Is Sexual Education A Good Or Bad Idea?

In her essay “Sex Ed”, Anna Quindelen, a New York Times Columnist, journalist, and novelist, describes why teens should be taught sexual education by family members and loved ones rather than by teachers (Quindelen 183). In the essay, the author states that girls know the anatomy of a female’s reproductive system, and can tell the beginning and end of the ovarian cycles but can still end up pregnant. Knowledge isn’t always the right way to getting a point across. Desensitizing teens to important information can often be the demise of what we are trying to teach. The author also states that teenagers do not have a tendency to think ahead the future repercussions of sex, they are too focused on what is happening in the heat of the moment that they do not think about pregnancy, or are to uneducated about the subject to know to be cautious. By teaching ones own children there are no misconceptions about what the parent wants them to know, versus what someone else wishes for them to know or to be taught. Teenagers also see virginity

One major problem in America’s society today is teen pregnancy rates. In fact, “teen sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbearing are associated with substantial social, economic, and health costs” (Sedgwick). However, this problem is not one without a solution. The rise of teen pregnancy rates can be prevented and reversed by providing better access to birth control for teens, eliminating the negative connotation that accompanies abstinence, and implementing more efficient sex education in public schools.

Society in general is currently addressing the social problem of teen pregnancy in several ways. One of the most important is an increase in parent’s willingness to not only bring the issue up and discuss it with their children, but also allowing educators to address the issue in schools.

It has been receiving a great deal of public and official attention recently, including expressions of concern from President Clinton (Trad, 1999). However, the most extensive dilemma regarding the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the question of prevention. Preventing teen pregnancy includes such problems as the availability of birth control, sexual education among children and adolescents, and a greater sense of support for pregnant teens. However, before society can begin to successfully prevent pregnancies among teenage girls, the underlying causes and facts about the dilemma must first be exposed

As sexually-transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy numbers increase, arguments regarding sexual education classes being taught in high school have been continuously debated: Does abstinence-only sexual education classes work, or do they encourage students to become sexually active? Sexual education in high school has never really been as analyzed as much as it has been over the past decade due to the rise in sexual nature of the world today. Teenagers are exposed to the work of becoming a parent and the embarrassment of diseases through various types of media without explanation of prevention and actual consequence, such as the show 16 & Pregnant. Because of the constant display of the reprimands of unsafe sex, teenagers

Teenage pregnancy is a growing problem in the United States today. As of 2010, 57.84% of 15-19 year old girls will become pregnant, which is especially high as compared to the rates of other developed countries. (Kost, 3) Why are unplanned pregnancy rates in teenagers so high? There are various factors that contribute to these high teen pregnancy rates, but one major factor is the type of sexual education that teenagers receives. While attention to abstinence in sexual education can be beneficial, it is when sexual education focuses solely on abstinence that teen pregnancy rates increase. Comprehensive sex education in schools has been shown to lower the rates of teen pregnancy more than abstinence only sex education has, and therefore should

An alarming rate of Sexually Transmitted Infections and Pregnancy among teenagers has been an ongoing concern and could be linked to the lack of sex education in schools. Statistics show that 3 in 10 teenagers are becoming pregnant every year, and 1 in four teenagers are contracting sexually transmitted infections. There are numerous opposing views towards the teaching of comprehensive sex education in school districts. Many people are opposed to this because they believe that it encourages premarital sexual promiscuity in young adults, is destructive to religious belief, and is inappropriate and harmful. “Comprehensive Sex Education Is Inappropriate and Harmful” is and article that provides concrete evidence, for example, it states in the article that “Teens enrolled in these classes are given false information about how pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases can be avoided and may actually be encouraged to engage in activities that could lead to sexual intercourse” which is quite the contrary. My personal view is that as a nation we should be teaching students comprehensive sex education also known as abstinence plus, because it will better educate students and save money. Comprehensive sex education stresses the importance of abstinence, but also provides important information for the prevention of STI’s and unplanned pregnancies. I believe this needs to be taught in schools because I come from a school that taught abstinence only and nothing more, and the number of

The teaching of abstinence to students can cause them to change their mind about having sex. Yes there are ways to have safe sex, but condoms do not always prevent adolescence form contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Over the past several decades multiple sexual education programs have been introduce into the nation’s school systems, but they do not appear to be working consistently (Quincy). Since my ninth grade year of high school each and every year more and more girls were turning up pregnant. Some of them are even pregnant with their second child; it is not because they are careless but because of lack of

Teen pregnancy prevention is one of the most controversial subjects in today’s society. Many will argue that peer pressure and the area you live in are contributing factors to most adolescent pregnancies. No matter what geographic location you reside in, the problem is usually in the home, in the school system, and the cost of contraception and the barriers in obtaining it. The biggest predicament regarding the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the question of prevention. Preventing teen pregnancy includes problems such as the availability of birth control, sexual education among children and adolescents, and parental involvement.

The girl looked down at the pregnancy test, seeing those two straight lines, almost staring into the scared eyes of the sophomore in high school. One time, one mistake, and the girl’s life would be changed forever. In order to prevent devastating situations like this from happening, students need to be properly educated. If this girl would have learned how to safely use a condom or alternate forms of birth control, this crisis may have been averted. Teenage pregnancy and STD’s can be prevented if educated properly. Since comprehensive sex education leads to declining pregnancy and STD rates, school’s sex education curriculum must incorporate a more comprehensive based focus.

Teen pregnancy has been a serious social issue for quite a while. Often, a teen pregnancy is detrimental for both the teen and the child involved. Both a teen mother and her child are more susceptible to complications during the pregnancy and birth than and adult mother and her child. Unfortunately, a teen mother and her infant are also less likely to pursue and receive healthcare to alleviate these health risks (Teen Pregnancy). Moreover, “teen pregnancy is often cited as a factor that perpetuates the cycle of poverty, since teen mothers are likely to be poor in the first place, and their children are likely to grow up to be poor” (Teen Pregnancy). While there is no argument that teens should be educated to prevent teen pregnancy, there is a debate on how it should be done. Currently, there are two forms of education focused on reducing teen pregnancies: abstinence-only education and comprehensive sex education with birth control. However, sex education and birth control are clearly the superior option, due to its effectiveness and the futility of abstinence-only education.

Should sex education be taught to young adults in school? This has been a major controversial topic for many years amongst parents, teachers, and other community members. Their biggest concern is that it teaches students that it is okay to have sex at a young age and think that the program shows them how sexual intercourse is done. Although, this is not the intent of the class, like some may think. They tend to believe that abstinence-only programs should be taught in schools. Allowing sexual education to be taught in public schools and not in an abstinence-only point of view is something that every school should do because it can help them understand the facts about their bodies. “Sex education aims to reduce of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behavior, such as unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and infection with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV.” (AVERT) By teaching sexual education it can help them to understand the emotional values it has by resisting peer pressure and how to recognize it.

According to guttmacher.org, the average adolescents in the United States have sex for the first time at about age 17, but do not actually settle down and marry until their mid-20s. During this interim period of nearly a decade or longer, they may be at heightened risk for unintended pregnancy and STIs. While not all teens are sexually active, there are others who are absolutely not abstaining from it. The least schools could do is provide them with the knowledge of doing it safely, and the ability to take care of themselves. Sex is a normal and healthy part of life, once the person feels emotionally ready for

Should sex education be allowed in high schools? This has been a controversial issue nationwide for over a decade. The American culture is immensely sexually oriented. Sex can be seen through the media and with the younger generation being heavily influenced by technology; they cannot avoid it. In light of this, many of the youth today lack information on sex which highlights the problem. Some people believe that sex education only diminishes one’s rectitude because they feel that sex education encourages the students to partake in sexual intercourse. Although sex education degrades the virtues of children by informing students how to use birth control and condoms, it is imperative in high schools because it prevents sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy, accommodates in case of parents’ absence, and gives children the idea of morality.

The FHI found evidence from the US and other countries that show that sex education can reduce the amount of behaviors that teenagers take that put them at risk for unintentional pregnancies. In a control area where sex education classes were held, researchers actually found that annual pregnancies fell from 60 to 25 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 14-17. In a control where there was no sex education, pregnancies in that same age group actually increased. Sex education would teach teenagers about the many negative effects that teen pregnancy has. If these teenagers understood the risks, like an increased chance of maternal death, a decreased chance of graduating, and the increased chance of their child being under weight or having many other health problems, would most likely decrease the chance of these teens taking a risk that could lead to pregnancy. However, if the students still chose to take the risk and have sex, sex education would teach them about the different types of contraception they could use to help prevent pregnancy.