Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 16, 1994 TAG: 9401140179
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MARA LEE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Planned Parenthood of the Blue Ridge decided to start a public affairs department in Blacksburg and hired Kathy Putnam, a health educator with roots in rural Virginia. The day of the interview, she wore all black, but she certainly sees the world in shades of gray.
Last year when 900 citizens showed up at a meeting of the Montgomery County School Board to debate secular names for school holidays - a change made five and 10 years ago - the show of strength from politically active citizens with a Christian agenda put Planned Parenthood on the alert.
Concerned that with the move to an elected school board next year, the county could be at risk for a religious backlash against sex education, Planned Parenthood decided to focus on community relations. The agency wants to prevent Family Life education from becoming a hot-button issue.
But Putnam doesn't see herself being here to fight the right, rather she sees her role as rallying parents behind programs already in place.
"Every time we've surveyed, 80 percent say they want sex education," she said. "It's getting that 80 percent to stand up and say yes."
A Clifton Forge native, Putnam worked with Alleghany County residents in starting Family Life education in the Allegheny Highlands school system - and the rural community began moving toward the curriculum before it became mandated statewide. "Not one person showed up to oppose it," she said.
She had fundamentalist ministers and Catholic priests speaking up for sex education, in front of civic groups and in radio ads. Here she hopes to do the same to keep sex education in the county schools.
Between the snow and the holidays, it's been difficult in her few weeks on the job to meet all the ministers and community members she'd like, but her goal is to speak with every minister who will hear her out, talk to every community group where parents might gather - parent-teacher associations, Elk Lodges, adult Sunday School classes.
She wants to reach beyond Virginia Tech (college students make up 70 percent of the clinic's clientele).
"I want to go out and find out how the rest of the community feels about things."
The Rev. Cameron Murchison of Blacksburg Presbyterian Church, described her as gregarious and as relating well to others. Murchison was impressed by her commitment to getting communitywide involvement in issues that usually are settled by a few activists and government employees. "She is a person of this region," he said of Putnam who is in her late 30s. He predicted even opponents of sex education who get to know her will find her easy to work with.
Putnam said Planned Parenthood and the Christian Coalition have common ground. "Let's see if we can work together more constructively. As far as possible, we want to improve the life of kids and their families."
If opponents of Family Life run for the School Board, she said, "I want to have a dialogue with them. `OK, what are your plans when you get on the School Board?' And get other people to ask those questions, too."
What is Putnam discussing with ministers? She'd like to encourage churches to set up parent/teen discussions of sexual morality.
More talk in the home about sexuality and morality is a goal as well. "We firmly believe sexuality education should begin in the home. The parental component is so important. Hopefully if they're hearing it in enough places" the message will sink in, she said. Putnam added that Planned Parenthood's education department gives seminars to parents on how to talk to their children about the birds and the bees.
She tells the parents why Family Life education makes a difference. "You can't say to teens, `Just say no;' that doesn't work. That's turning your back on the 50 percent who are already sexually active.
Putnam said teen-agers are surrounded by "a sex-silent and a sex-saturated society." Although sex is used to sell everything from soap to cars to beer to breakfast cereal, actually talking about sex honestly is taboo, she said. "The double standard is so alive and well," she said. "Young males are still told there's something wrong with them if they're still virgins at 16." Females at the same age are told "you've got to be sexy, but don't have sex."
Because of guilt from messages, many teens don't use birth control, studies have found. Locally, teen-age patients back those statistics up. "Most teen- agers are having sex six months to a year before they come in to get contraception," Putnam said.
Planned Parenthood is only reaching a few of the area's sexually active teens. Only 7 percent of roughly 3,000 Blacksburg patients are high school students.
But before Putnam can get the word out, she has to get past the abortion- rights image Planned Parenthood evokes for many people. And that's what Putnam, who calls herself a "country girl" despite her degrees in social work from James Madison University and in public health from Hunter College, hopes to change.
But she says she wouldn't want to "convert" the religious right, even if she could. "We're each doing it out of what we think in our hearts is right.
"This is not like Darth Vader. This is not Good and Evil." Putnam can be reached at Planned Parenthood's Public Affairs Office at 951 5289.
Call Kathy Putnam at Planned Parenthood Public Affairs at 951-5289.
by CNB