Sex education

Press, 30 May 1986, Page 16

Sex education

Sir,—As a secondary school counsellor, I am sick and ured of moral minorities who paint the

Family Planning Association as encouraging casual sex among young people. The recent letter from the N.Z. Organisation for Moral Education (May 27) is yet another such cavil. Those who have direct involvement with the F.P.A. know two things about them. First, that co-operation among families, schools and students is a primary concern. Second, they insist that personal and relational integrity should be prior to all sexual encounters. It might be argued that the F.P.A.’s educational policy results in more sexual restraint than licence. The F.P.A. does an admirable service in supporting young people both directly, and indirectly through their supply of resources to counsellors and others. If the alleged hordes of "worried mums” referred to had worried a few years earlier, and enlisted the help of the nowangry dads, some of the F.P.A.’s services might now be an anachronism. I thoroughly recommend their current publication, “Deciding and Choosing,” to any parents wanting to move out Into the wider fields beyond anger and anxiety. — Yours, etc., PAUL JOHNSTONE. May 28, 1986. Sir,—D. Elliot-Hogg, under the headline “Contraceptive kits” (May 27), tells of worried and angry parents. On the same day “The Press” reports that Dr Goldwater wants 13-year-olds to read his book on A.I.D.S. risks, claiming that, by that age, 10 per cent of boys would be homosexual. He goes on: “Youngsters are inexperienced and less likely to make safe sexual choices.” In each case, an important factor is missing, namely sound moral teaching on not getting involved in illicit sex of any nature. The whole emphasis seems to be on the Freudian-humanistic philosophy of “If you feel like it, do it; but make it safe,” rather than the Judaeo-Christian teaching, “If it is wrong don’t do it.” Dr Goldwater refers to the importance of self-esteem in A.I.D.S. education and makes some suggestions. Learning to say “no” will engender much more selfesteem than learning “play-safe” methods, or in homosexual law reform. — Yours, etc., H. G. ORAM. May 28, 1986.