Experts to weigh in on Buffalo sex ed

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A lack of information is putting students "at risk" in the Buffalo School District, that was the message being pushed at a special sex-ed seminar.

A recent study of middle and high school students revealed alarming levels of sexual activity among Buffalo school teens. The report also says students are getting little guidance from schools.

“Sex Ed is not taught and that's a problem, the other problem is that it is not taught outside of the school either. There is a lot of parental responsibility, there's a lot of community responsibility, that I think we've been missing the boat on,” said Christopher Spicer, of Planned Parenthood of Western New York.

That was one of the key messages at a community meeting held Thursday night. It’s one of many community meetings scheduled after the results of a recent student conducted of middle and high school students that says they’re having sex at a rate of 20 percent higher that the state average. The responses to the survey served as a reality check for some experts.

“We have very high STD rates in the Buffalo area, and that's one of the reasons. There's a lot of sex happening. And there's also NOT a lot of sex education happening,” said Spicer.

Some students feel sex education in school could make a difference.

Student Erika Richardson said, “The kids that go to schools, instead of hearing it from their peers, they should hear it from their teachers who have the correct knowledge about this. Because I feel you should not have the wrong information."

Health experts will look at the students’ survey answers and the feedback from community meetings, and make some recommendations to the Buffalo Public Schools about a new sex education policy.