Report: Texas schools mislead on sex

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AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- A report finds that only 4 percent of Texas school districts provide sex education beyond abstinence and many give students inaccurate information.

The Texas Freedom Network Education Fund released "Just Say Don't Know: Sexuality Education in Texas Public Schools" on Tuesday, the Austin American-Statesman reported. Two Texas State University researchers, David Wiley and Kelly Wilson, spent two years putting the report together.

The report said that one school district teaches that homosexuality is illegal in Texas -- no longer true since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the state law -- and many give misleading information on condoms.

"Most of the mistruths share a common purpose, and a likely effect, and that is discouraging young people who might already be sexually active from using condoms, a message I find shocking as a professional health educator," Wiley said.

Public schools in Texas are not required to offer sex education, an option 2 percent take. Under state law, sex education classes must focus on abstinence and information on birth control methods should emphasize the failure rate.