The Florida House of Representatives has passed a bill that would, among other things, prohibit the discussion of menstruation in school health classes until sixth grade.
The bill, which was drafted by Republican Rep. Stan McClain, passed the House on March 31, a day after Rep. Ashley Gantt, a former school teacher, asked McClain, “So if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in fifth grade or fourth grade, will that prohibit conversations from them since they are in a grade lower than sixth grade?”
McClain answered, “Yes, it would,” despite evidence from the Mayo Clinic that states that girls may experience puberty as young as 8 and boys at age 9.
Florida Keys State Rep. Jim Mooney voted in favor of the bill that also requires school health education classes to “teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage as the expected standard for all school-age students while teaching the benefits of monogamous heterosexual marriage; and emphasize that abstinence from sexual activity is a certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other associated health problems.”
The proposed changes to Florida’s health and sexual education curriculum are significantly more conservative than previously approved statewide curricula, one of which was approved by the Monroe County school board earlier this year.
The health curriculum approved by the local school board separated discussions of biology and puberty by grade level. The curriculum acknowledges the existence of, but does not promote or oppose, same-sex relationships. For ninth-grade students, it discusses contraception and safer-sex practices to reduce the chance of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
“The curriculum we selected a few months ago was a totally Florida-approved health education curriculum,” Superintendent of Schools Theresa Axford told the Keys Weekly on April 3. “I don’t know what, if any, changes will be required based on recent actions of the Florida Legislature.”
Axford said she also is concerned about language in the bill that requires schools to remove books and materials from a school library as soon as one parent raises an objection.
Axford called the language “disturbing,” but said the local school district “follows legislation very closely so we are familiar with what they’re considering. However, we wait for the state board of education to implement specific rules that help us follow the new legislation and laws.”
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs the bill into law, it will take effect across the entire state on July 3, 2023.
