KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Monday night the results of a study will be made public showing how many teens in Knox County are having sex and taking other risks, as school administrators try to figure out the best way to prepare kids for facing such a decision.
The main lesson both school and church officials agree on is the importance of abstinence, but Knox County Schools starts teaching parts of their sex education to students as young as five years old.
Laura Boring with Knox County Schools says, "It is pretty broad, it starts in Kindergarten with good touch bad touch and goes all the way through high school Wellness, 10th grade."
The Knox County School System focuses on the state mandated sex education and they base the lessons on abstinence.
Boring says, “We do emphasize that abstinence is the only way to prevent ‘A’ pregnancy, but secondly sexually transmitted diseases."
Abstinence education is also what Deacon Sean Smith with the Diocese of Knoxville teaches to teens that come to him for help.
Smith says, “Basically abstinence is seen as no, and I try to teach that it's not a no, it's a yes, it's a yes to God and a yes to their future spouse."
But Boring says abstinence only education is not an option in public schools because many teens are making the wrong decisions.
Boring says, “We teach a multitude of don’ts, but we still have teenagers that engage in all types of risky behaviors."
So Boring works with Cynthia Hudson at the Knox County Health Department on different programs to teach teens about the consequences they face.
Hudson says one of their most successful programs sends middle school students home with life-like baby dolls.
Hudson says, “You don't know what the baby's demands are going to be, they do wake them up in the middle of the night."
They hope parents get involved with this real-life homework.
Deacon Sean Smith also encourages parents to be the first teachers on the importance of abstinence.
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