The sad reality is that many of Professor Cynthia Christopherson's students are shamefully uninformed about sexuality, what she rightly calls the foundation of family development.

And the shame can be laid at the feet of Utah's Legislature. Utah public schools offer no comprehensive sex education, and, in fact, teachers are forbidden by law to delve into the topic much beyond advocating abstinence. That amounts to promoting ignorance about sex and can have dire consequences.

The Utah Health Department reported earlier this year that, between 2001 and 2005, Utah recorded the largest increase in rates of sexually transmitted chlamydia and gonorrhea in the nation, mostly in youth age 15 to 24.

A health department specialist blamed unprotected sexual activity for the increase. Our youth too often don't know what "protected sex" means, let alone how to take precautions. Teaching abstinence should be part of any public school sex-ed class, but assuming young people need nothing further is naive and dangerous. They should be armed with accurate information that can protect them when "just say no" isn't enough.

The prevailing cultural attitude toward sex education in Utah seems to be that talking about it in school will whet teens' interest, leading to more sexual activity. But research has shown just the opposite.

When teachers explain the mechanics of sexuality, encourage abstinence, treat the emotions of intimacy with respect and outline the dangers of casual sex, teens often decide to wait until they are ready for the responsibility. Utah's increase in sexually transmitted diseases is evidence that ignoring sexuality doesn't make sex less appealing.

If comprehensive sex education were offered in Utah public schools, perhaps Christopherson would need to spend less time correcting the misinformation her students have collected from television, movies and from one another. And teens' attitudes about sex - and teenagers themselves - might be healthier.