Kindergartners get sex ed classes

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND - City schools will expand sex education curriculum to include age-appropriate lessons that begin as early as kindergarten, officials said. The initiative comes as Cleveland's teen birth rates are high but dropping - about 40 of every 1,000 girls ages 15-19 become pregnant every year, according to state data - and rates of some sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, are rising. Cases of chlamydia, the most common STD, rose 30 percent over the past five years while HIV, rarely diagnosed in adolescents, turned up in 19 Cuyahoga County teens.

"One-third of all the HIV/AIDS cases in Ohio are in Cleveland," said Lita Townsend, responsible sexual behavior coordinator for the district. "Really, the best weapon we have right now is education." Cleveland schools already offer sex education to many of their middle- and high-school students. The schools also are required to teach HIV prevention. The new classes, which begin soon, will address self-esteem and peer pressure as well as biology. Children in grades K-3 will learn about how viruses work and appropriate and inappropriate touching. Grades 4-6 will start learning about menstruation and other aspects of reproductive health.

In grades 7-12, the discussion shifts to interpersonal relationships, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and respect for sexual orientation. Abortion will be explained and defined but not promoted, said Townsend, adding that she's unaware of other programs in the state that target every grade level.