John Trobaugh

I support comprehensive sex education, because this includes healthy relationships, including LGTBQ+ as well as consent and more. I know that this most recent attempt to modernize the curriculum was stymied by a few. I think there were flaws in the process (more community engagement is always a good choice), but we should keep in mind (according to data presented by Dr. Matilde Castiel), 92% randomly selected voters believe feel sexual education should be taught in Worcester High Schools and 87% believe sexual education should be comprehensive.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Worcester Board of Health presentations, when comprehensive sexual education is taught, there is a 12% decrease in sexual activity, a 14% decrease in the number of sexual partners, a 25% decrease in unprotected sexual activity, a 13% increase in the use of protection and a 31% decrease in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI). It is clear that our community needs comprehensive sexual education, not just to prevent pregnancies, but to increase the health of our community.

It is important to note the percentages of different sexual orientations and gender identites in the Worcester Public Schools. In 8% of Worcester Public School grades 7-12, children openly identify as Transgender. 11% of the same age group identified as Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual, then 3% identify as something other than those options and an additional 6% were not sure how they would publicly identify themselves. This is important since LGBTQ+ relationships are not currently a part of the standardized curriculum in Worcester Public Schools.

The following are some important notes about the groundwork laid to get comprehensive sexual education in the Worcester Public Schools. Worcester: Impacting Sexual Health (WISH) Task Force (2015-2018) was a community task force with the goal to improve educational, economic and social outcomes for Worcester youth by making a positive impact on adolescent sexual health and creating an environment that supports healthy relationships. I was a community member on the taskforce and we had hoped to build momentum to get comprehensive sexual education passed for our schools (among many other goals). The taskforce was supported in part by a grant and Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM). Planned Parenthood in the south helped my best friend when she was pregnant but not in a relationship. I was recently elected to the board of directors of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM).

Join me in asking the school committee and our mayor to enact a comprehensive sexual eduation policy that takes into account Worcester’s great diversity, while protecting our youth.