Sex Education in Public Schools Essay

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)

Sex education should be implemented at an early age beginning at the middle school level. A discussion of contraception, the risks of diseases, the risk of becoming an unwed teen parent and the disadvantages of not having an education will help decrease the number of teen pregnancies with future generations. Parents should not feel threatened of having their children learning about sex in class. Parents should feel empowered; it will allow their children opportunities to feel they are able to discuss future topics of sex at home to help promote

If for some reason the students are able to handle the lessons of sex, then that means they’re going to be motivated to want to have sex with each other--regardless their sexuality. Evidently this class is going to motivate them, the students, to have sex, and the students are not going to give a flip about the results. They’re going to eventually learn that sex can be a pleasurable action as explained in both stage three and five of Sigmund Freud’s psychosexual development theory. Stage three, which is the phallic stage, states that around the age of three to five years old, the child will seek for pleasure that is centered on masturbation and/or oral sex. Furthermore, stage five of the theory, which is the genital stage, states that around the age of 12 through adulthood centers on the seeking for sexual pleasuring through romantic

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

Though I do agree with opinion number two in that schools should provide comprehensive sex education to children, it is not being taught effectively. A study found that teens who took a sex education course were more likely to initiate sex. Currently, the most prominent health class approach to teaching about sex is the “abstinence, but” model. The “abstinence, but” model sends a mixed message to children by telling them to not have sex, but if you do, this is the way to do it safely. Though this model is great at maintaining a neutral position about sex while teaching safe sex and the consequences that can stem from it, namely AIDS, it does not necessarily promote abstinence. Nevertheless, many health classes in the US take on this approach

b. STD and contraceptive education can teach 14-18-year-olds about the risk of having unprotected sex. Also, those who do participate in sexual activity can learn about the best option of contraception for themselves.

I remember my first sex education class distinctly and when I think back the first thing that I think of is how utterly bizarre it was. In sixth grade, I went to a small catholic school; everyone knew sixth grade was the year you got “the sex talk” at school. My parents have always been incredibly open minded and encouraged asking questions so luckily, I had been given a thorough explanation a few years earlier. When it came time, they separated us into groups of girls and boys to give us “the talk”.

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

Sex can be traced back as far as Adam and Eve, the first two people on this planet. Today, all age groups encounter things associated with sex, but it is not a problem that concerns everyone. The problem that has been at hand for more than thirty years is should sex education classes be offered in Public Schools? (1.Teaching Fear; 1996)

When it comes to the subject of teaching sexual education you must take into consideration of the method of what is taught. The methods of teaching are, abstinence only and comprehensive. While abstinence only focuses on abstinence from sexual behavior and does not include any method of contraceptive. As for comprehensive informs students about contraceptives, sexual transmitted diseases as well as the option for abstinence. Many states have different laws and regulations as to what method they can teach as well as single sex teaching. Meaning the separation of sex education for boys and girls. Comprehensive is similar to an open door were as abstinence only is a one way street no option to derail.

Sex education in public schools here in the United States has, for at least the past decade, supported and utilized abstinence-only sex education programs to be taught throughout both intermediate schools and high schools. Though during the entire time that abstinence-only programs have been used, there has been a constant debate among both parents and educational authorities how to

The debate over whether or not sex education should be a part of the necessary curriculum has been a popular topic of controversy since the 1960s (Pardini). Sex education is defined as “[a] broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, and other aspects of human sexual behavior” (“Sex Education”, Science Daily). Today in the United States, many people no longer feel that sex is a topic to be ignored or not mentioned in “polite society,” but one that should be freely and openly discussed. With greater acceptance of sexual behaviors, comes a greater need for awareness. The topic of sex has been a subject in our culture for centuries that is frequently discussed. Issues with parents

This article has a really good explanation and a history behind. Sex education began during the 19th and early 20th centuries. This type of education debate or reveals a range of attitudes, values and also belief about the children, adolescent, sexuality, and gender. During WWI soldiers were infected of some STDs and people was afraid that some of those diseases would spread civilians. School projects began and they were making sure people was aware that their children wouldn’t end up with the two of the STDs they were facing the most which were (syphilis and gonorrhea.) during the 1920s and 1930s a youth culture began to teach and also to check on some of the changes women were making throughout the society. These type of changes were social, physical, and also emotional. By the time of the 1960s birth control, pills, and abortion services were increasing. These were some of the reasons why sex education began to be taught in schools because there was too much taboo between adolescent. When the project of teaching about sex in schools began these were some of the advices they were given to the people (wait for sex until marriage, use contraception, get your boyfriend to use a condom.) also they were given some strategies like (prevent pregnancy, or prepare for marriage.)

The early part of the 1912 teachers were being trained to teach sexual education in schools. In 1940 the health and safety department highly advocated sex ed in schools but by the 1960’s the controversy sexual education in had started (Pardini). Sex education slowly started to stop being sex education it was being turned into abstinence only programs. 1998, twenty percent of states retained to teaching abstinence and fifty-one bills were being considered by state legislatures. Congress committed 250 million dollars from federal funds over five years to promote abstinence until marriage in 1996. “By the 1970’s, legislatures in the 20 states had voted to restrict or abolish sexuality education.” (Donovan). Sex education has slowly progressed to being a problem in society.

Controversy is rampant regarding the sexual education of grade school children. Some insist that it is prudent to educate children on this subject beginning as early as kindergarten. Others strongly disagree that earlier education has any effect at all on teen sex and pregnancy and, therefore, abstinence should be the focus. Lastly, we have those who believe advocating abstinence is appropriate, but agree that a more in depth sexual education is also necessary for those who are going to have sex anyway despite our best efforts to teach them otherwise.