Should Sex Education Be Taught In School

According to the Journal of Adolescents between fiscal years 1997 and 2008, the federal government provided more than $1.5 billion to education programs focused solely on abstinence until marriage. Federal guidance prohibited programs using these funds to discuss contraceptive methods, except to emphasize their failure rates. Through the funding the abstinence only program has not been effective, the Journal of Adolescents stated that “...abstinence-until-marriage programs are ineffective in delaying sexual debut or reducing sexual risk behaviors among sexually experienced teen”. Although the U.S. government ignores it, adolescents have a fundamental human right to accurate and comprehensive sexual health

Abstinence-based education is unrealistic, and results in unsafe sex that can cause unplanned pregnancies and STDs. Despite the required abstinence-based education of many states, it may not apply because many teenagers will still

The question of sexuality education is never whether or not it should be taught. If schools and parents don’t teach young people about sex, the hypersexualized modern media will. Research shows that the younger a child is exposed to sexual media, the younger they will become sexually active and the more reckless they will be when they do (Ross), and that children are indeed being exposed to sexual messages at younger and younger ages. The Guttmacher Institute, a sexual and reproductive health organization, reports that forty-four percent of teen girls and forty-nine percent of boys report having had sex (“American”), but other studies and estimates run as high as seventy percent. Moreover, while American culture becomes increasingly aware and accepting of the “sex positivity” movement, which seeks to promote and embrace healthy sexuality with few constraints beyond consent and safety, it also struggles to address issues like LGBTQ rights and deeply-embedded rape culture. Sex, while a very private act, is a very public issue. These conflicting conversations very much affect American teenagers. A close look at sex education programs is now more prudent than ever. A 1996 federal act allocated $50 million for programs that promote abstinence until marriage as the only way to prevent unwanted pregnancy and STDs. Programs outside federal funding teach abstinence as one option among many. Abstinence-only education has been shown largely ineffective in reducing teen sexual activity,

Today’s youth faces very tough issues in their everyday life. Kids are growing up too fast too soon. They are facing situations and making decisions that will affect them for the rest of their lives. Among one of the most pressing issues they have to deal with is the risk of dangerous sexual behaviors and early pregnancies. Sex education programs in schools are clashing over comprehensive-sex education programs versus abstinence-only education programs. Abstinence-only programs not only instill morals, but the program helps prevent sex before marriage, prevents teen pregnancy, and the spread of STDs. The comprehensive-sex education programs helps kids make better decisions when it comes to sexual activity, they help prevent unwanted pregnancies, and they decrease the rates of STDs (Grossman, Frye, Charmaraman, Erkut). Combining both of these programs may be the smartest and healthiest solution for our kids when it comes to making decisions about having sex.

While teenagers globally encounter the discovery of sexuality, the matter of sex education is most necessary in the United States. With sex used as a tool to sell and oftentimes depicted unrealistically in television, teenagers have a skewed view of the reality. Furthermore, the United States has the highest birth rate and one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections amongst the developed countries. Sex education is necessary, however whether it be comprehensive or abstinence- only education is debatable. Abstinence only education teaches to delay sex until marriage to

Throughout the United States, many people debate whether young adults should receive sex education in their school curriculum. Statistics show that one-third of girls become pregnant before the age of 20. An increase in teen pregnancy could be due to the age of which females reach puberty. Today, there has been an enormous increase in young girls reaching puberty before the age of seven. Could encouraging sex education in schools decrease the amount of pregnant teens? The purpose of sex education is to educate adolescents of the consequences of engaging in sexual behaviors and making them aware of techniques to protect themselves if they choose to become sexually active. Many people argue about the impacts of abstinence-only sex education programs versus abstinence-plus sex education programs. Millner, Mulekar, and Turrens (2015) define abstinence-only programs as curricula that encourages strictly abstinence as a means of prevention whereas abstinence-plus programs emphasize abstinence as the safest technique but also promotes the use of contraceptives. I will argue that abstinence-plus sex education should be mandatory in school curriculum because it teaches young adults to practice abstinence as well as methods to protect themselves if they decide to engage in sexual activity.

Towering rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among teens are adding urgency to the argument of sex education within public schools. Sex education in public schools has been a controversial issue in the United States for over a decade. With today’s teenagers beginning puberty at a much earlier rate while marrying later, questions are being framed as to what should be taught about sex education, when should youth begin learning about sex education, who should teach sex education, and how often should sex education be taught. With the rising rates of STI’s and teen pregnancy, sex education has become a prominent conversation. Some of America may believe that sex education is the responsibility of a child’s parent or that sex education programs in public schools should place more importance on abstinence and not encourage adolescents to have sexual intercourse. According to Health News, in 2008 12 percent of students in the United States already has had vaginal intercourse, 7.9 percent had oral sex, and 6.9 had anal sex by the age of 12 (Health News, 2008). This data may be startling because our youth is encountering multiple partners at a younger age which puts them at risk for unplanned pregnancy and STIs far before sex education is being taught. After 1950, teen pregnancy rates consistently dropped. The birth rate in the United States for females between ages 15-19 dropped 20.1% during 1991 and 1998 (National Campaign, 2000).

There is a lot of controversy over teaching comprehensive sex education among people, some people believe that teaching comprehensive sex education causes rates of teen pregnancy and STI/HIV rates to go up. Just like we keep up with teaching the youth Math and Science we also need to keep them up to date on issues like Sex Education. This is important so the youth can be aware of these things like STIs and HIV when they are adults and know how to protect themselves, and possibly others .“There is no evidence that teaching kids to use condoms causes a spike in sexual activity”(D). In past surveys ninety percent of Americans over the age of eighteen felt sex education was very important to include in public school curriculum.Comprehensive Sex education has been proven statistically to be better than teaching abstinence only education. The population council declared that Abstinence only programs are ineffective at preventing teen pregnancy and STI’s.

School Sex Education can help teens reduce their risk for STD’S. Three notorious STD’s are: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis. They have been steadily increasing in all regions of the country. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, also known as the CDC, conducted a study in 2014. It concluded our youth aged 15-24 are at a higher risk for acquiring these diseases, despite

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 education is the learning of various topics associated to sex and sexuality while exploring beliefs and values pertaining to those topics therefore gaining skills needed to manage ones sexual health. It is an approach utilized in establishing a substructure when it comes to the navigation of ones sexual relationship. Sex education has become a tendentious topic between parents and teachers due to the lack of proper education of the topic amongst the younger generation. The younger generation have become oblivious to the ramifications of untimely sex hence the need for mandatory sex education in institutions. Sex education is beneficial in schools in numerous ways.

Teen students are sexually active even though they are probably not mentally, emotionally, and financially prepared for the consequences of their actions. Students who are uneducated on sex are most certainty unaware of health disparities sex can cause. According to Amy S. Hedman PH.D, a professor at Minnesota State University, Sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) are one of the most common consequences of sex and one in four high school students has a STD. (“American Journal of Health Studies”). It is crucial that students can learn information important as prevention and detection of STD’s. Not only can the lack of sex education cause diseases, but likewise, pregnancy can occur. “Absence of comprehensive sex education has resulted in teen pregnancy” (“American Journal of Health Studies”). Teenage pregnancy can result in a number of problems from medical complications to poverty, nonetheless this can

There is a lot of controversy over teaching comprehensive sex education among people, some people believe that teaching comprehensive sex education causes rates of teen pregnancy and STI/Aids rates to go up. Just like we keep up with teaching the youth Math and Science, we also need to keep them up to date on issues like Sex Education. This is important so the youth can be aware of these things like STIs when they are adults and know how to protect themselves, and possibly others .“There is no evidence that teaching kids to use condoms causes a spike in sexual activity”(“Comprehensive”). In past surveys ninety percent of Americans over the age of eighteen felt sex education was very important to include in public school curriculum.Comprehensive Sex education has been proven statistically to be better than teaching abstinence only education. The population council declared that Abstinence only programs are ineffective at preventing teen pregnancy and STI’s.

When hearing the term “sex education,” most will immediately think of “the talk” that parents have with children. “The talk,” a phrase widely used through everyday life, movies, television, etc. is intended by parents to inform their children of the consequences of unsafe sex and to explain how babies are made. Despite being a necessary conversation at home, this “talk” is generally vague and uninformative in comparison to classes on the subject. However, this topic causes chaos when dealing with courses in middle and high schools on it. Surprisingly, a substantial amount of adults would argue that the more you say to younger people in regards to sex, the greater the risk of them having unsafe sex at a much younger age than desired, despite proof that states otherwise. That type of mindset is primarily why a vast amount of schools in the United States rely solely on having abstinence-only sex education courses for students. I strongly believe that needs to be modified immediately. In this paper, I will argue why students in the United States need a more comprehensive sex education class in their curriculums in school for the following reasons: higher rates of pregnancy in teenagers, higher rates of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, and the negative aspects of the aftermath of teenage childbirth.

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.