Many sexually active teens are never educated on the dangers of unprotected sex, because their schools do not teach this kind of education. Could changing this lead to less sexually transmitted infections or teenage pregnancy? Teaching options could ensure more safety to teenagers. Should sex education be taught in public schools in the United States, and if so, what kind of education is the best choice for today’s teenagers? There are three basic types of sex education. The most widely spoken about and taught is called abstinence based sex education. An abstinence-only approach to sex education teaches teens and young adults that not having sex until marriage is the best or only way to effectively avoid sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. Abstinence based education is also taught with the thought that it is morally incorrect to have sex before marriage, often because of religious reasons. Students are taught that sexual activity before marriage have harmful psychological and physical effects, also that having a child out of wedlock harms the child, the child’s parents, and society (AVERT 1). The second most popular approach to sex education is called abstinence-plus education. This is a type of education that primarily teaches basic abstinence beliefs and morals, but also provides the basic facts about contraceptives and safe sex. This includes teaching students that they should be physically and emotionally ready for sex before becoming sexually active. The last approach to sex education is called comprehensive sex education. This does not focus on teaching teens to avoid sex until marriage. Instead, a comprehensive approach to sex education would explain the benefits of waiting for sex until they ar... ... middle of paper ... ...ere is still a necessity for some form of sex education. The country is likely to never come to a complete consensus as to what type of education is the best choice for young adults, but after being presented with all of the facts I believe the comprehensive approach is the best choice for educators. Works Cited “Abstinence and Sex Education.” AIDS and HIV information from the AIDS charity AVERT. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2011. www.avert.org/abstinence “Facts on Sex Education in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute: Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Jan. 2011. www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_sexed2006 Life360. “Non-Abstinence Sex Ed Gets Federal Funding.” Life360. N.p., 13 Oct. 2010, Web. 20 Jan. 2011. http://www.life 360.com/blog/sex-ed-government-funding/ “Planned Parenthood.” Planned Parenthood. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2011. www.plannedparenthood.org
Nineteen-fifty five marked the debut of sex education programs in schools in the United States. Along the years, many have argued whether or not sex education should be taught in schools. Many believe that the education of sex encourages students to engage in sexual activities which lead to a higher number of pregnancies and sexual transmitted diseases (STD’s). As the number of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases climbs higher and higher every day in our country, one can only think that sexual education is a necessity in our school systems. Teens as young as fourteen years old have admitted to already engaging in sexual activities. No teen should be engaging in such acts at that age. Many schools give parents the choice to have their child opt out of the lesson or class. Few states are required to teach sex education to students in secondary schools unless they were withdrawn from the class by their parents.
Sex Education. (2010). In Current Issues: Macmillan social science library. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?query=&prodId=OVIC&contentModules=&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=2&catId=GALE%7C00000000LVZ0&activityType=&documentId=GALE%7CPC3021900154&source=Bookmark&u=byuidaho&jsid=97f094e06dbbf5f2bcaec07adbde8e61
However, for some time now, sex education has been a hot button issue in the United States. The debate is over which form of sex education is best for students. In recent years there has been much debate about which form of sex education is most effective: Abstinence, Abstinence-Plus, or Comprehensive. Abstinence sex education does not acknowledge that teenagers will become sexually active, thus, students do not learn about the different forms of contraception, and students do not learn about abortion. Also, students are taught that the risks of contracting an STD or HIV are prime reasons to remain abstinent. Abstinence-plus sex education explores the context and significance of sex. Although abstinence-plus education still promotes abstinence, it is acknowledged that many teenagers will become sexually active. Students are taught about contraception, abortion, STDs, and HIV/AIDS. Comprehensive sex education does not focus on teaching young people that they should remain abstinent until marriage, though it does teach it. Although students learn the benefits of abstinence, students learn how to themselves when they do decide to have sex.
Teenage sexual activity is a major problem confronting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and teenage pregnancy. The existence of HIV/AIDS has given a sense of urgency to the topic of sex education. The issue of sex education in schools especially in the formative years has been a subject of intense debate among parents, school officials, health scientists and religious authorities worldwide for a considerable period of time. The debate centers on comprehensive sex education versus abstinence-only sex education in school. Abstinence only sex education is a sex education model that focuses on the virtue of abstinence from sexual activities; therefore, encouraging sexual abstinence until marriage. This form of sexual education completely ignores all other elements of comprehensive sexual education like safe sex and reproductive health education issues like the use of contraceptives and birth control methods. Comprehensive sex teaching encourages promiscuous sexual activity as “a natural part of life.” Proponents of abstinence only education activists cite several reasons why this type of education is the best. It focuses on the upholding of moral virtues. They also claim that sex outside marriage hat is “encouraged” by the comprehensive sex education which as a result, has some emotional and physical downfall especially when done at a very young age. They blame the comprehensive sex education for failing to discourage premarital sex especially at this time when the HIV pandemic is busy devouring young people in various parts of the world (Deborah 2). In fairness, both programs were designed to decrease the incidence of STDs...
Masland, Molly. “The Sex Education Debate: An Overview.” Sex Education. Ed. Kristen Bailey. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
From a young age, children are bombarded by images of the rich and the famous engaging in torrid public affairs or publicly discussing their increasingly active sex lives. No longer is sex education left to teachers and parents to explain, it is constantly in our faces at the forefront of our society. Regardless of sex education curriculums and debates about possible changes, children and teenagers are still learning everything they think there is to know about sex from very early on in their young lives. However, without responsible adults instructing them on the facts about sex, there are more likely to treat sex in a cavalier and offhanded fashion. According to Anna Quindlen’s essay Sex Ed, the responsibility of to education children about sex is evenly distributed between teachers and parents.
Not unlike most debates, there are two major schools of thought when it comes to sex education in schools in the United States of America. One side believes that teaching abstinence to students helps them wait till marriage in a society that constantly pushes sexual imagery and language at them. Such people are supporters of what is known as abstinence based and abstinence-only education. The other side believes that students should receive comprehensive sexual education, where they are provided detailed information about intercourse, contraception, including abstinence, and STI transmission/treatment (Masland 2004). Sex education in the United States has consistently been a debate since the 1960 's. The controversy lies mainly in what schools should and should not be allowed to teach. The most common contention points are: birth control and contraception, Homosexuality (LGBTQ), abstinence-only, HIV awareness and education, and abortion. Objectively this
Sex education can help our young people develop positive mindsets and have safe actions that will in the long run keep their bacterial level low and keep them healthy. It will help keep our youth safe. It will help reduce the number of deaths in young lives do to sexual transmitted diseases. It will reduce the number of young pregnancy percentage as well.
“Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs)” (McKeon). These shocking statistics are conspicuous to any ordinary American, yet the United States schools have taken little initiative to teach effective sexual education. Sex education programs in the U.S. mainly fall under two categories – comprehensive or abstinence-only. Abstinence-only sex education programs present abstinence as the only effective means to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexual transmitted diseases and infections; whereas comprehensive sex education programs teach abstinence as a secondary choice, while also informing students about birth control and contraceptives. Comprehensive sex education should be the only sex education method taught in schools because it is the most effective technique to keep students well-informed, prepared, and safe.
Sonfield, Adam. "Sex Education Remains Active Battleground." Contraceptive Technology Update 1 Mar. 2012. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.
Sex education in public schools has been a controversial issue in the United States for over a decade. With the HIV and teen pregnancy crises growing, sex education is needed.
...ive amount of research, it is obvious that sex education in the United States is an important topic to teach in schools. This is something that can affect not only the students body, but also their future. It must be taught. Students not only need to know the consequences of having sex, but also how to protect themselves and their partners. The comprehensive approach has been proven to be the most effective method on adolescents. In closing l, comprehensive sex education keeps students safe and well informed. Comprehensive sex education covers everything about sex and not just abstinence only. Empowering students with the knowledge to protect themselves from any situation is one of the most important aspects of sex education. Comprehensive sex education not only prepares students, but helps society grow as a whole by preparing American adolescents for their future.
Sexual education has been a heated topic for years. The topic started in 1912 when the National Education Association wanted teachers to begin lecturing in sex ed programs.(Pardini, Priscilla) In 1940 the U.S. Public Health Service labeled sexual education an “urgent need” and strongly advocated it in schools.(Pardini, Priscilla) Though sexual education had support from health officials and educators, there were many opponents.(Pardini, Priscilla) Conservatives and health advisors battled over how sex ed benefits and how it should be taught in schools.(Pardini, Priscilla)
Martinez, Gladys, Joyce Abma, and Casey Copen. “Educating Teenagers About Sex In The United States”. CDC.GOV. Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Feb.2014
Before moving on, one must know that sex education is about, but not limited to the discussion of sexual intercourse. As a Buzzle article states, it involves a multitude of topics that introduce human sexual behaviors such as puberty, sexual health, sexual reproduction, sexuality, and more (Iyer). If formally received in school, these topics are brought up and discussed at age-appropriate times over the course of children’s junior high and high school education. Moreover, as I have introduced earlier, the way sex education should be taught is divided into two approaches. It is between taking either a conservative, abstinence-only approach or a more liberal, comprehensive approach. Abstinence-only education, approaches students by stressing the importance of “no sex before marriage” as be...