A small high school in Texas might change its sex-ed curriculum out of medical necessity.  Before at least 20 students were diagnosed as having the sexually-transmitted disease Chlamydia, Crane High School in its namesake, bible-belt town had focused on abstinence-only education.

“We do have an abstinence curriculum, and that’s evidently ain’t working.  We need to do all we can, although it’s the parents’ responsibility to educate their kids on sexual education,” said Jim Rumage, superintendent for the Crane Independent School District.

Chlamydia is the most common STD in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  It is caused by bacteria passed between sexual partners who aren’t using condoms, but easily treated with antibiotics.

But left untreated, infected people can suffer discharge, burning, and tenderness.  Women can also experience pelvic inflammatory disease or liver inflammation.  Chlamydia can also make it harder for women to get pregnant.

School officials put these facts into a letter sent to parents and students.  Of course, at least the students would have already known it, had the school district had a sex education program based in reality and science. 

Researchers have established that abstinence-only programs are pretty useless.  They’re often riddled with negative messages about sexuality and gender roles, and downplay information on condoms or other forms of birth control.  But the research also shows that comprehensive sex ed programs – free from scare tactics – actually help teens delay sexual activity.