Introduction As millions of teens are heading back to school, they are going to be learning the same old stuff, the usual studies include-history, math, science. But many students and parent’s surprise, there will be an extra class included in the curricula: Sex Education. In most public schools, there is some form of teaching of sex education. However, there is an even bigger question that is arising. “What kind of sex education are our children getting and is it enough to help?” There is a huge national debate going on over whether the whole ordeal over if kids should or should not be taught in school about sex. It shouldn’t matter what side of the fence you are on or your school, what is important is to know how to benefit your child’s health and their future from the impact of sex education (Wilson 570) Accessing the Accurate Info “Access to accurate information that is needed to protect one’s health is an important human right.” In preventing and treating health conditions, medically accurate information is very critical. If many had the knowledge they needed to avoid risks and make wiser decisions about their bodies and own health care, majority would agree that the disputes that people have would lessen. In addition, some schools are expected to provide factual information about such topics. Providing such critical health info to adolescents on the subject matter of sex has become a challenge. Increasing amounts of federal funding have required “abstinence-only” education, but this restricts the discussion of contraceptives and sexually transited disease prevention because of moral or religious controversy. Alongside the policies of the U.S., they have mand... ... middle of paper ... ...A Reality Check.” Education Digest 67.2 (2001).46.17 Jan 2011. Anderson, Deanna.” Pros and Cons of Sex Ed in Schools.”2002.Web.12 Jan 2011 Bruggink, Heidi.”Miseducation: The Lowdown on Abstinence-Only Sex Ed Programs.” Humanist 67.1 (2007):4.Web. 17 Jan 2011. Kantor, Leslie M.”Abstinence only Education violating student’s rights to health information.”Human Rights: Journal of the section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities 35.3 (2008). 19 Jan 2011. “Sex Ed programs Actually can work” USE Today magazine (2008): 14. 19 Jan 2011. Tanner, John F., et al.”Teachers’ Attitudes towards abstinence only sex education curricula.”Eduation 123.4 (2004): 780. 17 Jan 2011. Wilson, Kelley L. and David C. Wiley. “Influence of Materials on Teacher Adoption of Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs.” Journal of School Health 79.12 (2009): 565-574. 17 Jan 2011.
Everyone has an opinion about sexuality education. From vocal parents at PTA meetings to state governors who must decide whether to apply for federal funding for abstinence-only-until-marriage programs or more comprehensive sexuality programs, or both, or neither. From school pri...
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 medical ethics and scientific accuracy, and have been empirically proven to be ineffective; therefore, comprehensive sex education programs which are medically accurate, science-based and empirically proven should be the standard method of sex education for students/children in the U.S.
Those in support of Comprehensive Sex education believe that if teens get complete and accurate information about sex, then they will be able to make better decisions (Magoon 57). Even those who remain abstinent until marriage need to be able to recognize an STD because their partner could have made a different decision and not remained abstinent (Magoon 57). There are many groups and organizations that promote Abstinence-only education or Comprehensive Sex education (Magoon 80-81). The debate over Sex education is almost solely a discussion of what is moral and what is practical, says Kekla Magoon (6-95). Abstinence-only advocates main issue with Comprehensive Sex education is the debate of whether or not giving teens more information actually leads them to being sexually active (Magoon 73).
Smith, Morgan. "More Schools Choose to Teach Abstinence-Plus." The New York Times 16 Sept. 2011, National ed.: A21A. The New York Times. 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011.
National Abstinence Education Association. “Comprehensive Sex Education Is Inappropriate And Harmful.” Do Abstinence Programs Work?. Christina Fisanick. Michigan. Greenhaven Press, 2010. 33-42. Print.
The first type of curricula is abstinence-only. Abstinence-only based curricula is taught to more than 50 percent of students worldwide (Sex in Review, 2003). Abstinence programs teach teens how to say no. It does not teach them about STDs and how to protect themselves, therefore keeping them in the dark about sex. This type of curricula typically uses fear and shame to encourage premarital abstinence. It usually provides a distorted view of sex and can lead to sexual anxiety. Students are taught misinformation and lies; You will learn that sex is horrible unless it takes place in a monogamous marriage. President Bush asked Congress for a thirty-three per...
Students should be informed about more than just “don’t have sex” because eventually it is going to happen and they need to be educated on the proper way to handle the situations. Because students are mostly taught abstinence it has created the situation to where researchers find” Abstinence-only education, instead of reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, has made teenagers and young adults more vulnerable to ST...
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.
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.
Santelli, J., Ott, A., Lyon, M., Rogers, J., Summers, D., &Schelifer, R. (2006). Abstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of U.S. policies and programs. Journal of Adolescent Health 38 p.p.72-81.
The government likes to pretend that if high school students get taught the “abstinence-only” method they would never think of taking part in sexual activities. Statistically this is incorrect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “56 percent of high school students are virgins”(Martin). For the 56 percent abstinence only is doing them well, but there are still 44 percent of high school students engaging in sex without knowing the precau...
American teens need a new approach to sexual education. Though more Americans share the belief that abstinence-only education denies youth the information they need about contraceptive use to protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs, abstinence-only is still the primary method of sexual education offered in most U.S schools. Conservatives believe that comprehensive sexuality programs encourage adolescents to engage in sexual activity, and if any teachings about sexual education are allowed, they should focus on an abstinence-only curriculum. This chastity approach to sexual education is both outdated and impractical in today’s society. Abstinence-only sexual education programs often exclude vital information about contraceptives and STDs
One problem America faces with the abuse of censorship is students become misinformed about certain issues. Take for example, the topic of sex education. In the 1990’s, there was a program that was sponsored by the government called “Sex Respect.” This program informed high-school students that they must remain abstinent until marriage; otherwise they will harm themselves and other people. “…Pre-marital sex can lead to shotgun weddings, cervical cancer, poverty, substance abuse, a diminished ability to communicate, and death.”2 Not only did this program fail to accurately depict the nature of safe sex, but it censored the information that discussed condoms, birth control, and other preventative measures. While remaining abstinent is ideal, it is not the only option to remain healthy. This kind of extremism only serves to hurt the students in the end. In reality, there will be several students who will become sexually active. It would be better for them to know that there are other safe alternati...
Sex education in our schools has been a hot topic of debate for decades. The main point in question has been whether to utilize comprehensive sex education or abstinence-only curriculum to educate our youth. The popularity of abstinence-only curriculum over the last couple of decades has grown largely due to the United States government passing a law to give funding to states that teach the abstinence-only approach to sex education. But not teaching our children about sex and sexuality is not giving them the information they need to make well educated decisions. Sex education in our schools should teach more than just abstinence-only because these programs are not proven to prevent teens from having sex. Children need to be educated on how to prevent contracting sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies and be given the knowledge to understand the changes to their bodies during puberty. According to the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten-12th Grade from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), comprehensive sex education “should be appropriate to age, developmental level, and cultural background of students and respect the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community” (SIECUS).
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...