Meghan Sparks
KTTC TV
ST. PAUL, MN -- The Responsible Family Life and Sexuality Education Bill is currently in front of the Minnesota Legislature. Representative Neva Walker is one of the authors of the bill, she spoke to teens today encouraging them to pressure their legislators to bring comprehensive sex education to their own classrooms.
Rep. Neva Walker says, "We have things going on in our young people's lives that this bill can give them some solid information on and it's about time."
It's been nine years in the making and Representative Neva Walker hopes this will be the year that sex education is brought to Minnesota classrooms, education that incorporates abstinence only and contraceptive methods.
Rep. Neva Walker says, "I don;t want young people having sex but anything that is going to give them adequate information is something that we should be doing."
Dozens of teens rallied at the capitol Tuesday in support of the bill including one local teen who says teens are having sex and many aren't fully informed.
AmberLee Hoye says, "In my health class last year we had some adult professionals come in and the students had no idea that there are all these differ rent kinds of birth control methods."
Ehryn Barthelme says, "The more teens know the better decisions they make."
Ehryn Barthelme is a community educator for the Rochester Planned Parenthood who says comprehensive sex education is the only way to go.
Ehryn Barthelme says, "The kids who have comprehensive sex ed tend to delay intercourse longer than kids that have abstinence only education."
One in four teenage girls is infected with an STD and legislators like Neva Walker are hoping that statistic might be enough to get the bill passed.
Rep. Neva Walker says, "I think the challenge is going to be getting the Governor to get past his own personal views on this."
Some worry that comprehensive sex education promotes sexual activity in teens, but Representative Walker says teens are already having sex so the best thing we can do is teach them how to do it safely.
