LITTLE ROCK—Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, fired in 1994 after suggesting that masturbation be taught to school-age children, said Aug. 15 the nation suffers from a “deafening” lack of sex education that lets sex offenders prey on children.

“When we talk about sex education, we all go wild like that’s just something we don’t talk about,” Elders said at summit on heath care sponsored by the Community Health Centers of Arkansas. “Our silence has been deafening and we are paying a very heavy price for not educating our young people.”

Former president Clinton appointed Elders surgeon general in 1993 and fired her in 1994 after she said masturbation “perhaps should be taught” in schools as a way to avoid the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. During her half-hour speech, Elder criticized abstinence-only education as unrealistic.

“Our government walks around and tells people ‘Oh, condoms will break.’ That’s right, they will. But I want to assure you that the vows of abstinence break far more easily than latex condoms,” Elders said.LITTLE ROCK—Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, fired in 1994 after suggesting that masturbation be taught to school-age children, said Aug. 15 the nation suffers from a “deafening” lack of sex education that lets sex offenders prey on children.

“When we talk about sex education, we all go wild like that’s just something we don’t talk about,” Elders said at summit on heath care sponsored by the Community Health Centers of Arkansas. “Our silence has been deafening and we are paying a very heavy price for not educating our young people.”

Former president Clinton appointed Elders surgeon general in 1993 and fired her in 1994 after she said masturbation “perhaps should be taught” in schools as a way to avoid the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. During her half-hour speech, Elder criticized abstinence-only education as unrealistic.

“Our government walks around and tells people ‘Oh, condoms will break.’ That’s right, they will. But I want to assure you that the vows of abstinence break far more easily than latex condoms,” Elders said.