Beaufort County HAC reviews Lowcountry Virtual modules; members press for missing adoption resources and clearer reproductive-health wording

The Beaufort County School District Health Advisory Committee met virtually to review Lowcountry Virtual’s health-education modules 6 (healthy relationships) and 7 (reproductive health), discussing content accuracy, missing resources and edits to align the course with state requirements.

The committee convened without a quorum but proceeded to discuss material so that, if a quorum later appears, members would be ready to vote. Chair (identified in the record as the meeting facilitator) said the review was to ensure materials comply with the South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act and Department of Education guidance.

The committee praised several videos and slide decks but identified gaps and technical problems. Miss Glaze, who reviewed module 6.01 on abuse, asked that the materials explicitly state that types of abuse described in the module can occur outside school settings — "in the home and the church" — so students understand abuse is not limited to a school setting. She also recommended adding a separate paragraph about stress in the pregnancy section: "have a paragraph on stress when you're pregnant as to what does to your body physically and mentally and how it can impact the baby," she said.

Reviewers found a boundary graphic that lists four boundary types but displays five circles; committee members asked staff to overlay a text box or edit the image. Cindy Ambrose (Lowcountry Education Consortium / Lowcountry Virtual) offered to log into the course and correct image-loading or copy-paste errors: "I can log in right now, Amy, and look, and then we can circle back," she said.

The committee also flagged missing adoption resources in module 7. Miss Glaze said an adoption-article link in the draft was not active and that corresponding "check for understanding" items could not be validated until the article and recommended video are restored. Committee members said the adoption resources come from a law firm listed on the state department’s resource list and asked staff to ensure column E of the working document contains the correct links.

On contraception and abstinence (module 7.03), a reviewer urged adding effectiveness statistics after earlier versions listed 12 contraceptive methods without typical-use failure rates. "The contraception and birth control slide deck was colorful and gave information on 12 types of contraception," said one reviewer; members subsequently confirmed failure-rate data (sourced from Centers for Disease Control figures) had been added to several slides.

At the same time, the chair reminded the group that state law constrains classroom messaging. The committee referenced SC Code 59-32-10 (as cited during the meeting), which the chair said defines reproductive-health education and requires that contraceptive information be presented in the context of future family planning and that abstinence outside of marriage be strongly emphasized. Members discussed plain-language edits to ensure medical accuracy while staying aligned with the statute.

The committee reviewed STD/STI slides, noted typos and phrasing issues (including a line that should read that the only guaranteed way to prevent STDs is abstinence), and debated whether to retain a slide recommending regular testing. Dr. Stratos said the panel should "promote abstinence," but added a medical-safety perspective: "We promote abstinence. But, medically, if you're involved, medically, these are things you have to take into consideration." Members agreed to pull the relevant standards and rework language so slides remain compliant with law yet medically informative.

Reviewers recommended adding pediatrician-focused guidance in the reproductive-care slide deck, arguing that adolescents typically access preventive care through pediatricians; the committee agreed to list pediatricians as a primary resource and to tone down specialty-care emphasis.

Because several items were missing or needed edits, members reassigned review tasks and scheduled follow-ups: volunteers took responsibility for 6.05 (sexting/performance tasks), 7.01 (puberty), the remaining 7.04 vocabulary/check-for-understanding sections and 7.05 (knowing your body/who to talk to). Committee members also tentatively set a HAC meeting for July 20 to finalize materials before the academic committee (July 21) and the board meeting on August 4.

No formal votes were taken because the committee lacked a quorum; the meeting concluded after members confirmed assignments and next meeting dates.

What happens next: staff will restore or confirm adoption resources and correct broken links, add requested slide edits (including contraceptive effectiveness data and a paragraph on pregnancy stress), update the pediatrician resource, and circulate the changes for HAC re-review before academic committee and the board.