Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118816

Lisa Dorothy Moore, DrPH, Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, HSS 315, San Francisco, CA 94132, (415) 338-2109, lisadee@sfsu.edu

Increasingly, sex and drug education curricula are determined by ideology, not science. In fact, science is treated like any belief system, and one that can be discarded if it does not fit the paradigm of the learner. Biologist who teach evolution share the same concerns as educators who try to teach against ideology and belief-based public health. Both situations lead to students who lack critical thinking skills and the ability to use and understand science. In the latter case, ignorance also promotes the spread of sexually transmitted infections and other infectious diseases.

Abstinence based sex and drug curricula are the norms and the only ones funded by the federal government. Their content ranges from simplistic pleas to "Just Say No" or to maintain virginity to ones that acknowledge some of the complexity in sexual and drug- taking decision making. Such curricula, when evaluated scientifically are found to, at best, postpone risky behaviors while discouraging risk reduction.

This talk will review the data related to sex and drug education for youth. It will then discuss how the mis-education of youth produces challenges for undergraduate and graduate instruction in public health. And it will conclude with a description of non federally funded training and education, and how that might be utilized to improve the information base and public health status of youth and young adults.

Learning Objectives: Attendees will be able to

• Describe barriers to evidence based public health in drug and sex education
• Assess how opposition to evidence based public health promotes the spread of infectious diseases
• Develop strategies for improving the quality of sex and drug education

Keywords: Education, Risky Behaviors

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.