The Importance Of Sex Education

Additional research has explored the effects of abstinence based programs on actual behavior outcomes. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) compared the effects of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs, operationalizing effectiveness in terms of initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates. They found that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only or no education were significantly less likely to report a teenage pregnancy. In addition, their conclusions mirrored Sather and Kelly (2002), finding that abstinence-based programs did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in sexual activity. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) actually concluded that comprehensive sex education was more likely than abstinence based to reduce the percentage engaging in sexual activity. Overall, the researchers showed that comprehensive sex education, including but not limited to contraception, did not increase the prevalence of sexual activity in teenagers or the risk of teen pregnancy, while also showing the that abstinence only education produced a higher likelihood of pregnancy.

Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all

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

According to a study in 2010, 75 of the 1,000 girls aged from 15-19 became pregnant and 45% of all girls in Texas become pregnant one or more times before they reach 20 years of age. These females are all less likely to complete high school, less likely to attend college, have lower cognitive development, and are more likely to end up as single parents. These high numbers reflect the fact that sexual education is not available in all states. Not all students have the privilege to learn about sex appropriately or correctly. Instead, they are taught that abstinence, or refraining from sex until marriage, is the correct path to take. The reality is that of the 12th grade students in Texas, 63% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. Texas has had problems with

Sexuality is an intrinsic part of being a human being. Hence, it follows that as we grow sexual development is normal and for most a point of curiosity. In an age where even a curious five year old could ask the internet where babies come from instead of asking their parents, it is becoming increasingly evident sexual education is a necessity for the sexual health of America’s youth. Sexual education is an important class that should be integrated into the public school system in order to prevent the problems of teen pregnancy and STDs such as HIV. The CDC reports that in 2015 about 230,000 babies were born to teen girls aged 15-19 and that nearly half of the 20 million new STD cases reported in 2015 were among young adults between the ages

In both cases, Abstinence-only education did not direct them, in any way, to abstain from sex (Valenti). Therefore, given that so many teens will not desist from sex, effective sex education programs have the responsibility to help teens to be aware of the risks and consequences that come along with sexuality, like early pregnancy or STDs (Alford). Such effective programs should employ personalized interviews and follow-ups for each student and parents; as well as committees including doctors, psychologists, pediatricians, and real young people with shocking experience as a teen

This is crucial considering the STD rates amongst teenagers. Roughly half of the new STD cases are solely teenagers (aged 15-24) in low-income areas (Kirby, 145). Along with the fear of STDs, which are still becoming more common, teenage pregnancy rates are also a major fear that seems to promote the abstinence only education. The United States is among the highest teenage pregnancy rates in comparison to European nations who implement a comprehensive sexual education system (Stanger-Hall et al.,

Texas is reputable for implementing abstinence only sex education. About 60% of public schools only teach this curriculum (Howell). This leaves thousands of students of various ages with an altered view of sex and insufficient information on safe sex practice and contraception. This program has also proved itself ineffective because Texas ranks fifth highest nationally in teen birth rates with 41 births per 1,000 women (Howell). 4 out of 5 adolescent pregnancies are unintended” (Gelfond, 597).Abstinence only programs have failed because they do not prevent or even educate students about safe sex practices, contraception, and Texas still remains in the forerunner for highest rates of STDs and teen pregnancy.

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

Programs that encourage abstinence have become a vital part of school systems in the US. These programs are usually referred to as abstinence-only or value-based programs while other programs are called as safer-sex, comprehensive, secular or abstinence-plus programs which on the contrary promote the usage of effective contraception. Although abstinence-only and safer-sex programs disagree with one another, their core values and stand on the aims of sex education is to help teens develop problem-solving skills and the skill of good decision-making. They believe that adolescents will be better prepared to “act responsibly in the heat of the moment” (Silva). Most programs that have been currently implemented in the US have seen a delay in the initiation of sex among teens which proves to be a positive and desirable outcome (Silva).

In 2007, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy created Emerging Answers 2007. In this work, research and numerous findings on the benefits of sex-ed were compiled. An example of one of these findings is that no programs that teach sexual education have any correlation to an increase in sexual activities. Research has also found that when students are taught about sex-ed they are more likely to practice safe sex. “Studies show that when teens are educated about condoms and have access to them, levels of condom use at first intercourse increase while levels of sex stay the same...According to a study by researchers from Guttmacher and Columbia University published in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 86% of the decline in teenage pregnancy in this country between 1995 and 2002 was due to dramatic improvements in contraceptive use, including increases in the use of individual methods, increases in the use of multiple methods, and substantial declines in nonuse. Just 14% of the decline could be attributed to a decrease in sexual activity” (“Comprehensive Sex Education”). These results make it very clear that sex-ed is what is best for America’s youths. In fact, America is somewhat conservative compared to other countries, as many

Rates of sexually transmitted disease (STD), teen pregnancy, and teen births are higher in the United States than in the majority of other industrialized countries (Kohler, Manhart, & Lafferty, 2008), indicating the controversial role that sex education plays in the initiation of sexual activity. In contempt of teen pregnancy, birth and abortion rates are the highest among other developed countries (Kohler et al., 2008), and few public health evaluations on the effectiveness of formal sex education have been conducted. With a large social issue prominent in the United States, it is imperative to determine the differences based on formal sex education and whether abstinence-only education, comprehensive education or no education decrease health risks among adolescents (Kohler et al., 2008).

Understanding the issues that come with sexual education in the classroom is the first step in being a comprehensive sex education advocate. To this day, we see classrooms in middle and high schools preaching about abstinence, shaming children and not being able to give proper, thorough, and informative resources and guidelines on how to approach healthy, body-positive, accessible information about sexual activity. The ideal image abstinence curriculum advocates are hoping for is all adolescents will not have sex prior to marriage, that there will be no STI’s flowing from person A to B, and that the risk of unplanned teen pregnancies will just disappear. The realistic comprehensive approach to sex education states that we are aware that no matter how many ‘do not have sex’ programs we fund and promote, there will always be the handful or more of the population who won’t follow through.

Many young teens engage in risky behaviors that can affect their health and leave negative outcomes on their bodies. There was a survey conducted by The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015 and researchers found that “30% of high school teens had had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months and of these, 43% did not use a condom the last time they had sex. 14% did not use any method to prevent pregnancy and 21% had drunk alcohol or used drugs before their last sexual encounter (CDC, 2015).” The statistic previously read only covers 30 percent of people who agreed to participate in the study. There are still teens who either did not want to participate or who are not having any form of sexual activity. From the statistic we can confer that education about sexual health is something that is not being administered in schools and thus will cause a larger problem in the future.

A controversy is rising in America about the nature of sex education in the nation's high schools.  Studies show that 81 percent of American adults support a joint program teaching abstinence and contraception as opposed to an abstinence-only program (Roper 0316946), and 79 percent support contraception education regardless of the level of sexual activity in teenagers (Roper 0340807). The sad fact is, contraception is society's attempt at a "quick fix" for a problem that runs far deeper than the issue of teen sex.  In the debate over the "best safe sex," educators and parents must consider not only the health issues, but must also reevaluate the morality of the nation's young people.