School Based Sex Education Is Important For Youth

Comprehensive education teaches students about contraception, including emergency contraception, reproductive choices, LGBT issues, anatomy, and other traditional topics, including abstinence, as part of the curriculum, because of this comprehensive education is referred to by some as abstinence plus. (“Comprehensive Sex Education vs. Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage-Programs”) Comprehensive education focuses on giving student options on how to manage if they do choose to have sex. As the average age at which Americans start having sex drops, teaching students about how to prevent or deal with sexually transmitted diseases and avoid unplanned pregnancy becomes increasingly important. (“Sex Education Promotes Understanding and Safety”) 34% of sexually active students said they didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex, which is what increases the odds of getting an STD or becoming

Sexual education is a highly debatable topic, but many believe the information taught to students should be abstinence-only. Abstinence-only education has been put in place in order to educate students about the social, mental, and physical benefits of resisting from all sexual activity. It emphasizes the unsafe impacts of participating in sexual activity before marriage and having casual sex. It also promotes the idea that sexual abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. Abstinence education only permits the discussion of contraception and condoms in terms of failure in order to utterly discourage casual sex (Wilgoren, 1). Along with teaching the physical dangers of sex, abstinence education also teaches the mental dangers of sex (Abstinence-Only Education, 1). Sex has many risks and dangers that are not

Studies have also shown that abstinence-focused programs have failed to reduce STI rates. The American Sexual Health Association states, “More than half of all people will have an STD/STI at some point in their lifetime,” (“Statistics”). Comprehensive sex education would teach teenagers how to improve their sexual health, prevent unwanted pregnancies, and prevent sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Providing students with this information does not encourage them to participate in sexual activity sooner. Several findings show that, “[Comprehensive sex education] effectively promotes abstinence and may delay sexual debut, reduce sexual frequency, reduce the number of sexual partners, reduce STI risk, and increase the likelihood of consistent contraceptive use,” (Jeffries 173). Comprehensive sex education will be beneficial to students by teaching them how to have sexual intercourse safely, if they choose to not remain abstinent.

Each curriculum has a varying view on how sex education should be taught and when sex education should be taught to adolescents. Comprehensive sexuality education is the most effective type of sex education and followes the guidelines of starting sex education in kindergarten until twelfth grade. A broad range of topics are taught to students depending on their grade in order to help them develop vital skills and an understanding the varying topics. Abstinence-based sex education gives adolescence a broad range of knowledge on varying topics related to disease prevention and contraception with the emphasises that the best choice is to abstain from sex. Abstinence-only education promotes that abstaining from sex is the only way and does not address contraception or disease prevention. Abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education teaches adolescents that marriage is the only time sexual activities can take place and that in order to prevent disease and teen pregnancy refraining from sex until marriage is the only choice (SIECUS, 2001).

It also teaches interpersonal and communication skills and helps young people explore their own values, goals, and options (Advocates for Youth, 2001). This method shows various ways to prevent unplanned pregnancies and ways to avoid STD’s unlike the abstinence-only education programs. Abstinence-only method finds faults within the contraceptives, which then pushes those faults into the children. This approach instills fear into children so they see all of the bad that comes with sex before marriage. Now comprehensive sex education provides values-based education and offers students the opportunity to explore and define their individual values as well as the values of their families and communities, and includes a wide variety of sexuality related topics, such as human development, relationships, interpersonal skills, sexual expression, sexual health, and society and culture (Advocates for Youth, 2001). In addition, it includes accurate, factual information on abortion, masturbation, and sexual orientation, provides positive messages about sexuality and sexual expression, including the benefits of abstinence and teaches that proper use of latex condoms, along with water-based lubricants, can greatly reduce, but not eliminate, the

Sex education programs decreases the risk of young adults getting pregnant and the reduce of STDS. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS examined sex education programs. Out of 53 interventions, 22 “delayed the onset of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners or reduce unplanned pregnancy and STD rates,” the UNAIDS analysis concluded (Fingers). Sex education teaches the use of contraceptives that have reduce teen pregnancies and STDS.

As children grow, they accumulate knowledge over the years about a variety of subjects to prepare them for the future. Children learn from parents, schools, life experiences, what they watch and other influences around them, and it can be either positive learning or negative learning. There is one subject that is difficult to teach and have control over because of misunderstandings, lack of teaching, and publicity. Sex education has been a major debate for children under eighteen, because there are some parents that want it taught in schools and others that do not because of different reasons. There are currently eighteen states and the District of Columbia that require schools to provide sex education and thirty-two that do not require

Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs). By age 18, 70 percent of U.S. females and 62 percent of U.S. males have initiated vaginal sex (Klein, 2005). Comprehensive/realistic sex education needs to be instilled in schools because it is effective at assisting young people to make healthy decisions about sex and to adopt healthy sexual behaviors and habits. Comprehensive/realistic sex education has a monumental effect on today’s youth, resulting in a rabid drop in teen pregnancies, teen abortion rates, and sexually transmitted infections between teens. Unlike abstinence until marriage programs that have not been shown to help

Sex education is a debatable topic as to whether or not it should be taught in schools. We believe it is important for all teens to know the importance of abstinence and safety. Providing sex education in high schools can provide students with an easier class that can improve their academic performance. Giving students the opportunity to learn about the risks of sex can prevent teen pregnancy and the spreading of diseases. Though some parents want the topic of sex to be taught at home, not all students have parents that will inform them properly. Including sex education in schools informs students of the risks of not abstaining from sex in a proper manner and provides all students with the opportunity to learn about it.

Young students globally have been engaged in sex since the start of time, yet our society fails to provide the youth with the curriculum and resources needed to make healthy and smart decisions related to sex. 28 out 50 states do not require sex education in public schools, however, the United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy compared to any other country. Sex education should be taught in public schools in order to inform students on the consequences of sexual intercourse as well as making educated decisions on sex.

Their was a once a girl who wanted to have sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. The next day when she went to second block which was her sex ed class the teacher made all the student stand up and ask question’s or tell personal stories. One of her friends told the class her personal story about how she had sex with her beloved one and caught HIV. The girl went home and decided not to have sexual intercourse with her beloved one just yet, she rather learn more about sex and get well informed about how to prevent STD”S and other bad things. Sex education has a positive impact on students. It helps students prevent such things as STDS/STI. Sex ed also shows teens how to protect themselves from any unhealthy relationship. Schools should allow sex education because it helps prevent STDS/STI , it also could gain self esteem , it could help prevent more teenage from being pregnant.

Today, there are more teens getting pregnant than before. With sex education being in schools, it can help teens learn the basic needs for when they become sexually active. This subject can help teen pregnancy, un-planned pregnancy, and could lower the STD rates in the United States. By showing teens these basic needs, it can prevent having to plan for a baby at a young age, not having a support system, and not having enough money to take care of the baby and yourself. In the following paragraphs, it will explain same beliefs and opinions on sex education.

“Students who reported being sexually active, 39 percent reported that they did not use a condom at last sexual intercourse, and 77 percent reported that they did not use birth control pills or depo-provera. Among teen couples who do not use any method of contraception, 85-90% will experience a pregnancy within one year (Bridges).” Many people believe sexual education leads students in the wrong direction, such as, increasing pregnancy rates and encouraging sexual activities. Sexual education teaches students about the use of condoms and contraceptives. In a sexual education class, students learn about a natural part of life. Sexual education helps students prepare and think more carefully about a part of life. As a teenager learns about sexual education it encourages them to reduce sexual activities. Providing Sexual education in schools is a valuable and positive resource for students.

In a sexual education class, students learn about a natural part of life. Sexual education helps students prepare and think more carefully about a part of life. As a teenager learns about sexual education it encourages them to reduce sexual activities. “Students who reported being sexually active, 39 percent reported that they did not use a condom at last sexual intercourse, and 77 percent reported that they did not use birth control pills or depo-provera. Among teen couples who do not use any method of contraception, 85-90% will experience a pregnancy within one year (Bridges).” Many people believe sexual education leads students in the wrong direction such as, increasing pregnancy rates and encouraging sexual activities. Sexual education teaches students about the use of condoms and birth control. Providing Sexual education in schools is a valuable and positive resource for students.

In the United States, rates of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy, and teen births are significantly higher than in most other industrialized countries. In fact, 4 out of 10 adolescent females have been pregnant at least once before the age of 20, 1 out of 4 sexually active teens contracts an STD each year, and 50% of new HIV infections occur in individuals under the age of 25 (Beh 22). This can partly be attributed to the state of sex education in the United States. Only 24 states require sex education be taught in schools and only 20 of those require the information to be ‘medically, factually, or technically accurate’ (“State Policies”). Abstinence-only education has been proven to be ineffective in reducing rates of teen pregnancies, STDs, and the consequences of both; has a lack of public support; and a large majority of the programs that are federally funded have been found to be factually and medically inaccurate. Proper and comprehensive sex education should be required in all states across the nation. States should also shift their focus from abstinence-based practices to more comprehensive ones that include information about contraceptive use, pregnancies, abortions, and sexually transmitted diseases.