During its Wednesday, Nov. 18 meeting, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) Board of Education voted unanimously to amend board policy on the instruction of sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention by providing free condoms in its high schools but not making students identify themselves as they had to before.
Superintendent Jill Baker explained that condoms are provided by the State at no cost to the district and high schools would only give them out under certain conditions.
An advisory committee strongly recommended that the board change its sexual health policy so students don’t have to identify themselves when asking for a condom from their high school, Baker said.
“The revised policy satisfies the requirements set forth in the California Department of Education’s categorical program monitoring of the district’s comprehensive sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention instruction,” Baker said.
New policy language holds that students don’t have to identify themselves “to see whether their parent made a choice that the student may not receive comprehensive sexual health instruction.”
Parents can request in writing that their child be excused from sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention instruction. The revised policy would allow schools to give students condoms even if their parent opted them out of that instruction since they would not be identified.
However, information may be given to students on where they can find out about the proper use of condoms, the revised policy states. If a student requests more instruction, though, the school would first need to know if their parent opted them out of sexual health instruction.
“If the parent or guardian did not opt the student out of such instruction, then staff shall provide appropriate and necessary information regarding the proper use of condoms and the limits on their effectiveness,” new policy language states.
A few members of the public verbally protested the change during the meeting, saying LBUSD’s revised policy oversteps the role of parents and doesn’t belong in an academic setting.
Xochitl Gonzalez, a member of the Long Beach Parents United advocacy group, objected to sex education in general. Parents should teach their children about sexual morality, not schools, she said, adding that it is embarrassing for students.
“Sexual education leaves teens vulnerable to sexual assault,” she said. “Sex education makes teenagers more promiscuous.”
According to existing policy, schools have to emphasize to condom-requesting students that “abstinence is the only 100% effective method of preventing pregnancy, HIV transmission and sexually transmitted infections and that [LBUSD] does not condone or in any way encourage sexual activity among or with minors.”
