Lawmakers expand sex-ed curriculum to include contraception

OLYMPIA — A bill that requires public schools to teach both abstinence and contraception in sex-education classes cleared the state Legislature on Wednesday, over the objections of Republicans who argued the law is radical and unneeded.

The House passed Senate Bill 5297 with a 63-34 vote after a four-hour debate. It was approved by the Senate earlier and now goes to Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign it. Democrats control both the House and Senate with large majorities.

The bill doesn't require schools to teach sex education, but those that do must provide medically accurate information. That means both abstinence and other methods of preventing unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases must be included.

Under current law, schools with sex education must teach abstinence, but instruction about birth-control pills and other contraceptives is optional.

Opponents contend the legislation takes local decision-making away from the schools and doesn't put enough emphasis on abstinence.

"I'm afraid we're going to empower some of these children," said Rep. Bob Sump, R-Republic. "I just feel like it's giving a child a loaded weapon and saying 'go play.' "

Rep. John Ahern, R-Spokane, argued "the only way to absolutely prevent pregnancy or avoid sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sex. That's guaranteed. It seems to me that abstinence education should be the core of our sex-ed curriculum."

Supporters argued the legislation is needed.

"Teaching teens about scientifically accurate sex ed will not cause them to have sex, because a great many of them are already having it," said Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle.

"Ignorance is not bliss," she said. "I grew up going to schools that chose not to teach sex ed and I confess right here ... that until I went to college, I actually thought that girls could get pregnant by sleeping next to boys."

More than 30 amendments proposed by Republicans failed, including one that would have required sex-education curriculum to include information on contraceptive failure.

Voluntary sex-education guidelines adopted by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction in January 2005 outline medically and scientifically accurate sex education.

The measure passed by the House on Wednesday makes those guidelines mandatory for schools that have sex-education programs. Schools that only offer abstinence programs would have to expand their programs, or drop sex education from their classrooms.

HIV-AIDS education is mandatory in Washington but general sex education is not.

The bill defines medically and scientifically accurate information as information supported by research, published in peer-review journals and considered to be objective.

Under the measure, parents will be allowed to review the curriculum and can keep their children out of the classes after filing a written request with their school board or principal.

Andrew Garber: 360-943-9882 or agarber@seattletimes.com. Material from the Associated Press was used in this article.