I enjoyed googling Alice Dreger and learning about her work because The Stranger published this article without any reference to geography or exactly where in "our schools" this is happening. While the perspective and the correct indications that rape culture and slut-shaming are relevant and important, the article (unintentionally?) lead me to fear this was happening in Seatlle Public Schools. I was annoyed that a self-identified liberal would vilify public schools in general without more specific details about the origin of the curriculum and the school board supporting it, especially when public education, critical literacy, and evidence-based information gathering are clearly so central to her academic outreach and principles and under so much threat from the for-profit education lobby, as well as religious conservatives.

I agree with every point you make in regards to the need for evidence-based teaching, the inclusion of practical birth control use, and the loss of the shame speeches. However, I take big issue with one of your main points in this article. Early on in your writing, you list 3 reasons why abstinence is stupid. You are completely entitled to your own opinion on the matter, but there are some of us out there who not only disagree, but actually choose that path for our own very personal reasons. As a woman who waited til her honeymoon, I think we need to be telling kids that it is a viable option. I would hate for those few exceptions to feel like their decision to wait for sex is a bad one. I fully recognize that most people don't choose abstinence and they should not be made to feel guilty for it. They deserve the best education we can give them. But sex is a very personal decision and no one should be made to feel stupid for their equally as personal decisions. My choice was the best one for me and I'm very glad I waited. I do want to clarify that it was accompanied by an extensive scientific education and by no means was the result of being sheltered from the subject.

I'm in college now, and I'll be honest... I don't remember a thing from my sex-ed class. Some of my understanding about sex and related came from my friends or randomly obtaining it here and there. Mostly, though, learning about sex safety and the what's-down-there info came from my mom during our handful of "sex talks." Like with many other topics, I didn't rely on public education to teach me about sex. Students are more likely to apply knowledge to their personal lives if that knowledge is shared with them from a friend or loved one, not a classroom.
Basically what I'm trying to say is this: while we do what we can to change the sex-ed curriculum, let's not let our anger toward the public school system distract us from helping our kids learn about this stuff. Don't just be mad, be a helpful parent and take this opportunity to educate your kid correctly and maybe even grow in your relationship with them. And when you're not doing that, work toward fixing the school's curriculum. Or egg the sex-ed teacher's car, your pick.