The Importance of Sex Educations in Schools Essay

Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard

A. According to the nursing schools of the web page published in 2016 called 10 Truly Shocking Stats on STDS and College Students, “One in four college students have an STD.” They also stated that “Only 54 percent of students regularly use condoms during vaginal intercourse, 29 percent during anal intercourse and only 4 percent during oral sex.” Why is it that students aren’t protecting themselves against these issues?

Studies not only show that abstinence only programs do nothing to delay the age at which teens and young adults begin having sex, but they also fail to provide any information about alternative and necessary healthy sexual behaviors ((Santelli, J., Ott, M. A., Lyon, M., Rogers, J., Summers, D., & Schleifer, R, 2006). Humans are sexual beings, and yes one of the ways to avoid STI’s and pregnancy is through abstinence. However, these programs decline to take into account or acknowledge that these teens will inevitably become sexually active at one point or another, and in turn fail to equip them with the proper knowledge on how to be safe when they do make the choice to have sex. Making sex taboo does not create a population of well-informed young people with safe sex practices and it definitely has not aided in resolving the epidemic of teen STI’s. Rather it has exacerbated it by denying youth with the correct information and tools they need to make well informed healthy

Sex education is about informing students about sex so that they can make educated decisions when the time comes to have sex. Sex education helps students protect themselves from unintended pregnancies, STDs, and HIV/AIDS. Students should leave a sex education course with the right tools so they make informed decisions about their sexual health and well-being. The goal of sex education is to provide a student with as much information as possible so that they can use the skills they learned in class for the rest of their lives.

In an attempt to be effective, comprehensive-sex education programs in school are incorporating family involvement to aid the frequency of communication about sexual knowledge, attitudes and behavior (Grossman). This is a positive step because it will help families discuss the importance of making responsible decisions when it comes to sex. The sex education programs at school have a higher success rate due to the direct access they have to both parents and students. Research shows that family communication about sexual

The reason parents are fearful of the sex talk is because they cannot or do not want to picture their child having sex, even though it is a possibility, and the child will feel embarrassed to have their parents talk to them about sex. Because of these feelings, the talk repeatedly becomes delayed, and it either does not happen at all or it happens too late after their child has already had sex. “In the latest study on parent-child talks about sex and sexuality, researchers found that more than forty percent of adolescents had had intercourse before talking to their parents about safe sex, birth control or sexually transmitted diseases” (Park).

In this paper I will address virginity, first sexual experiences, sex education in public schools, and abortion. The first two topics, virginity and first sexual experiences, coming from a personal perspective as well as some credible sources. I will also include the historical aspects of virginity, the creation and use of the concept, and why it’s in our society. The last topic is my concern for the lack of sex education in public schools and mentioning the harm of abstinence only sex education and the importance to provide comprehensive education for our youth for protection and lifelong sexual satisfaction. I will also include my experience with sex education and how limited or censored topics can be detrimental to children by second-guessing their understanding of necessary and critical sexual information.

+ Sex is important. Every human life is the result of someone having sex. So why has sex education become such a controversy? The entirety of the issue seems to fit under a cloud of scandal, because almost every topic is slightly taboo. Sex education however, is vital and absolutely necessary for a student’s comprehensive education. Students, parents, and teachers begin to hit roadblocks when human dignity and social inequalities begin to cause issues and misconceptions about sex education. When one is informed about what sex education really is, the issues within sex education that need to be faced, and how communication can create more solutions, the understanding of how sex education should be handled will naturally increase. The difficult and controversial topic of sex education is inundated with complicated issues, however with the help of increased education and communication, more solutions can be found for our most challenging problems.

Parents must also play a leading role in sex education. It must go beyond the doors of the school, and into the homes of the children. Since parents are the main educators in a child's life, they need to discuss the topic of sex education in home as well. (Sex Education in Schools; 1999) Children who have never had a talk about sex with their parents feel more uncomfortable when they have to talk about it in front of their classmates. In some cases, some students may even feel more comfortable to talk to their teacher, rather than their parents. A very important idea for parents to remember is, although talking about sex can be difficult, it makes it helpful on a child to hear about the facts of life from their parents at first. (4.Woznicki, Katrina. Smarter Teens Likely to Delay Sex; 2000) This also makes it easier when they attend the sex education classes so they can understand the full impact of

Their was a once a girl who wanted to have sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. The next day when she went to second block which was her sex ed class the teacher made all the student stand up and ask question’s or tell personal stories. One of her friends told the class her personal story about how she had sex with her beloved one and caught HIV. The girl went home and decided not to have sexual intercourse with her beloved one just yet, she rather learn more about sex and get well informed about how to prevent STD”S and other bad things. Sex education has a positive impact on students. It helps students prevent such things as STDS/STI. Sex ed also shows teens how to protect themselves from any unhealthy relationship. Schools should allow sex education because it helps prevent STDS/STI , it also could gain self esteem , it could help prevent more teenage from being pregnant.

According to plannedparenthood.org, the nation’s longest provider for sex education says, “Sex education helps people gain the information, skills and motivation to make healthy decisions about sex and sexuality.” As well as abstinence, the fact or practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, in this case…, sex. It is understandable why some parents do not want their children to be taught sex education in schools, just as there are some teachers who don't think it is their job to teach it. There are some parents as well as teachers who agree it should be taught in schools and at home because it is a topic that we all cannot escape. Sex education helps young people reduce their risk of potentially negative outcomes. These outcomes consist of circumstances such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It can also help youth to enhance the quality of their relationships and to develop decision-making skills that will prove invaluable over life. Sex is a natural part of life, and it happens with or without sex education. Refusing to talk about it will not make it go away.

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

Plenty of us, if not all, will agree that as hormones run rampant and curiosity grows even bigger, teenagers and young adults alike will partake in sexual activities as a way to explore their own newfound needs and desires. Though this may be what many enjoy doing, it does come with its own consequences. Regardless of age, sex can definitely result in a multitude of burdens including unwanted pregnancies, as well as various STDs and HPVs (HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Herpes, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, etc) and other negative consequences. With an astounding lack of proper information regarding sex education, it is no wonder that this is an epidemic. It is obvious that this occurs in a growing number of teens in America, so the question lies; what is being done about informing others about sex? Why is it these teenagers face dilemmas, all which shouldn’t affect them at their age? How said information was received is also something worth asking about. Besides their own peers, and maybe their parents if they dare discuss it with them, a good majority of what teenagers learn is given at local schools. Sex education is given nationwide, but just how valuable is it? How useful is the information; could it be that what is offered, the way it is distributed a factor in the rise of teen pregnancies and STDs? The consequences of inadequate sex education have dire life-changing events which can cause a huge negative affect on their lifestyle overall. With the

For decades, sex education in US public schools has been a debatable issue for a minority of people (Shindel & Parish, 2013). Healthcare workers insist that with a rise in sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, sex education is desperately needed in school. On the other hand, there are some parents and other citizens who strongly believe that sex education is something that parents should be teaching to their children. These individuals feel that sex education courses in schools do not place adequate emphasis on abstinence. In addition, introducing children to sex education may also encourage them to experiment with sex at an early age. However, what these opposing parents and individuals forget is that in the last 2 decades, there has been a renaissance in sex. With the advent of the internet, almost anyone can easily access pornography and almost any type of sexual activity on cyberspace. Sex is now a part of American culture. The advent of cyberspace has made sex prominent at all levels of society. Today, there is no way to avoid sex as it permeates every facet of our lives, even at work and in schools. No matter what the parent or the school attempts to do, these teenagers will make their own decisions about sexual experimentation and when to start such activity. Over the past few decades, it has become obvious that teenagers have started to having sex much earlier than their peers several decades ago. In the past, many

Schools play a major role in a child’s life. Students generally spend more time in school with their teachers and peers than they do at home. They learn about Math, Science, English, Social studies and much more. One of the major things that needs more emphasis is sex education. Society is changing boys and girls are starting puberty earlier than when schools provide them with information about it. “52% of teens have has sexual intercourse out of that 52% 42% say they did not use a condom during the last instance”(Sex Education in Texas Public Schools). With all the information on the Internet students should be informed on what is correct and what is not. The way we can do that is be placing students in sex education classes. Sex education is a necessary component in a child’s life; with society changing it needs to be offered at a younger age. There are many reasons for this it can help prevent unwanted teen pregnancies, educate youth on sexually transmitted diseases and teach them how to be safe. One of the issues people have with sex education in schools is the belief that it corrupts the youths mind.