antal said. “This is an old course description and it offers more latitude than the newer ones so we’re in the process of reviewing all the course descriptions and updating them.�

Antal indicated that a review of the health course would probably happen within the next year.

In the meantime, let’s review the current parental options:

 Parents can examine a textbook and offer an opinion to the district before it is given to students.

 Parents are given notice that the health education course is about to be taught to their children.

 Parents are given the opportunity to withdraw their children from the specific instruction that deals with reproductive health.

 Teachers are given some latitude, but not a lot, to offer additional information, as long as it follows state guidelines.

 At any time, parents can supplement the instruction taught at school.

That reads to me like a good program.

Finally, I asked Antal how much of the sex education program is a reflection of the community.

“The community needs to be considered, for sure, but the first place to go is the education code. That’s the law and the law is very clear about what must be included in a sex education course. It must be comprehensive — it can’t be one-dimensional. To teach abstinence as sex education is illegal, actually. We follow the education code — we must teach HIV/AIDS.�

I’m not sorry the district is not meeting Planned Parenthood’s standards, I’m celebrating.

STEVE SMITH is a Costa Mesa resident and a freelance writer. Send story ideas to [email protected].