Defining Medical Accuracy in Sexuality Education for Oklahoma

On February 5, 2009, the governor’s Interagency Coordinating Council for the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (ICC) adopted the following definition of medically accurate information.

“Medically accurate information used in sexuality education and HIV/STD prevention programs is information relevant to informed decision-making based on the weight of scientific evidence, consistent with generally recognized scientific theory, conducted under accepted scientific methods, published in peer-reviewed journals, and recognized as accurate, objective, and complete by mainstream professional organizations such as the American Medical Association, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Public Health Association, and American Academy of Pediatrics; government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health; and scientific advisory groups such as the Institute of Medicine and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The deliberate withholding of information that is needed to protect life and health (and therefore relevant to informed decision-making) should be considered medically inaccurate.”

Although the group does not have the authority to make state policy or law, the ICC represents a variety of highly respected constituencies in Oklahoma, including professionals in health care, education, and youth development. A statement from ICC on its accepted definition of medically accurate information in sexuality education is an exciting step toward ensuring that the young people of our state receive the highest quality sexuality education.