Battle lines drawn on sex education

WITH OVER  1000, child teen pregnancies a month and a dramatic increase in sexually transmitted diseases,   15 civil organizations, faced with ongoing opposition from church authorities,   have banded together to support the law on sexual and reproductive education now before the National Assembly.

“We cannot under any circumstances accept disinformation, manipulation and misrepresentation that has been part of the opposition to the project,” said their spokespersons  at a Wednesday July 13 press conference.

The groups  said there should be no delay in the implementation of the law.(61)

Since 1999, when the National Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health was established, there has been  a call to government authorities about the need for a law that is focused on the protection of children, adolescents and youth. However, all attempts were “held back” by the same groups who now oppose a law on comprehensive sexuality education.

The civil groups called to the government of Juan Carlos Varela to give greater attention to an issue, which has become a public health problem.

And, according to the alliance , the situation has worsened with  nearly a thousand teenage pregnancies per month, the increase in sexually transmitted infections, early onset of sexual relations in the minors, among other problems.

The conference also argued that there cannot be an intrusion of Churches in state affairs.

“There is separation of church and state because the government’s commitment is the welfare of the whole nation, and this is a public health issue and as such needs to be addressed.”

The bishops of the Catholic Church at the Panamanian Episcopal Conference affirmed that parents have the duty and the right to be the first and irreplaceable educators of their children, also in the sexual plane., They have expressed concern about the content of bill 61.

While there is consensus on the need for health lessons and sex education in schools in the country, yet no agreement is reached on how it should be addressed this issue.

The Platform for Children has planned a march from  the El Carmen church on  Via  Espana  to Plaza Cinco de Mayo to reject bill 61 and the guidelines on sex education and reproduction.