The Importance Of Sexual Education

The US teen pregnancy rate is at 72.2%, which is larger than any rate in Western European countries. Sex education can solve the problem that we see, and possibly lower that rate. It can benefit kids by informing them about everything involving sex instead of sheltering them from the truth. Abstinence-only education is the other option that is typically used, but creating a program to cover everything and not exclude some children who have different beliefs is the overall goal. This program should be offered for all students as a mandatory course because of the amount of information that is to be gained by teaching about sex, relationships, protection, STD’s, and sexual orientation.

The U.S. has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies of any industrialized nation that put young teenagers at risks. It is estimate that 20,000 new cases of sexually transmitted diseases reported each year comes from people under the age of 25 and 82 percent of all teen pregnancies are accidents that account for one-fifth of all unintended pregnancies annually (CDC 2006). As a result, the government needs to stop funding and promoting abstinence only programs and start focusing on comprehensive sex education. Comprehensive sexuality education according to Sexuality Information and Education Council of the US (SIECUS) provides a complete message by teaching age appropriate and medically accurate information

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

Comprehensive sexuality education has always been a focal point of the debate across the United States. Any topics related to sexuality education would make tremendous amount of people feel embarrassed and uncomfortable because sex education is fallaciously perceived as a stigma of the society on an increase rate of unintended pregnancy, the outbreak of sexual transmitted diseases, and other social ethical issues. From a U.S. review, however, “the overwhelming weight of evidence shows that sex education that discusses contraception does not increase sexual activity.” The understanding of sex education not only covers simply a part in reproduction, or how babies are conceived and born but also helps the teenager to have some basis understanding of virtually every aspect of sex by the time he or she reaches full maturity, and more importantly, it encourages confidence and improves communication skills, the social issues surrounding sexuality and reproduction as well as cultural norms, family

Each curriculum has a varying view on how sex education should be taught and when sex education should be taught to adolescents. Comprehensive sexuality education is the most effective type of sex education and followes the guidelines of starting sex education in kindergarten until twelfth grade. A broad range of topics are taught to students depending on their grade in order to help them develop vital skills and an understanding the varying topics. Abstinence-based sex education gives adolescence a broad range of knowledge on varying topics related to disease prevention and contraception with the emphasises that the best choice is to abstain from sex. Abstinence-only education promotes that abstaining from sex is the only way and does not address contraception or disease prevention. Abstinence-only-until-marriage sex education teaches adolescents that marriage is the only time sexual activities can take place and that in order to prevent disease and teen pregnancy refraining from sex until marriage is the only choice (SIECUS, 2001).

Adolescence can be a very confusing and difficult time for many teens because they are pushed out of childhood and into adulthood. The push for the use of comprehensive sex education programs is causing the rates of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to increase. By providing teens with a comprehensive sex education program that can not only confuse them about their sexuality, but also lead them to engage in sex before they are mentally ready, is extremely harmful. Because abstinence is the only sure way to prevent the spread of STDs and stop unwanted pregnancies among adolescents, it should be the only curriculum taught to them.

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 AMERICA. 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 public schools in the United States to provide teenagers with an evidence-based approach to healthy decision making in their sexual lives.

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

Sexual activity among young people is a matter of serious concern. Parents around the United States are very worried about their children and their loss of innocence when it comes to this subject. Sexual education is an optional program that is taught in some schools to inform the youth about sexual health. Many people are torn when it comes to this topic and feel that sexual education leads to premature sexual activity; where others believe sexual education is extremely beneficial to all students who are involved. Sexual education was previously taught to delay sexual activity, however recently it has been used as a tool to help educate the youth about medically accurate information in hopes to prepare them for their futures. Sexual education is not a federally mandated program, so across the United States some students are receiving information and some are not. Schools offer a safe learning

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.

These types of programs use a holistic approach to provide young people with complete, accurate, and age-appropriate sex education that helps them reduce their risk of unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Comprehensive sex education programs are focused around providing medically accurate information on a board variety of topics related to sexuality including human development, relationships, decision making, abstinence, contraception, and disease prevention. These programs provide students with opportunities for developing skills as well as learning about all aspects of sex. Comprehensive sexual educational programs assist young adults with the tools to make informed decisions and build healthy relations. Also, they stress the value of abstinence without shaming sexual interactions and preparing young adults for when they do eventually become sexually active. Furthermore, these programs provide youth with accurate information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptives, including condoms, as a means to prevent unwanted pregnancies and reduce the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections and diseases. These programs also encourage communication about sexuality between parent and child. In addition, comprehensive sexual education programs teach young adults the

uring our last class, we learned about four different activism project ideas. Of the four, two focused on sexual education of young adults, one on sexual violence on college campuses, and the last about increasing abortion access. All four projects were feminist in that they all had components of increasing women’s equality. Both sexual education programs as well as the project on sexual violence prevention would work to benefit women socially. The Abortion Access program covers all three grounds of feminism: the program would advocate for the social, political, and economic equality of women.

The United States sex education poorly educates 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 of 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 a better education strategy that teaches young adults how to have safe sex that prevents unwanted pregnancy and STIs, instead of stressing the importance of abstinence.

Whose job is it to teach children sexual education: teachers or parents? While many argue that it is the parent’s job to educate her children about sex, it is often awkward for a parent to talk to her “babies” about it, and many times she does not. That is why some schools take on the responsibility to make sure kids are educated on the subject, but are enough schools offering this type of education? The answer is no. Sexual education in the United States should not be optional. States should make sexual education a required course in school to help prevent unwanted pregnancies, as well as the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with an effective and organized program.

Sex education is something that should taken into consideration teaching lower class how to prevent themselves for having more children. Lot of the young adults have no idea of the usage of birth controls or condoms in every high school they should have sex education programs. Birth control and condoms should be handed out in public places for the lower class could get a hold of it also budgeting skills should be given to teach lower class how to save and manage their spending. The cost of living is increasing so on that note, minimum wages should be raised, because for those who have jobs or finally get a job will be able to support their family without receiving no government aid.