The Outlook Vol. 1 Issue 2 editorial discussed the exclusion of sexual education from New York Health education standards and how Haldane could improve its own approach to sex ed. This Issue, we invited students from all four grades to weigh in with their personal experiences with sex ed at Haldane– what they learned, what they would like to see improved, and what is most important to them about sexual health education.
The Student Survey
The Outlook invited 168 Haldane students, grades 9-12, to take a digital survey about their perspective on Haldane’s sexual education program, and on their thoughts about sexual education resources in general. The 27 respondents each had insightful things to say, but the majority shared the same sentiment: Haldane school needs to revisit the sexual health curriculum.
When asked to highlight what they found helpful about Haldane’s sex ed curriculum, and what they would change, several students praised their health classes for thoroughness in covering the dangers of drugs and alcohol. However, many students expressed a desire for more thoroughness in the sex ed unit, with a significant number acknowledging that the awkwardness of the topic was an impediment.
“I think the health class does an excellent job addressing drug usage,” junior Sofia Kelly wrote, “but really struggles with sex education.” She expressed the desire for a more in-depth coverage of the “emotional toll of sex.”
Several students described the coverage of sexual health topics as “relatively light,” “very general overview,” and “surface level,” suggesting a need for greater depth in this area.
Multiple students expressed a problem not with the material itself, but with the attitude of some of their peers in class. “The classes personally made me feel uncomfortable,” wrote an anonymous senior, “mainly from the company I was with. Being in a cramped room filled with annoying hormonal teenage boys restricted my ability to ask questions without fear of persecution. It was constrictive, and stressful.”
Another anonymous student also reported feeling uncomfortable with the behavior of the boys in their class, with a third expressing that they felt the lessons took on an “immature” tone as a result of their male peers. Senior Leif Heydt-Benjamin stated that the “lighthearted” manner in which the information was presented was helpful to combat the awkwardness of the material, but led to “disruptive” behavior on the part of some classmates.
“While sexual education conversations are uncomfortable and there is a grey area around what is ‘appropriate’ for the classroom,” began another anonymous senior, “I think that there is way more benefit to having open conversations about it as it is a reality to life.” This same student then offered a solution to the discomfort many female students may feel during these lessons: “I think it would be helpful for there to also be a female instructor who could possibly only come into the health class to support during the sex ed unit because I think it would help some people feel more comfortable asking questions.”
When asked about the sexual health and education topics that were most important to them, which they feel all people should be taught, students had a range of answers. Consent, contraceptives, STIs, and social pressure were common responses. Sexual orientation, and the LGBTQ+ community, were also brought up.
Senior Gabriela Perilli felt it was important to teach about reproductive options. “The options people have that should be taught in schools is an important topic to me, since we live in [New York] there are many options for people for safe abortions and whatnot that aren’t available to people in other states,” she wrote. Perilli also commented on why sexual education in general is essential for adolescents. “When you’re in high school your frontal lobe isn’t even close to being fully developed, but when educated on many important topics, like sexual education, it gives students a chance to make a better decision under the circumstances.”
An anonymous sophomore noted consent to be among the most important topics to them: “For women, how to handle any situations in which they feel pressured to do anything or how to say no, such as rape.”
Four other separate students also gave answers involving sexual pressure, sexual assault, abuse, or rape. One such student, an anonymous senior, wrote, “I also think that there should be a larger empowerment conversation about what you can do if you find yourself in a nonconsensual sexual interaction, and I think that there should be more information about resources you can find.”
Trusted Adults
One of the most important resources for students to have when learning about sexual health is a trusted adult. When asked in the Outlook survey whether students had such an adult to talk to, a total of 25 students responded to the question. While 22 of them confirmed having a trusted adult, three students said that they did not.
All students deserve to have an adult they feel safe talking to about this important topic. Some may say that it is the parents’ job, not the school’s job, to teach about sexual health. But if the parents themselves didn’t receive the best sexual health education, and aren’t equipped with tools to overcome the awkwardness, their child may be left without a sufficient understanding of sexual health. Therefore, schools have a responsibility to provide a modern sexual education to students.
Sexual education is not an easy subject to teach to teenagers alone– especially when it is completely excluded from the New York Health Education standards, which teachers must prioritize. One respondent above suggested bringing in a second, female instructor to assist in this unit, and in my opinion this suggestion should be heavily considered by the Haldane instructional team. Haldane brings in guest speakers for other units in Health class, such as for discussing mental health. Haldane should do the same for the sexual education unit at the high school level. This way, it is not all on the shoulders of one teacher, and the co-ed nature of the class will be represented.
One place Haldane could look to for assistance in this matter is Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic. In an interview with PPHP’s Manager of Education and Training, Joelle Schantz, Schantz stated that Planned Parenthood offers push-in services to Health classes, and assists many school Health departments in this unit. Schantz also offered advice for any parents or guardians hoping to be that trusted adult for their student. “I think, by starting these conversations, your teen then knows that you are a safe person to talk to about these topics with,” she stated. “So even if your young person isn’t giving you a lot back…they know that you’ve started the conversation, and they can come back to it at any time.”
Pushing for Change— from Schools to State
While Haldane has room for improvement, constructing a sexual education unit remains difficult for our school and many others across the state due to a major roadblock in particular: New York’s exclusion of sexual education from its Health Education standards. While the state does provide health education guidelines that include sexual education, it is an optional, out-of-date document, making it hard for schools to determine what is most important and useful to teach.
However, there are politicians and advocates working to correct this exclusion. Representing the 95th district, which includes Cold Spring, in the New York State Assembly, Dana Levenberg agreed to discuss with me her efforts to improve sexual education in schools.
Levenberg is a co-sponsor of New York Assembly Bill A4604, which proposes that New York education laws be amended to include a new section, 804-e, which would require all public and charter schools to integrate age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education lessons grades K-12. “I think it’s really important that we make sure that people feel comfortable in their bodies,” Levenberg stated when asked about why she supports this bill. She continued: “Information is power. [If sexual education is standardized,] I think that young people will have knowledge that will protect them against sexually transmitted diseases, and will make them feel more comfortable in their bodies.”
But not everyone shares the same viewpoint. Levenberg explained how some families misunderstand the bill’s intentions, with fears of teachers talking about extremely sensitive topics to elementary schoolers. “The bill actually provides for age appropriate sexuality education,” Levenberg clarified, “so that our younger learners are going to be learning things about hugging and touch, and what’s appropriate and what’s not– to, again, make sure that kids aren’t going to get hurt, and that they’re going to have enough knowledge to make sure that they are protected.”
Bill A4604 serves one purpose: protecting students. Levenberg concluded: “Being armed with more information makes you a little bit more thoughtful about when you engage in sexual intercourse…I think it’s really important because we want to keep our kids safe.”
Sexual education is not an encouragement of sexual interaction, but preparation for the future. I encourage our school to consider my peers’ ideas for expanding upon the existing sexual education unit. I encourage parents, too, to support their children. These conversations, uncomfortable though they may be, are a necessary door to open, so that young people know they have an adult in their life they can safely turn to. Finally, I encourage my peers to utilize additional resources available to all of us in our local community for the additional sexual health information, support, or emergency resources that they are looking for. There is not only empowerment in information, but safety, too, and all students deserve to be armed with knowledge and comfortable in their skin.
Shortlist of Sexual Health Resources
ON THE WEB
American Sexual Health Association
ashasexualhealth.org
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
adolescenthealth.org/resources
Go Ask Alice!
goaskalice.columbia.edu
Sex, Etc.
Sexetc.org
IN OUR COMMUNITY
Drug World 55 Chestnut St, Cold Spring drugworld.com
According to owner Heidi Snyder, community pharmacies like Drug World are the #1 most accessible healthcare providers in the country. Drug World carries the brand Plan B and a generic brand of emergency contraception, as well as a variety of pregnancy tests, abortion pills, condoms, and other sexual health supplies. Snyder also explained how trained pharmacists in New York, such as herself, can now also prescribe and dispense different birth controls, after a private, confidential, no-cost conversation. “You should not be in this situation if you don’t want to be,” Snyder said. “You should know what your options are.” She concluded by saying that she is always open to sitting down with anyone who needs to talk. “I would welcome anybody who would want to have a conversation.”
Heidi Snyder can be reached at: Heidi@drugworld.com
Split Rock Books 97
Main St, Cold Spring
In response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and recent concerns for the preservation of bodily autonomy, owners Heidi and Michael Bender have started selling emergency contraception out of their store. As resources like abortion are being rescinded, the Benders hope to make other resources more available, to give individuals more control over their bodies. But emergency contraception can be very expensive– “upwards of $50,” Bender explained. Through the organization American Society for Emergency Contraception, Split Rock Books was able to obtain a supply for a lower price, enabling them to sell boxes at a sliding rate of $1-20. These are sold via a vending machine at the back of the store.
Planned Parenthood Poughkeepsie Health Center
17 Noxon St, Poughkeepsie, NY
Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic
plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-hudson-peconic
Planned Parenthood offers a plethora of services, from reproduction and sexual health care, to advocacy, to educational programs for adults, youth, and parents of youth. About those programs, Manager of Education and Training at PPHP Joelle Schantz stated: “We have a variety of topics we talk about. Safer sex, STI prevention, contraception, healthy relationships, decision making, media literacy, anatomy and puberty, physiology; the list is extensive.”
