As of 2017, there are twenty-one U.S states that do not mandate sex education. That is almost half of our country's youth not having access to proper, medically accurate, and unbiased sexual education. There are about 10 million STI cases a year among those aged 15 - 24; this means 50% of sexually active people will contract an STI before the age of 25. In order to combat these numbers, sexual education needs to become a subject taught in high schools nationwide. After all, if we allow our children to be taught subjects like English, math, and science, why deny them the opportunity to learn about their own biology? Sexual education, if nothing else, teaches young people how to be safe. It is vital that teens are aware of the risks and possible outcomes of sexual interactions so they can make their best educated decisions. It is also of equal importance that they are to learn about consent. To some it is common sense: do not engage in sexual encounters with someone who is not equally willing. But in today's day and age, it cannot be emphasized enough. Teens have a right to know how to protect themselves, and others, from sexual assault and rape. If unaware of how to receive and give consent, they could find themselves becoming a victim or even the offender.
For the sake of understanding one’s own basic anatomy, it is critical that states provide medically accurate teachings. It is embarrassing that women are not given proper education to know the difference between their
While sexual education is mandatory in almost all secondary schools across Australia, the level of depth at which it is taught varies throughout every school. Many highly important areas of sex ed, such as learning about consent, contraceptive options and violence in relationships, are less commonly taught in high school, with puberty typically being the prime topic taught in PDHPE lessons instead. But when we look at the increase in things such as sexual assault, sexual violence, Sexually Transmitted Infections and teenage pregnancy among today’s youth, we must wonder why such imperative subjects to educate teenagers on are discussed so minimally.
Human sexuality can be fascinating, complex, contradictory, and sometimes frustrating. Sexuality is interwoven into every aspect of being human; therefore, having knowledge about sex is as essential as having education about human anatomy. However, it is highly recommended to pay close attention when sex education is delivered to youths. (Donatelle 171)
I think it is safe to say that no two words elicit more feelings of concern, anxiety, and anger in parents, and stirs up more controversy and debate than the words “sexual education”. This especially true with the implementation of the new, revised sexual education curriculum in Ontario schools. Consequently, this controversy has strongly divided individuals, families, and organizations between those who approved of and those who opposed and protested against school-based programs that providee sexual health education to children. But why so much opposition? This is due to the significant changes made to the sexual education curriculum and the sensitive nature of the topics being taught to children regarding sexuality as a whole, changes which are seen as both radical and “even more explicit and more age-inappropriate than before…” (“Ontario’s Radical,” n.d.).
Currently, there is no national standard regarding sexual education in America. Soaring sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are occurring at a national level – there are approximately nine million new occurrences of STI's in the United States each year among teenagers and young adults alone (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). Consequently, "the United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world—more than twice as in Canada" (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). This large number of infected teenagers combined with the startling pregnancy rates has caused a state of panic in many states, provoking discussion on the topic of introducing comprehensive sexual education into the classroom as a
Author Bob Smith once said, “In America, when we decide to ignore a subject, our favorite form of denial is to teach it incompetently. Familiarity without true understanding is not only the basis of our families but of our educational system as well.” Smith refers to the inadequate sexual education of teenagers in the United States. Sexual education is the instruction on issues about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sex education teaches about abstinence, condoms, and contraceptives to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies. As well as, the skills needed to help young people explore their own values and options. Comprehensive sexual education should be taught in the United
Ignorance is not something that should be applied when undergoing sexual conduct and teens this young, whether they have sex or not, should still be informed from the risks. Many might argue that is maybe the parents jobs to discuss something this personal, yet some teens aren't within access to parents who might be able to teach them morally. All kids of all ages should have an ability to at least acknowledge the doing and actions that they perform. Silencing the harsh reality of sexual conduct when not taken serious can really affect the willingness of young ones even harder than without the facts.
However, many parents themselves were not properly educated on the issue. Even when parents provide information, their knowledge about contraception or other sexual health topics may often be inaccurate or incomplete. Parents seem to live in denial when it comes to educating their children on the dangers and risks due to sexual behavior. Society accepts educating children in science courses; but yet it is controversial to take biology and anatomy to the next level by focusing on the natural act of sex.
AUTHOR BOB SMITH ONCE SAID, “IN AMERICA, WHEN WE DECIDE TO IGNORE A SUBJECT, OUR FAVORITE FORM OF DENIAL IS TO TEACH IT INCOMPETENTLY. FAMILIARITY WITHOUT TRUE UNDERSTANDING IS NOT ONLY THE BASIS OF OUR FAMILIES BUT OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AS WELL.” SMITH REFERS TO THE INADEQUATE SEXUAL EDUCATION OF TEENAGERS IN AMERICA. Sexual education is the instruction on issues about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships. Comprehensive sex education teaches about abstinence, condoms, and contraceptives to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies. As well as, the skills needed to help young people explore their own values and options. Comprehensive sexual education should be taught in public schools in the United States to provide teenagers with an evidence-based approach to healthy decision making in their sexual lives.
Of the fifty states and the District of Columbia, only twenty-four states require sex education, thirteen states require that any information given must be medically accurate. (“Sex and HIV Education”). Sex education in America is abysmal and horrific compared to other first-world countries. Many states do not give comprehensive sex-education, typically resulting in less use of safe behaviors during sex and a lack of awareness of STD and/or pregnancy prevention. Furthermore, sex-education is not held to the same high standards as math, english, or science, resulting in medically inaccuracies and biases to be slipped into the curriculum. Therefore, I believe it is in the best interest of America’s youth to require medically accurate information, give them a comprehensive education, and require higher standards of education.
Many people think that making the subject of sexuality it's going to keep the kids or teens away from do in it. But the truth is that they are still gunna do it because they don't know what it's about so their young and they want to try new experiences the only thing is that if they are informed they would be war less teen pregnancies and STDs. Therefore if the teen agers they are informed if they do it, they would be having safe sex and even if they know really will the consequences and what it's really everything about, some they might not even do it, and practice abstinence. In order to make the rates of pregnancies and STDs in the United States they need to start teaching sexual education in a younger
One reason sex education should be taught in public schools is because parents tend to make up names for the private parts of children’s bodies starting at a very young age; making it seem that their body is something to be ashamed of. Teaching them the appropriate names of their genitalia can help them better to communicate with their parents and letting them know the difference in an inappropriate touch and a good touch. If parents and teachers took the time to
Sexual education is a major topic that most people try to avoid. Sexual education should not be avoided because more people need to be informed. Schools don’t really teach much about sexual education. They skim through it and don’t go in depth like they should. Teens need to be informed about sex because they try to experiment with sex to be “cool”. Schools should start teaching their students more in depth about sex and the risks it has, STDs, unplanned pregnancies, and try different types of methods to inform their students.
Sexual Education should be taught in high schools for quite a number of reasons including: for the students to become familiar with the human reproductive system, to help reduce the number of unplanned teen pregnancies, to educate the students about STD’s and how to try and prevent them and to inform the students about abstinence.
Many people believe that sex education is a taboo topic but it is far from that it is a topic that is very important and impactful to one's life and it plays a huge step in how children will grow up. A child is an adult when they can understand about sexual education and how they can fully protect themselves against it. I believe that an adult that understand this are prepare to protect them and their love ones. Because sometimes parents underestimate the importance of it, and because religion makes teaching it inaccurately. Signs such as a child having the knowledge of contraceptives and how sex is an act of love is signs of a child blossoming to a young adult with far more knowledge in sexual education than their previous self. I believe that is something as important as this should be taught in school.
The nation’s incomplete standards for sex education has consistently failed young women in teaching them enough about their own anatomies. An interview has been conducted with an 18 year-old cisgendered woman named Carly. The purpose was to study how well an average young woman knows herself and her own sexuality. Carly completed sex education in the state of Wisconsin. Currently in the united states there are no federal laws that dictate a uniform sexual health education curriculum (Koepsel 2016). How, and what is taught is left to each of the individual states (Koepsel 2016). As a result, a range of information is being taught to Americans, but it may or not be favorable to the student’s well being. It seems rather controversial that local governments, which students can rarely participate in, choose the fate of their sexual health education. It is an unfair system that ultimately allows only those who have had extensive and medically accurate education a future in sexual well being. Carly explained