SEATTLE _ You might not know this, but in Washington, schools don't have to teach sex education.
State law only requires school districts to teach students about HIV and AIDS prevention every year, starting no later than the fifth grade. But after a failed attempt last year, lawmakers are again trying to make comprehensive sexual health education a mandate for all Washington public schools.
Supporters argue that the lack of a consistent, statewide set of standards for sex education means students may fill in the gaps themselves _ and expose themselves to risk.
A survey of nearly 9,000 eighth-graders in 2018 found about two-thirds of them had been taught about abstinence and other ways to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Still, "we've seen an incredibly disturbing trend with a climb in (adolescent) STD rates in our state," according to Laurie Dils, who oversees sexual health education for the state superintendent's office.
On Thursday, she presented the recommendations of a state work group that wants the Legislature to require all public schools to provide some form of sex education to every student _ from kindergarten to 12th grade _ by the 2022-23 academic year.
The proposal certainly has its opponents, including politicians and parents who wonder why elementary kids need to know about reproduction and gender identity. A legislative hearing last week highlighted some questions and concerns.
