Question about sex ed in school

[Keeper]

I'm having a somewhat heated discussion with friends of my religion on a different message board and wanted to see what you think.

My friend's daughter is 11 and taking sex ed classes in school. My friend decided to sit in on the first day, to get the overview and make sure they would be teaching with a healthy attitude about sex, as many in my community have a very shameful attitude towards it.

On the first day, a diagram of the vulva was shown...missing the clitoris. No mention of the clitoris was made. The teacher treated it as if it didn't exist. My friend and I both feel this is indicative of our culture and shame over the female orgasm. Even if they don't explain the function, I don't see why they felt the need to leave a body part off the diagram.

My religious friends are divided on the issue. Some feel the age is the issue, and that teaching girls about sexual pleasure, even in a perfunctory way, is dangerous or unecessary, at best. I personally feel there needn't be emotion attached to the subject and that if we're going to be teaching about the sex organs, they all ought to be included. And if we're going to be teaching about male orgasm, then we should not be sweeping female orgasm under the rug.

For the record, I took sex ed classes in 6th grade and was taught about the clitoris, it's location, and it's function.

Sarah

[Tradd]

I'm 36, went to public school through the end of 7th grade, and was switched to Catholic schools from 8th grade through h.s. graduation. I didn't have sex ed in the public schools, unless you count the talk and film in 4th or 5th grade about menstruation. I had a "health" class my sophomore year in Catholic h.s. when the reproductive/sex organs were discussed (in a very neutral way). The clitoris was involved.

I have to admit I find the exclusion of the clitoris strange, as well. What sort of sex ed class is this - abstinence being taught? Has anyone talked to the teacher?

Tradd

[EFmom]

This is loony. Would they teach about the nervous system and leave off the brain?

I think it's also potentially damaging. If they don't show all the organs, imagine how girls are going to feel if they find the clitoris themselves. They are likely to think that they have some scary strange growth "down there."

[LunaMom]

Virtual female circumcision. Yikes.

You know, I could understand them not wanting to go into detail about the pleasures of sexual activity in sixth grade, but to just leave off an anatomical part? Would they show a diagram of male anatomy with the entire penis missing???

It's no wonder so many adult women I know have so little understanding of that vague area they call "down there." : Can't we do better for our daughters?