We are now less than a week away from the end of the regular legislative session. Two and a half weeks before its end, state Sen. Mike Dunleavy introduced Senate Bill 89 with an amendment just this past week directly attacking Planned Parenthood politically and ideologically. Now there are two bills, SB 89 and House Bill 192, masquerading as parental rights bills. While these bills appear to be about parental rights, they have dangerous consequences that put the health and future of our youth at risk by limiting access to necessary resources and information regarding reproductive and sexual health.
I respect the parental right to decide what is appropriate for their child in education and act accordingly. However, I want to ensure that young people have access to comprehensive, medically accurate sex education, so they have the tools and knowledge they need to use their voices to make healthy decisions for themselves. The place where young people can most readily get that information is at their school.
I am a youth pastor for five churches in Juneau, and I have been a supporter of and volunteer with Planned Parenthood for four years. Planned Parenthood has been an educator in Alaska for over 20 years, invited into schools to provide tailored curriculum according to the communicated needs of the community, teacher, school, and parents. In fall 2013, I invited the Planned Parenthood Teen Council in Juneau to present curriculum on healthy relationships to the Cooperative Youth Group, which is comprised of young people, grades 6 through 12.
With help from its adviser, the Teen Council presented guidelines on healthy relationships to their peers, asking questions like, "What does a healthy relationship look like?" and instruction on red flags in dating relationships and friendships. This model of peer education on healthy relationships was effective in honoring all of the young people present as capable of having values, trusting those values and living by them.
Rather than setting barriers to important information for our youth, we should be working together to ensure that our youth have the resources and information to lead healthy and productive lives. SB 89 and HB 192 do the opposite. These bills affect access to sex education and education on sexual assault and awareness. Alaska cannot afford to not have sex education.
Consider current reports that show 15- to 19-year-olds contract the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia at more than three times the state average. These numbers trouble me because it goes against what I know of young people. They are smart, and they have thoughts and values and they live them out. Young people can trust themselves and should be trusted.
In order for them to have a voice and make healthy decisions responsibly, they need the tools and knowledge provided through comprehensive sex education. Studies continue to show comprehensive sex education programs are highly effective in delaying initiation of sexual activity, reducing STDs, increasing the use of contraceptives, and lowering teen pregnancy rates.
Since the state does not require accurate, reliable sex education, Planned Parenthood fills a gap in our communities. These politically and ideologically motivated attacks on Planned Parenthood through SB 89 and HB 192 endanger our youth and their access to education, resources, and healthy choices. Together, let's find ways to ensure that our youth have the resources to know about healthy relationships, human sexuality, and sexually transmitted diseases so they can make informed decisions about their values and how they live them out in healthy ways.
If not Planned Parenthood, then who? It makes no sense to ban schools from inviting in qualified sexual health educators like Planned Parenthood to provide and teach age-appropriate, medically accurate curriculum the community has requested and needs.
Melissa Engel is pastor of the Cooperative Youth Group in Juneau.
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