North Carolina high schools revamp sex education classes

Upon returning to school this fall, North Carolina high school students will receive their class schedules, just as they have every year. However, this time, the sexual education classes taught at various area schools will include more than abstinence.

Following recent legislative changes, academic and health officials have modernized the "sex ed" classes to better cater to the sexual health of today's teenagers, according to The News and Record. Despite the conservative leanings of many of the state's counties, teachers and parents support informing students about the dangers of risky behavior.

In Guilford County, curriculum will now include discussions about the morning-after pill, sexual assault and ways to avoid risky sexual behavior. Educators will also inform students about local centers that specialize in sexual health, the news source reports.

Rhonda Wilder, a parent and resident of Guilford County, stated that "sex ed curriculum gives parents an information base to build on to talk about morals and what's expected of their children." She added that "if they don't know what's going on, what's going to protect them against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and getting pregnant?"

Updating current sex ed classes is expected to help inform teenagers, who are at a high risk of contracting STDs, about sexual health. Last year, approximately 34 percent of sexually active teenagers did not use a condom, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports.