Abstinence Of Sex Education In The US

Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard

At this time in the United States, there is no federal law requiring sex education in public schools leaving the decision to mandate sex education at the state level (Planned Parenthood, n.d.). While the federal government does not require states to teach sex education, they do provide funding for sex education programs (Planned Parenthood, n.d.). The federal government has never provided any funding for comprehensive sex education while they have provided funding for abstinence only sex education since 1982 (SIECUS Annual Report, 2016; Donovan, 2017). However, within the last decade there has been an increase in funding for teen pregnancy prevention (Donovan, 2017). This could be largely due to the numerous studies that show a more desirable

Sex Education around our country plays a huge part in developing a sense of mind and background knowledge before crawling into bed. Citizens in the united states should be so fortunate and lucky to come from a place where a high school diploma is practically mandatory. However, after teaching some child the ins and outs of sex it might only encourage them more to pursue sex. Teaching them might make children more adapt to feel as if they are an expert which can derail the whole idea behind educating them. The most the prior knowledge about sex can teach students the signs and symptoms of herpes and other inflectional problems if they are not

Sex education has been the single most controversial debate in the United States education systems within the past few decades, but was first introduced as early as 1905 where there was a rally for sex education within schools in attempts to eradicate venereal disease (The Beginning of Sex Education in the U.S.: A Historical Perspective). There was not much support at this time though, until the 1980’s when there was the HIV/AID’s epidemic. This was when more people became aware of what was going on and tried figuring out how to put a stop to it, and quick. Surprisingly, in the early twentieth century, people were actually taught to be fearful of sex and that such contact could result in fatality. Many young boys and girls were actually taught

I lean towards the abstinence side of the argument between abstinence and comprehensive sex education because of my religious beliefs. Although I feel abstinence should be the focus of sex education, I think it is important to teach young people a balance to protect themselves. While researching this topic, it seems that many of the articles have the same idea to teach abstinence along with safe sex which would be comprehensive sex ed. With the rising sexual transmitted diseases and pregnancies, young people need to have an understanding of both sides. They need to be taught all consequences of choosing to have sex or to wait. Teaching youth, if they choose to be abstinent, they may fall into peer pressure, and they need to understand

Sex education in the United States is not very comprehensive and none regulated, which means that many American teenagers are without the proper information to make informed decisions about sex and sexual health. Many schools offer just abstinence only education and are unable to explain safe sex procedures, putting children at risk for unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. With the average age of intercourse at fifteen years old (Buehler 2014) and many parents uncomfortable with discussing the topic with their children, it is up to sex education classes in school to properly inform teenagers about their bodies and sex. Then when these teenagers are parents themselves, they will be better prepared to talk to their own children and this will hopefully help the American general public before more informed and more likely to have safe sex.

“I don’t worry about sex education in the schools,” said comedian Milton Berle, “If the kids learn it like they do everything else, they won’t know how.” (Milton Berle Quotes About School). While incredibly witty, Berle’s comment perfectly exemplifies the ongoing issues with the way students in American public schools are being taught sex education. Misinformation, myths, and straight-up lies are being fed to students who carry the lessons they learn into their relationships, causing more harm than good. Courses that teach students sexual education should not be seen as a detrimental goal, but rather such curriculum should be utilized to create more mature, responsible adults, who are understanding of how to navigate the complexities of

In 2007, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy created Emerging Answers 2007. In this work, research and numerous findings on the benefits of sex-ed were compiled. An example of one of these findings is that no programs that teach sexual education have any correlation to an increase in sexual activities. Research has also found that when students are taught about sex-ed they are more likely to practice safe sex. “Studies show that when teens are educated about condoms and have access to them, levels of condom use at first intercourse increase while levels of sex stay the same...According to a study by researchers from Guttmacher and Columbia University published in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 86% of the decline in teenage pregnancy in this country between 1995 and 2002 was due to dramatic improvements in contraceptive use, including increases in the use of individual methods, increases in the use of multiple methods, and substantial declines in nonuse. Just 14% of the decline could be attributed to a decrease in sexual activity” (“Comprehensive Sex Education”). These results make it very clear that sex-ed is what is best for America’s youths. In fact, America is somewhat conservative compared to other countries, as many

In today’s society, teenagers are becoming sexually active at an earlier age. Consequently, sixty-six percent of American high school students have reported partaking in this activity by their senior year – sex (Masland) (SC#8). Because of this promiscuous behavior among teens, there have been alarming rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and even unintentional pregnancies (Masland) (BE#3). In the United States, high schools usually decide whether or not to implement sexual education as a course (Sexuality) (BE#9). While schools may encourage abstinence of sex until marriage, most teenagers will need to know safe sexual practices before they are married. If the teenager is not informed on how to keep themselves and their partner safe during sex, major consequences could ensue. If high schools required a course about sexual education, teenagers would know the implications and consequences of engaging in unsafe

American school systems insist on continuing a toxic cycle. One that perpetuates confusion, shame, and unhealthy behaviors which could cause lifelong health risks. This cycle is the current sex education system. The current American sex education system is dangerously incomplete, and sometimes not available at all. It follows an outdated attitude that is still reflected throughout society. This perspective must be modernized, and can only be changed by providing complete sex education for all students. This is why by federal law, all children in public school, beginning in fifth grade, should receive sex education which requires the teaching / learning of safe sex and birth control. This mandated, long-term, sex education would allow a complete

Sex education and abstinence needs to be taken more seriously in the educational system and in the homes of young adolescents. This subject is extremely important to me and is prevalent today because sex ed is an issue that many men and women fail to comprehend, whether it is sex education or abstinence. Throughout many middle schools , high schools and adulthood sex education is “sugar-coated.” When you don’t call it what it is, it seems unimportant an example is “The birds and the bees” when the bee’s get the pollen and puts it in flowers and how birds lay eggs which is pretty explanatory but not enough seriousness is being put into account. An issue that still prevails is that the school system wants students to know about it in as early as the sixth grade for preventative measures; avoidance of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In my experience the sixth grade is a bit too young. I was only twelve years old learning about sex education and I had no idea what was happening since they just “dropped” the subject on us all at once and did not really ease it on too us bit by bit.

Sexuality is everywhere; it bounces recklessly back and forth between the teenage subconscious sneaking into the little everyday tasks, in a society where sex is becoming more and more common in the media it is still considered a fairly taboo topic. I think it is still interesting trying to decide between abstinence-plus (comprehensive) sex education and abstinence only sex education. Whether we should promote abstinence while teaching about contraceptives, condoms, and STD’s or we should teach only abstinence avoiding the topic of birth control and condoms. I think my parents went through this mental debate themselves when it came to me and my sister.

While teenagers globally encounter the discovery of sexuality, the matter of sex education is most necessary in the United States. With sex used as a tool to sell and oftentimes depicted unrealistically in television, teenagers have a skewed view of the reality. Furthermore, the United States has the highest birth rate and one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections amongst the developed countries. Sex education is necessary, however whether it be comprehensive or abstinence- only education is debatable. Abstinence only education teaches to delay sex until marriage to

Comprehensive sexual education has long been a contentious issue within the United States of America. Owing largely to America’s history and culture, sexual education has long been stigmatized as unnecessary involvement in the private life, or even misattributed to rising rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. A U.S. review article, however, poses the opposite argument – “The overwhelming weight of evidence reveals that sex education which discusses contraception does not increase sexual activity.” The understanding of sex education not only provides young people with a better understanding of the ways in which their bodies function, but can also help in allowing teenagers to take better care of their sexual health to include pregnancy and STI prevention. Furthermore, sex education improves gender equality, provides accurate information about sexually transmitted infections, and promotes interpersonal skills. Thus, comprehensive sexual education should be introduced and made mandatory in all secondary schools across the United States.

For decades, sex education in US public schools has been a debatable issue for a minority of people (Shindel & Parish, 2013). Healthcare workers insist that with a rise in sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, sex education is desperately needed in school. On the other hand, there are some parents and other citizens who strongly believe that sex education is something that parents should be teaching to their children. These individuals feel that sex education courses in schools do not place adequate emphasis on abstinence. In addition, introducing children to sex education may also encourage them to experiment with sex at an early age. However, what these opposing parents and individuals forget is that in the last 2 decades, there has been a renaissance in sex. With the advent of the internet, almost anyone can easily access pornography and almost any type of sexual activity on cyberspace. Sex is now a part of American culture. The advent of cyberspace has made sex prominent at all levels of society. Today, there is no way to avoid sex as it permeates every facet of our lives, even at work and in schools. No matter what the parent or the school attempts to do, these teenagers will make their own decisions about sexual experimentation and when to start such activity. Over the past few decades, it has become obvious that teenagers have started to having sex much earlier than their peers several decades ago. In the past, many