silina boston ashby

Boston Ashby is the CEO of Girls Inc. in the Pacific Northwest and a former public health official. She lives in Portland.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s overturn of the constitutional right to abortion has had devastating effects in many states, and its aftermath continues to unfold week after week across the United States. Today, Oregon remains a place of solace for everyone seeking safe and legal abortion regardless of income, minority status, gender identity, immigration status, or health insurance coverage. Or severely limit the procedure.

But the polarizing abortion debate provides an important opportunity for people in Oregon to refocus on a related issue: comprehensive sex education. They deserve an education that will give them the sexual development expertise and insight they need to make mature decisions. This is an issue on which both sides of the abortion debate can stand.

Comprehensive sex education, mandated in Oregon, consists of an age-appropriate curriculum that provides young people with the sexual, social, and medical maturity they need to mature whether they have sex or not. provide young people with relevant knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. .

While parents and guardians can exclude their children from instruction, Oregon schools promote abstinence, recognize different sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and, perhaps most importantly, , sex education should be taught through curricula that provide guidance on consent.

The benefits of this framework are extensive, as evidenced by the latest Student Health Survey.this The survey informs state officials of the many factors that contribute to the well-being of Oregon students, from physical health to sexual health and beyond, to 6th, 8th and 11th grade students. provided to students. Questions vary from year to year, but generally include the following: Questions related to sexual health, housing and food security, home security, exposure and prevalence of physical abuse by peers and adults, suicidal ideation, substance abuse or impaired driving. The information collected provides the state with consolidated upstream public health data for our adolescent population, pointing out that sexual care and sex education are not a single issue. It’s about balanced overall health.

moreover, survey shows that comprehensive sex education is an upstream solution to multiple public health concerns.As a result of this education, Oregon tUnderstanding the emotional, physical and social dimensions of human sexuality and healthy relationships, ultimately necessary to prevent sexually transmitted and infectious diseases, pregnancy, and greater instances of risky behavior and relationships I have the knowledge and skills.

Unfortunately, only some school districts, such as Portland Public Schools, offer a comprehensive sex education curriculum. Some districts choose to teach an abstinence-only curriculum and do not fully implement instruction on the relationship and medical components of sex education. Across Oregon, young people everywhere need help building healthy, consensual relationships and planning for unwanted pregnancies. The Department of Education says it is working to bring non-compliant districts into compliance, ensuring all Oregon school districts implement comprehensive sex education as outlined in state law. is needed.

But we have more work to do.

• · We need to demand funding for school-based health centers with discreet and unabashed access to sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives and information.
• · Community members should discuss the positive impact of sex education with school superintendents, school boards, and field-based decision makers.
• · Schools should provide parents with a sex education curriculum. While we must respect the legal rights of parents and guardians to opt out of sex education instruction for their students, we must encourage them to educate themselves on the contemporary merits of this information. Even though they promote abstinence as a primary method of sexual instruction, such materials help them become more informed authorities on children’s sexual development.
• · The Oregon Department of Health needs to more effectively manage the distribution of student health surveys statewide. The survey has also been translated into more languages ​​to ensure that all demographics, especially those with high inequalities (e.g. rural residents, low-income families, non-English speakers, BIPOC youth) Share your health needs and benefit from the beneficial impact of sex education.

Because the abortion debate remains polarized and fluid, we need to go beyond lively debate to ensure a safe and healthy future for Oregon’s youth. As a state preparing for the future through sexuality and preventive health care, we have an opportunity to set a national example. We have to keep fighting to keep going. The future of young Oregonians depends on it.