Sex Education And Gender Education

During 1920s, U.S. schools began to incorporate sex education to their courses. A 2002 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that “58% of secondary school principals describe their sex education curriculum as comprehensive programs provide factual information about birth control, sexual transmitted disease, and continue the message to children about waiting to have sex.” (Johannah)

Even though sex education has been proven to lower pregnancy and abortion rates among teens, for years people have argued that comprehensive or safe-sex education encourages early sexual activity instead of steering the thought away. However, the main issue is not education about sex but specifically what kind of education. In 1986 Planned Parenthood commissioned a poll to determine how comprehensive sex education which teaches about abstinence as the best method for avoiding STDs and unintended pregnancy, when affected behavior. Much to the agency’s disappointment, the study showed that kids exposed to such a program had a 47% higher rate of sexual activity than those who’d had no sex education at all. In contrast, a 1996 study on “Project

Many topics around the world spark controversy within social dynamics. Sex education, is a big controversy today expressed throughout every nation. The controversy originates from the simple fact that all people are different. Every person was brought up separately and therefore everyone has a different religion, culture and belief that leads up to different opinions in the matter. Sex education is widely debated because many people have different views on whether we should educate our children about sex, and on what we should teach them about. Although many believe that teaching our teens about sex is morally wrong, not educating the nation's youth about sex will cause more detrimental problems in our adolescence social

Furthermore, school officials should also introduce sex education to students at an early age in order to inform students about the risks of undesired pregnancies and severe transmitted diseases. At a young age, students do not tend to think about the real consequences of being sexually active and the risks they are being imposed to. The US Department of human and health services stated that, “ About 77 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned. In other words, they are unwanted or occurred “too soon,” according to a national survey of adolescents” (Office of Adolescents). Due to the high percent of teen unexpected pregnancies, school officials have to impose the topic of sex education to students in order to think before comming actions they cannot change. Although at this age, the students that experience unexpected pregnancies do not want to keep the child, due to the fact that they are learn that it is a huge responsibility after getting pregnant. Teenagers that do not want to keep and take care of the child will search for way to get rid of it, which ends in miscarriages or abortion. Once again, The US Department of Human and Health Services stated, “In 2010, the majority of pregnancies to adolescent females ages 15-19 in the United States—an estimated 60 percent—ended in a live birth; 15 percent ended in a miscarriage; and 30 percent ended in an abortion” (Office of Adolescents). Students who decide to stay with the child tend to experience a difficult life, due to the

How can sexual education programs be improved to further improve the health of a country?

In America, teaching children about sex is something that is seen as “inappropriate” or “wrong”. However, making sure teens and young adults know how to have safe sex is something that is extremely important, especially now. When teens are equipped with the knowledge to make safe, healthy decisions it helps prevent unwanted pregnancy and STD’s.

In the United States, sex education poorly informs students on how to protect themselves from both unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease. When one looks at data comparing the United States to countries with comprehensive sex education, you can see the significant difference in numbers relating to these issues. You can also see how the lack of education among students leads to more sexual harassment towards females. In order to combat these issues, the United States should put in place an education strategy that is more similar to those of the countries with these low rates. This should include information on how to have safe sex and prevent unwanted pregnancy and STIs, instead of stressing the importance of abstinence towards adolescents. These changes could begin locally, in New Hanover County, by changing the curriculum in schools from abstinence-based teachings to programs that include fact-based material and information on contraceptive methods other than just abstinence.

Sex education helps people gain information, skills and motivation to make healthy decisions about sex and sexuality, but also helps teach about the abstinence as the best method for avoiding sexual transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy. (What is sex education?). Research has identified highly effective sex education and HIV prevention programs that affect multiple behaviors or achieve positive health impacts. Behavioral outcomes have included delaying initiation of sex as well as reducing the frequency of sex, the number of new partners, and the incidence of unprotected sex. The most successful programs aimed at the reducing teen pregnancy are those targeting younger adolescents who are not yet seually experienced. (Sex Education can help prevent teen pregnancy.).

Are you for sex education or against it? Sex education or Sex Ed is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction and intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. According to Planned Parenthood, the primary goal of sex education is to promote sexual health. So, why would anybody be against this? An argument brought forth by sex education opponents is that is not school appropriate, and it teaches sexual indoctrination. To have understanding it is always good to hear both sides.

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.

According to Advocates for Youth 46 percent of high schoolers in America are sexually active. Only 20 states in America require sexual education classes and there are 35 states that have laws that say parents have the right to keep their kids out of these classes. Almost every American will have sex in their lifetime so having more information on it should be required. As reported by the National Library of Medicine, America has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the industrialized world (Sedgh, Finer, Bankole, Eilers, & Singh 2015). According to the CDC’s Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United State, people from ages 15-24 account for 50 percent of the new STDs and also America has the highest rate of STDs in the industrialized world (CDC.gov).

SEX! For it just to be a three-letter word, its meaning comes out to be just more than pleasure shared between people. It comes with a legion amount of consequences if precautions are not taken into deliberation. “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)” (Klein and Weinstock). Why watch these number accumulate when we can enlighten our youth on to make sagacious sex decisions and embrace healthy sexual behavior. The school board should take the intuitive for efficient sex education to mandatory in the curriculum. Is it ever too early to learn the basic, but indeed vital elements of sex education? Of course not, but not knowing in advance can result to dreadful consequences.

Throughout the years there have been different views on if sex education should be in the school curriculum or not. As early as 1981 with the Adolescent Family Life Act the government gave money to the school for sex education. Throughout the years there have been controversies of what kind of sex education should be in school, or if it should be in school at all. According to the Centers for Disease Control “in 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15 -19 years”. This data suggests that sex education should be included in school. If it is left up to the parents it might get missed. To put it in middle school seems to be the best choice, the peak of adolescence and prime time to get an education.

Connell, Erin. "Sex Education." Encyclopedia of Gender and Society. Ed. Jodi O 'Brien. Vol. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2009. 745-748. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.

As teenagers start to grow up, they face with many difficult decisions about relationship and sexual behavior in their lives. It can impact their lives, health and behavior. To make sure that your children follow the right path to live a healthy life, sex education can prepare them to make good decisions. If you are not sexually active, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give up your chance to learn about it. Sex education shouldn’t be limited to teenagers just because their parents have a different perspective on it. The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. Sex education should be a mandatory part of the California public school