Study slams most TX sex ed programs

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) - The San Marcos school district now joins a short list of others whose sex education includes contraception.

Monday night the school board replaced their abstinence-only program with one that emphasizes waiting, but also includes safe sex options.

Before the decision Texas State University health education professors, Dr. David Wiley and Kelly Wilson, presented the board with their new Texas public school sex ed research.

"It's really a conspiracy of silence," said Dr. Wiley. "Parents really not saying anything to kids, school districts afraid to say anything about it."

The study is all documented in an organized book titled Just Say Don't Know that was published in February of 2010.

The state's high teen birth rate -- the third highest in the nation -- led them to request all materials being used to teach sex ed in every Texas public school. Each textbook, video and worksheet was wanted. Out of all 1,031 districts, 990 complied.

Data revealed 96-percent of districts are teaching abstinence-only or nothing at all. Only 4-percent teach abstinence and contraception, mostly in urban areas.

It was the inaccurate lessons that worried Wiley the most.

"Kids are told condoms don't work, they're told they fail x-percent of the time, but they're not told the reason they fail is user error not manufacterur error," said Wiley.

AbstinencePlus , the program Hays CISD, Lake Travis ISD and San Marcos CISD are going with, addresses the right way to use one. The Scott and White Worth the Wait program which some local districts like Round Rock ISD use does not mention contraceptives at all.

Wiley said surveys show more than half of Texas public school students have had sex at least once, which is why he feels teaching more information equals a real education.

"Do we just provide instruction to kids that are acting the way we want them to or that we provide instruction to all kids regardless of their behaviors?" said Wiley.

For more information on the recent study click here .