This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Please let me respond to some of the obfuscation and paranoia in Gayle Ruzicka's assertions about comprehensive sex education.

First, Gayle, be honest. Sex education at school is about biology. Teaching children when and whether to have sex is a parent's job. If you're already having that conversation with your children, is the introduction of more information going to stop the communication? And if teachers have more influence over your children than you have, is the Utah Legislature the place to look for help?

Second, don't try to replace logic with hysteria. Clarify what you think "just doesn't work." Successful sex education doesn't just hold down the rate of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It also provides a different kind of protection: a more realistic, healthier view of human sexuality. This is hard to measure, but its absence can be a factor in low self-esteem, bullying, anxiety, and depression. (Google "mental health rates in Utah teens" to see how we measure up in that area.) How is improved mental health inhibited by arming our teens with accurate information?

Finally, Gayle, stop trying to make Utah law look like a list of your personal fears. Teach your values to your children, and leave the rest of us alone.

Hydee Clayton

Millcreek