The Discussion Of Teaching Sex Education

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)

Sexual education in schools has become a highly controversial topic over the past few years. Some people believe students should be taught abstinence-only education, while others believe students need the full on “sex talk”. While the sex education controversy may seem silly, it is very important that students receive the most efficient education possible. When it comes to education parents want their children to receive the most effective kind. This is also very true in terms of sex education. Sex education is very debatable right now as to whether students should be taught abstinence-only education or comprehensive sex education.

As children grow up, they are exposed to changes in their body and physiology. Adults, family, schools, and friends influence them and teach them about the world and the changes they are going to experiment, but how does an adult approach children and teenagers about sex? New ideas and debates have formed concerning how to educate the youngsters on the topic of sex: whether parents should explain their children about the birds and the bees, or schools need a course to educate students about sexual activity. This paper is going to examine sex education from different perspectives: psychology, education, and religion studies. Sex education is instruction on issues regarding human sexuality, emotions, responsibilities, anatomy, sexual intercourse, reproduction, health issues, rights, how to practice safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases, sexual organs, or everything related to human reproduction and sex. Almost four out of ten young women get pregnant before the age of twenty (hhs.gov), and nearly twenty million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) come from people in between fifteen and twenty-four years old (hhs.gov), and most of them state they were uniformed or not prepared. The topic of sex has been a taboo subject in various cultures throughout the years because many parents are unwilling or unable to properly educate their children about sex, forcing them to seek out less credible sources. If schools are permitted to teach sex education, then they can

However, more and more studies are proving that Abstinence-only programs are do not effectively prevent any of the above listed issues. One such study was conducted by Pamela Kohler, Lisa Manhart and Dr. William Lafferty, which utilized surveys given to never-married heterosexual adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 and compared those who received abstinence-only sex education, those who received comprehensive sex education and those who received no formal sex education. It was found that Abstinence-only education did little to nothing to prevent teenage pregnancy and that adolescents who received abstinence-only sex education were up to two times more likely to report teen pregnancy than adolescents who received comprehensive sex education. The study also found that abstinence-only programs did not reduce the likelihood of adolescents engaging in premarital sex. Abstinence-only sex education was also proven to have no effect on reducing the likelihood of STD diagnoses among

Sexual intercourse is considered to be between two people that love each other very much. It is romanticized in movies and books, and is alluded to everywhere. As the age for sexual experimentation grow lower many question whether or not have sexual education in our school systems. Many argue that by educating the children at younger ages about sex, it promote the early experimentation. Also that it is not the school 's job to teach about sexualatity and that what they would teach would be against their religion, beliefs, or values, but should promote abstinence. Others argue that the experimental rate is grong and if teens will have sex it is better to educate them on how to be safe. They also arguer that sex is everywhere and children will learn about sex in some way shape or form, whether it be from friends, family, or the media.

Sex education, most commonly known as family life, is any information about sex and sexual relationships taught to maturing young people as a part of a school’s curriculum. Currently, there is a constant political and ideological debate in the United States over the merits of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs in the teaching of our youth. Abstinence only sex education has been the primary sex education taught in the United States. Although different in their approach, the overall goal is to help them build a foundation to be able to make healthy informed decisions as they mature into adults. The objectives of sex education programs are to help adolescents develop a positive view of sexuality, body image and make responsible decisions in relationships (Knowles, 2012). Ultimately, any sex education should be a partnership between parents, guardians and school personnel. However, in recent years, a large amount of information about sexuality is acquired through friends, music, books and the media instead of from their parents. For some individuals,

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

Sexual education in public schools is one of the most controversial issues in education. In today’s society, it is almost impossible to ignore the responsibility of informing adolescence about the issues of sex. Since the lack of knowledge, leads to an array of issues ranging from teen pregnancy to sexually transmitted diseases. The debate over whether to implement sex education in American schools has ended. The question is whether comprehensive sex education classes are more impressionable than those stressing abstinence only.

Since the first sex education video, "Human Growth" was shown in public schools in the 1940's, sex education in school has remained a controversial subject (Bellafante 9.1). In the present however, it is no longer disputed whether or not sex-ed should be taught, but what should be taught in a sex education program. Conservatives and Liberals both agree that sex education in public schools is important but, their views on what should be taught differ dramatically. Despite the various monikers to describe different sex education programs and curricula, there are really only two types: abstinence-until-marriage and comprehensive (Sex Education Programs: Definitions & Point-by-Point

The topic of sexual education has been controversial for a while now. There are many stances that are taken to defend the course of education, but there are also many positions that are completely opposed to this idea. One side of the spectrum simply doesn’t trust anybody to teach their children about this act. There lays an authoritative issue underneath the opinion of not allowing a professional teacher to inform their children of what would happen if one were to partake in this sexual activity. The opposite side believes this class has beneficial factors, due to children knowing nothing about what could happen, or even what intercourse is. However, the question that we boil down to is what exactly IS sex? Why do we treat this topic as something

Several reasons have been put forward for the various and often opposing approaches to sex education. For example, Paechter (2004) proposes that

Often, sexual education can go against an individual's moral or religious beliefs. Many schools do not teach abstinence only but teach safe sex, whereas many religious groups and families do not value intercourse before marriage. Teachers may input their own beliefs or morals into the subject matter rather than stick with the facts if they are not properly trained on how to conduct a sex education course. Sex education classes are briefly focused on during a health class or physical education. This is not a long enough period to educate students on such serious material. These arguments does not take into account the fact that students will be taught on subjects such as, sexually transmitted diseases, the reproductive system, sexually and birthing issues rather than the stuff they learn through peers, television or the internet. Many of the myths learned by students about sex swill also are discussed, such as not being able to get pregnant the first time. Classes for those of a younger group are separated by gender, saving embarrassment amongst students and teachers. Teaching sex education can have a major impact on preventing unplanned pregnancy and other sexual problems in adulthood.

Over the last 50 years there has been an extreme societal shift in both the moral compass and the sexual behaviors of people; especially in the United States. The attitudes that were once held are much more relaxed than ever before. This has forever changed the landscape of sexual behavior on both ends of the age spectrum. Thanks to television and the media, young people and exposed to sex at younger and your ages. Children as young as nine and ten are having sex. In addition, thanks to the pharmaceutical industry and drugs like Viagra, seniors are engaging in risky behaviors too. This is why it is so important have an adaptable curriculum to educate children and re-educate adolescents and adults of all ages on sexuality issues. However for the purposes of this paper, we will only focus on a potential curriculum for elementary, middle, high school aged children and young adults. The cross sections of topics that must be covered should include Anatomy & Physiology, Puberty, Self-Image, Sexual Identity and Orientation, Interpersonal Relationships, Sexual Reproduction, and Sexually Transmitted Disease.

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

When sex education was first introduced into the school system there was a high amount of controversy. Many parents disagreed with the idea of the school teaching their children about sex, but some parents were in agreement with the benefits that sex education would offer their children. The idea of teaching sex education offered many probable benefits, such as introducing children to contraception and the risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at a young age could help to prevent teen pregnancy or an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. Sex education offers many benefits to the children who are enrolled in the classes, but some people are not able to see the ways that the class can help the children; they only see the