# School Sex Ed



## camillabien (Jun 8, 2015)

My oldest DD (freshman in high school), just finished the FLE (Her school's name for Sex Ed) unit in school. I decided to look at her notes to see what was said about foreskin, and I was appalled. All of the diagrams on the worksheets only showed circumcised penises, and foreskin was only mentioned once. The only time foreskins were mentioned at all was on a sheet of definitions where this was written: "Circumcision: A minor operation almost every boy has done at birth for religious or hygienic purposes that removes a useless piece of skin called the foreskin from the tip of the penis. If for some reason a boy did not have a circumcision, he must constantly pull back his foreskin to keep it clean". Can anybody else believe that's the kind of thing they're teaching our kids? Hopefully they didn't teach that to my younger kids as well. Is it common for schools to teach about circumcision like that? Because that is not okay at all


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## sahli29 (Jan 23, 2004)

That is terrible! I thought by now the circ rate was 50/50. I did not cut my kids,and hope they are not taught this garbage next year.

Useless skin? Isn't it full of nerve cells,and keeps the head of the penis from drying out? Isn't it a social or religious procedure in most cases,and rarely done for medical reasons?


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## Linda on the move (Jun 15, 2005)

No offensive, but due to your low post count, I'm just wondering how real this is. School is out here for the summer. My kid had sex ed in both public and private school, and foreskin wasn't a part of either one. Circumcision rates are so low here that the text wouldn't make any sense to the many boys in the class who intact. 


There were things in sex ed that I didn't agree with, and I discussed them with my kid, explaining my reasoning. Highschoolers are old enough to think for themselves, and I'm fine with my kids being presented with information that I don't totally agree with. I think it helps develop critical thinking skills.


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## Turquesa (May 30, 2007)

Linda on the move said:


> No offensive, but due to your low post count, I'm just wondering how real this is. School is out here for the summer.


Um, it's not here in my area. Maybe look up national school district calendars before hurling accusations? :confused

I definitely agree that the OP should use this as a teachable moment for her teen and consider contacting the teacher to correct the misinformation.


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## camillabien (Jun 8, 2015)

My kids' school doesn't get out until next Friday (June 17th).


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## hakunangovi (Feb 15, 2002)

camillabien said:


> My oldest DD (freshman in high school), just finished the FLE (Her school's name for Sex Ed) unit in school. I decided to look at her notes to see what was said about foreskin, and I was appalled. All of the diagrams on the worksheets only showed circumcised penises, and foreskin was only mentioned once. The only time foreskins were mentioned at all was on a sheet of definitions where this was written: "Circumcision: A minor operation almost every boy has done at birth for religious or hygienic purposes that removes a useless piece of skin called the foreskin from the tip of the penis. If for some reason a boy did not have a circumcision, he must constantly pull back his foreskin to keep it clean". Can anybody else believe that's the kind of thing they're teaching our kids? Hopefully they didn't teach that to my younger kids as well. Is it common for schools to teach about circumcision like that? Because that is not okay at all


I think that curriculum is totally irresponsible. Aside from how it may make intact males feel about their foreskin, it certainly fosters the circumcising culture. I would definitely encourage you to gather some educational material together and challenge the teacher.


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## JLUK (Jun 16, 2015)

A few points for a constructive challenge and discussion :

"Circumcision: A minor operation" - its an amputation of what will become a cherished body part. Any natural teenager who is not surrounded by social or religious pressure would respond : "your going to do what ?"

"almost every boy has done at birth" - challenge this with some international statistics on cut v natural male numbers, then strip out those who have it done for religious purposes. On an international scale its probably 10% cut, 90% natural once you take out the religious count. That represents well over a billion men who would care to disagree with these notions. Hopefully confronted with such context you can provoke a healthy educative discussion on "why?"

"that removes a useless piece of skin called the foreskin" - its full of nerves and contributes to the arousal process for promoting erection and ejaculation. It provides comfort and protection to a highly sensitive gland and keeps it from drying or becoming numb. It is an integral part of a mans sexual apparatus.

"If for some reason a boy did not have a circumcision, he must constantly pull back his foreskin to keep it clean" - as any natural teenage boy will tell you, cleaning it is more fun then nintendo and the best start possible to the day. Confronted with the choice "use soap and warm water daily or get the cut", what do you think a teenage boy would chose ? he would quickly become the most hygienic kid on campus

For a real life experience challenge to this type of preconception, please read my recent note on "regret".


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## TheBugsMomma (Mar 24, 2015)

Sadly I remember hearing that same line in 9th or 10th grade. This was 10 yrs ago. I forgot about it until now. Cutting was normal to me then. I grew up hearing from my mom how penises were ugly and they were uglier and dirty if left uncut. I married an intact man and I remember thinking why did she make such a big deal? It's just sad they still teach that.


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## joandsarah77 (Jul 5, 2005)

I think you should complain to the school or whoever is putting this together and send them some educational materials.


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## japonica (May 26, 2005)

joandsarah77 said:


> I think you should complain to the school or whoever is putting this together and send them some educational materials.


@;

Yeah, I don't think arguing with the teacher will accomplish a lot. Go for the source of whatever organisation created the info package and let them know how ridiculous it sounds. In my DD's school, the school has nothing to do with the material presented--it's written and presented by a third party organisation contracted by the government.


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## Smella (May 30, 2015)

That sounds very similar to the language used in my high school sex ed 12 years ago.


For what it's worn, public schools in my district were in session until June 29 this year


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

None of the sex ed my partner or I had in school, church, or Scouts ever mentioned circumcision, and all diagrams showed circumcised penises. But that was for a generation in which almost all American boys were circumcised. Now that it's closer to 50/50, this is completely irresponsible! I'd write a letter to the school district with plenty of accurate statistics! IMO, the most important "fact" to correct is, "almost every boy"--in today's social climate, where boys are somewhat less likely to see each other naked in gym classes, etc., it's cruel to give an intact boy the idea that he's the only one.


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## Arduinna (May 30, 2002)

I'd take it up with the school district. I don't know where the OP is location but I suggest looking at your countries numbers and not just world wide. The school can try and use the excuse that local numbers are what matter. So supporting the fact that in the US ( or where ever you are) it's actually in the 50% range will be helpful. 

By the way, I would never leave such a topic as bodily integrity and the practice of circumcision up to the schools. I'd be teaching my kids at home that intactness is normal, that circumcision is wrong and the purpose of the foreskin to all my kids. I'd also arm them with the information to address misinformation espoused by others both in and out of the classroom.


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## Hunter (Aug 3, 2006)

It's not at all neutral. I have this comical image of someone "constantly pulling back a foreskin" to keep it clean. Or a girl "constantly washing her vagina" to get through the day.


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## camillabien (Jun 8, 2015)

My DD came home from school a few weeks ago with her textbook for sophomore health (Sex Ed is only at the end of the year, but Health is a year-long course). I flipped through it to see if the sex ed material her class would be reading from at the end of the year was any better than what her class did at the end of last school year. Surprise surprise: it wasn't. I took pictures of the offending pages and you can see them here.


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