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Parents say sex ed program too explicit

IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Some parents and school leaders in Iredell County say a proposed sex education program is too racy for teens.

Iredell-Statesville School Board Member and parent Bryan Shoemaker said Thursday he's taking a stand against the sex education program.

"It goes into great detail about different sex acts," Shoemaker said. "It talks about ways to make using condoms more pleasurable."

Supporters of the Making Proud Choices Curriculum want all ninth graders to take the course.

They said it would help teens feel comfortable about abstaining from sex, but also teach them how to use condoms and teach them about diseases like HIV.

Shoemaker cited an analysis of the program by the federal government. It said the curriculum only mentions abstinence 18 times while there are 650 references to condoms.

He said it also goes too far when teaching kids about sex. Some parents agreed with that.

The program has already been taught in Iredell County for several years.

However, it's been after school hours and families had to choose to participate.

Some school leaders said the program has been successful.

They said the pregnancy rate among 15- to 19-year-olds has dropped from 56.2 to 39.5 percent in 2011.

They said the numbers prove the program is working.

Some parents and grandparents agreed and said the program could help teens who are already sexually active.

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