Md. County school system's revised condom demo video receives positive reviews

The Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools' revised condom demonstration video has received positive reviews from members of Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum -- one of the groups involved in a lawsuit against the school system regarding the original video and sex education curriculum -- the Washington Post reports (Aratani, Washington Post, 9/12).

The Montgomery County School Board in May 2005 voted 7-1 to completely revise the County Public Schools' pilot sex education curriculum and eliminate the use of a condom demonstration video.

The board members also moved to eliminate the curriculum's teacher resource materials, which caused debate because they mention that some religions are less tolerant of homosexuality than others.

The board also moved to dissolve a 27-member Citizens Advisory Committee that oversaw previous revisions of the curriculum and appointed a new committee.

Professional educators within the school system and consultants appointed by School Superintendent Jerry Weast rewrote the curriculum, and the new committee reviewed the changes (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 5/25/05).

CRC members said they are happy with the "clinical approach" the revised video takes.

"You don't have a cute little blonde and a cucumber," Michelle Turner, president of CRC, said, adding, "It's not MTV.

It's very factual and clinical. There are no frills or fluff." In the revised video, a pair of hands is shown applying a condom on a wooden penis while a narrator describes the process off-screen, according to the Post.

During the video, abstinence continually is referred to as the best way to avoid sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies, the Post reports.

The video is accompanied by a 37-page guide that instructs teachers what to say when showing the video and also includes worksheets for students.

The video is "very impersonal," Jim Kennedy, a member of the CAC, said, adding, "This is a starting point. I'm sure the committee may want to make some changes."

The video must be approved by the CAC and by the school board before it can be used, the Post reports.

According to Brian Edwards, spokesperson for the Montgomery County school system, the board is scheduled to vote on the material in January 2007, and, if approved, the 45-minute lessons will be used as a semester-long pilot program in some middle schools and high schools, the Post reports (Washington Post, 9/12).