Remember those myths about how to prevent pregnancy that made the rounds in high school? And how some of our friends found out the hard way that pulling out or having sex in a pool would NOT stop those pesky little sperm from swimming?

Well, the myths are back...but they're new and even MORE stupid! Case in point: Florida, where most schools teach an abstinence only curriculum-- if they bother to offer any sex education at all. The result is the sixth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation, and myths like these:

Some Florida teens believe drinking Mountain Dew or smoking marijuana will prevent pregnancy and that swallowing a capful of bleach will prevent HIV/AIDS. One reason those dangerous myths have spread is the state's reliance on abstinence-only sex education, say advocates of a bill to require a more comprehensive approach in Florida's schools.

The measure narrowly won approval from a Senate committee Tuesday. Under the proposed legislation, schools would still be required to teach abstinence as the only sure way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseasese, but they would have to teach more about sex. It would require, for example, teaching about condoms and other methods of birth control and disease prevention.

Teaching about condoms and other methods of birth control? How radical. But it seems the bill has a miniscule chance of becoming law, as it has to clear several committees with less than 30 days left in the legislative session.

Opponents of the bill, including pro-life activists, claim the bill will result in MORE teen pregnancies. Because accurate information about how to practice safe sex? NATURALLY results in more pregnancy and disease! Right?  Hmmm. Guess I just don't follow their logic.

One of the many reasons I'm glad to live in California: it was one of just three states in the nation to refuse federal funding tied to abstinence-only education. But instruction still varies wildly from district to district, and I will make sure that my daughter has access to information that is accurate and comprehensive. I don't ever want her to consider Mountain Dew and bleach as birth control options.

What's the status of sex ed in your neck of the woods?