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Do Better Sex Ed. By Merisa Maldonado

Maldonado 1 Merisa Maldonado Joan Snyder Lesson ENG 102 24169 January Do Better Sex Education We are taught from the beginning no matter what your religion is or sexual orientation that sex is a taboo thing that you do not get to talk about until you are “old enough.” We are taught that we need to hide the questions we have about our own bodies because they are “inappropriate.” This stigma against sexual and reproductive education has grown old and almost dangerous. Sex and reproductive health education is defined by the instruction provided to individuals about sexuality, reproductive anatomy and physiology, contraception methods, STI prevention, and healthy relationships. Its purpose is to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexual health. Unlike its intention to promote well-being, sex and reproductive health education has several limitations that lead to negative outcomes. In this paper I am going to focus on, what are the most effective methods of sex education for promoting healthy relationships with sex and reproductive health. Throughout my research for this question my point of view has changed a few times, but every time I have come back to sex and reproductive health education is doing more harm than good.

Maldonado 1 Over fifty percent of American sex education is funded federally, which in short means they control what is being taught in these classes. Many programs funded by the government solely base their curriculum on abstinence until marriage, completely disregarding the importance of supplying comprehensive information about contraception and safe sex practices. The federal government spends $110 million per year on deceptive and incomplete abstinence- only-until-marriage programs that eventually will harm adolescents. (Guttmacher, 2023) The lack of a comprehensive curriculum is dangerous to adolescents. They should be able to learn about their own bodies when they would like to. Research shows that federal abstinence-only funding does not in fact lower adolescent birth rates. ("Comprehensive Sexuality Education"2023) It just shows no matter what adolescents will have sex so they should be supplied the information to do so safely. This lack of understanding can lead to increased rates of STI transmission and potential for long-term health problems. By the end of high school over half of teenagers will have had sex. Abstinence-only programs are not designed to equip them with the information about safe sex, consent, STIs and healthily communication like you would in a comprehensive curriculum. Along with abstinence only curriculum there is a promotion of unrealistic expectations and stereotypes in sex education curriculum. There is so much emphasis on idealized relationships and heteronormative norms in sex education. Often sex education focuses on promoting traditional, monogamous relationships as the ideal relationship, totally excluding, and stigmatizing any other relationship that is different. This narrow perspective does not address the diversity of relationships and sexual orientations, which could lead to a feeling of exclusion and alienation. The failure to address the diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities. Many

Maldonado 1 sex education programs neglect to supply inclusive information about LGBTQ+ identities and experiences, adolescents should be taught everything not just the things society considers appropriate. This neglect creates a stigma and discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals and could deny them the support and understanding some people need to expand their personal horizons. Sex education often only teaches about traditional gender roles and expectations, reinforcing harmful stereotypes about masculinity and femininity. Which could create so many problems for the mentality of adolescents. This reinforcement can contribute to gender inequality, body image issues, and negative attitudes towards sexuality. Furthermore, there is emotional neglect and psychological aspects of adolescents because of the limited sex education, which leads to ineffective teachings on consent, boundaries, and healthy relationships ("Comprehensive Sexuality Education.", 2023). Sex education often does not supply comprehensive information on consent, boundaries, and setting up healthy relationships. Without the understanding of these crucial aspects, individuals may struggle to navigate their own sexual experiences and how to do it safely and respectfully. Without the understanding of these crucial aspects, individuals may struggle to navigate their own sexual experiences and how to do it safely and respectfully. Lack of information on mental health impacts of sexual experiences, sex education often will overlook the potential emotional and psychological damages of sexual experiences. This neglect can leave individuals unprepared to cope with the emotional challenges that can come from sexual relationships. They will not have any of the tools comprehensive curriculum tries to incorporate, which can be devastating when having young adolescents filled with hormones when their bodies change, they will need a more comprehensive education. Average sex education often does not address the impact of societal

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