Bill Would Increase Sex Education In IL Schools May 3, 2005 5:03 pm US/Central CHICAGO (CBS 2) There's a push in Illinois to boost sex education in schools. The goal is to decrease the number of teen pregnancies. As CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports, most students say they don't have enough information about sex. Linda Ruiz is not only a softball coach for female athletes at Farragut High School, she's also a counselor and friend. Ms. Ruiz says her school already has a big problem with unexpected pregnancies and, at her players' ages, there's nothing better than a little dose of reality. “It's like an epidemic, teenage pregnancy. It's out of control,” she said. “And it's not that these kids are dumb or anything, it's just that we gotta work hard.” High school student Erica Gamboa said “She tells us about diseases you could get, things that could happen, the big responsibility it is to be a teenage parent, about how hard it is to maintain one.” According to the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, more than half of high school students have sex before graduation, around 20 percent with four partners or more. Twenty percent had sexual relations under the influence of alcohol and only nine percent are using birth control. Jobi Petersen of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health said, “Chicago and Illinois are not in great shape compared with the rest of the country. However, like the rest of the country, our teen birth rate has been declining.” Petersen says that's not a reason to celebrate, but to work even harder. A bill introduced this week in the Illinois senate would provide more funding for sex education programs in public schools. Experts say it's all about giving kids the right kind of information about sex. Steve Trombley of Planned Parenthood said, “They see it on TV, they see in their magazines, they see it in their music videos. Kids are surrounded by sex. What they're not getting is accurate information that they need to protect themselves.” The bill, introduced by Senator Carol Ronen of the 7th district, will be debated this week in the Illinois legislature. It would provide more funding for permanent sex education programs at public schools in the entire state. http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_123180540.html |