Sitting in the cafeteria, the gym teacher hands you outdated diagrams of the female and male reproduction systems, diagrams on how a rectal prostate exam is performed, and drawings of the growth of babies in the womb, but you’re never handed a paper on behavioral risks that lead to sexual transmitted infections or papers that address the needs of those who have already become sexually active.

The current health curriculum fails to meet all the requirements from the State of Michigan State Board of Education on the policy to promote health and prevent disease and pregnancy.

In 2013 the State of Michigan Board of Education updated their policy which states, “The State Board recommends that the local advisory board meet at least semi-annually to review program progress and make any necessary recommendations to the local school board.”

The current curriculum was last reviewed in 2013 until now, according to Principal Richard Cook.

During the two years that the curriculum was not updated the high school continued to teach from outdated materials such as covering sexual transmitted diseases, which The State Board of Education says in the first sentence of the updated policy is now Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s).

Also in the policy The Board mentions a study about the most effective programs.

“Dr. Doug Kirby in Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (2001) identified that the most effective school-based programs are those that lasted 14 or more hours,” according to the policy.

Students agree that the class only lasted for less than a week.

“It was three days,” said senior Christa Maddick.

In one class session a period lasts 90 minutes. In the three days that the entire health curriculum is covered only four hours and 30 minutes have been left for instructional time, and activities.

The State Board of Education also recommended that “school districts plan and implement sexuality education programs that are age appropriate, developmentally , linguistically and culturally appropriate.” The policy also states that the district should use multiple sources for the program to fulfill the “prevention needs of all students,” and to explain that those who have been abused, students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or who students who might question their sexual orientation are at a greater risk for HIV,  other STIs, and pregnancy.

The school’s current curriculum does not discuss situational or behavioral risks to STIs.

The State of Michigan State Board of Education’s policy to promote health and prevent disease and pregnancy states that the sexual education program should address the needs of all students: those who abstained from sexual activity, those who have engaged in sexual activity but are currently abstaining, those who are engaging in sexual activity, and those who will decide to engage in sexual activity in the future.

Therefore, the district is to provide information that provides for all the needs of the students.

The curriculum currently is an abstinence based curriculum which does not cover where to obtain contraceptives, but the program covers the various topics such as anatomy and puberty, menstruation and female health concerns, abstinence based contraception, prenatal development and birth, teen parenting, STD’s, HIV and AIDS, sexual decision-making and sex in the media.

The curriculum is based on ‘educational assumptions’ such as that the reproductive health information should be taught primarily at home and the school’s curriculum should serve as a ‘complement to frequent parent/student discussions’, according to present sex ed curriculum.

“I like that our reproductive health is supposed to support what’s taught at home by family. The school is just supposed to support it,” said Cook.

The curriculum was not always abstinence based. At one time the school had an abstinence only curriculum.

“I think it should be taught differently in school. It shouldn’t be a joke,” says senior Christa Maddick. “A lot of people have questions and are serious about it.”

“It has evolved over the years,” sex education teacher, Jason Ladd says. “It used to be abstinence only, but our community felt that there was a need to go from abstinence only to abstinence based.”

Some students think more should be covered in the class.

“I feel that it should be taught more deeply into it,” said junior Zack Snyder. “More than it already is. I feel like we went through it quick and didn’t really learn anything.”

Having an abstinence based program makes it more difficult for greater insight for some students.

“I really didn’t learn anything from that class,” said Maddick. “I learned more from Google. We did not cover contraceptives really. They brought it up, but said that abstinence was the only thing that we should practice. Everyone didn’t really know where to go if they were to get pregnant or what to do or who to talk to.”.

Maddick also believes contraceptives should be covered about more.

“I think it should be talked about, and it should be promoted,” said Maddick discussing about contraceptives. “You can’t just tell them that abstinence is key. Kids are going to do it no matter, and they should be doing it safely.”