Parents and Planned Parenthood have been at odd in recent years as the nation’s number-one abortion vendor pushes its way into schools, trying to talk to kids about sex — for a fee. This month, parents in Spokane, Washington stopped an effort to put Planned Parenthood in charge of their children’s middle school (sixth- through ninth-grade) sex education, blocking the abortion industry’s brand of sexual advice. The abortion behemoth has been pushing its “Get Real” sex ed curriculum across the country. But the only thing that’s “real” about Planned Parenthood’s sex ed curriculum is the potential profit margins possible for the billion-dollar enterprise wherever the curriculum is introduced. The curriculum boasts little to no evidence of its efficacy and is rife with troublesome and downright disturbing content. And it’s everywhere.
On its website for educators, Planned Parenthood boasts: “We’re the nation’s largest provider of sex education.” That’s great for the nation’s number-one abortion provider. But it’s a serious concern for parents who have looked into the actual educationcontent.
For example, earlier this year, Planned Parenthood released guidelines for beginning a sexual conversation with preschool-aged children, advocating that little kids be told about gender roles, sexuality, masturbation and alternative lifestyles. Planned Parenthood also released some videos on “how to take care of your pussy” in which pictures of cats were intertwined with its messages on how women should understand and use their bodies. The sexual ethos of Planned Parenthood is on full display in the advice that they propose giving to other people’s children, one in which reckless behavior is encouraged while dangers are downplayed.
Planned Parenthood’s business model isn’t complicated: Encourage kids to have sex as early as possible, make sure kids go to Planned Parenthood when the risky sex practices Planned Parenthood promotes yield predictable consequences and then profit from this dangerous cycle throughout the child’s life. When all is said and done, Planned Parenthood’s business model is good for no one but Planned Parenthood’s bottom line.
A thorough review of Planned Parenthood’s Get Real curriculum reveals some startling facts.
First, Planned Parenthood’s sex education program under-emphasizes the efficacy and popularity of abstinence. Today, abstinence is practiced by more students than not with more and more teens graduating high school as virgins than in previous years. But you won’t hear that from Planned Parenthood. In fact, Planned Parenthood’s curriculum presents abstinence as “a” healthy choice, saying that “there are many positive things about engaging in sexual behaviors when a person is a mature and ready.” But Planned Parenthood conveniently fails to define or explore what “mature” or “ready” mean.
Planned Parenthood doesn’t teach students that abstinence is the only choice that will protect them from all STDs, all chances of pregnancy and all of the emotional consequences of an early sexual debut. Why? Because Planned Parenthood doesn’t profit from kids postponing sex until later in life. Across the country, schools teach students to avoid risky behaviors. “Just Say No To Drugs,” they say. That’s because it’s too risky to teach kids that some drug use is safe. And many school districts are adopting sexual risk avoidance curricula in this same vein. Inviting Planned Parenthood into a school to teach sex education is tantamount to inviting a tobacco company to teach kids how to have healthy lungs. It makes no sense, and it’s dangerous for our kids.
Second, Planned Parenthood’s sex education curriculum makes sure to counter possible resistance from students based on their core conscientious or religious principles and existing family values right off the bat, teaching that universal values can be defined as those that are important to the majority of humans. Sexual choices, Planned Parenthood teaches, fall into the category of choices guided by ‘personal’ values — not universal ones. And these ‘personal’ values are relative, with Planned Parenthood encouraging teens to determine them on their own. How convenient.
What if a kid does decide on his own that his or her “personal” values include sexual abstinence? Too bad, says Planned Parenthood; the kid will still be required in the seventh grade to create a public services announcement for the radio telling peers how to ‘access sexual health services.’ The students are instructed in this final project to research the sexual health services in their area and report on the ‘location, cost, and how to schedule an appointment.” And guess which business they’ll find when they Google “sexual health services” in their area? You guessed it: Planned Parenthood.
Overlooked here as well is the reality that a condom can’t protect a broken heart. Encouraging immature children to engage in sexual conduct without adult coping skills puts their tender hearts at risk. Lost in the conversation is any discussion of how to build and maintain healthy, long-term relationships. All human interaction is reduced to sexual acts, which does not begin to reflect the life skills needed for adult connections.
As the parents of Spokane have illustrated, Planned Parenthood can be stopped when engaged citizens and parents contact their elected officials. Just as important is electing a school board and community leadership who listen to taxpayers and parents about who should educate children and how scarce tax dollars are spent. Planned Parenthood has a financial interest in selling self-serving sexual advice and then advocating for its deadly abortion product should the advice fail. Parents know that children’s futures are at stake.
Planned Parenthood just wants to get paid.
Kristan Hawkins (@KristanHawkins) is president of Students for Life of America.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of The Daily Caller.
