Comprehensive Sexual Education

901 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Advantages of providing gender education in school

Imagine going through puberty without a clue of what was happening to you or why. Imagine not knowing of all the possible outcomes of having sexual intercourse or how to be safe. Its already a confusing time for many adolescents, so if they are not given the proper education they will remain oblivious of the truth. Many adolescents are misinformed or not properly educated about puberty and how their body changes. Teens engage in activities unaware of the possibilities it could lead to. It is not only the parents, but also the Department of Education’s responsibility to teach them what they need to know about sexual health. Comprehensive sexual health education should be required for all young teens whether in Intermediate or High School to help to help promote the importance of making healthy decisions about sex and their health.
Comprehensive sexual education means that all topics that affect sexuality and sexual health will be taught. Certain topics that sexual education concerns include: abstinence, contraception, …show more content…

According to a study, by the end of high school when teens are approximately 18 years of age, over half of males and females have had sexual intercourse (McKeon, 2006). Whether they were properly informed about how to be safe or of the risks is the question. People ages 15-24 contract almost half the nation’s 19 million new sexually transmitted infections every year (Advocates for Youth, 2009), so it is highly important for parents and schools to emphasize the importance of practicing safe sex. Implementing sexual education has proven to help delay sexual activity, reduce the number of partners and increase the use of condoms and other forms of contraception (Advocates for Youth, 2009) By introducing teens to the reality of their choices they are given the responsibility of making the right decisions concerning their health

Show More
Related

  • Abstinence-Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education

    2387 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Debate of Abstinece-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).

    Read More

  • Sex Education in the United States

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    How does sex education affect teen pregnancy and the AIDs epidemic, and how is it tolerated in schools? For many years sex education in schools has been a controversial topic in the United States. Sex education in schools is highly debated because some think it encourages students to engage in sexual behaviors that can lead to a STD or teen pregnancy.The AIDs epidemic was one reason sex education became mandatory in many states. The younger the students receiving sex education the more effective it seemed to be. The deliberation about sex education in schools explains why it is still a controversial topic in America.

    Read More

  • Sex Education

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Two drastic Emergency Room cases were handled in 1998 at Mary Washington Hospital. Concerned mothers brought their 12 year old daughters into the hospital thinking they were suffering from severe stomach pain or even appendicitis…both girls were actually in labor (Abstinence, 2002). The United States has the highest teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates in the Western world (Planned Parenthood, 2003). Are teens getting enough knowledge on sex and how to prevent STDs and unwanted pregnancies? Another heartbreaking statistic is that teenagers have the highest rate of STDs of any age group, with one in four young people contracting an STD by the age of 21 (Sex-Ed Work, 2003). Is sex education really working in school? Or do we need to change the type of curricula that is taught? There is no question that sex education should be taught in schools, but the question is how? The purpose of this paper is to determine which curricula of sex education should be taught in schools to be most effective in lowering STD and pregnancy rates among teenagers.

    Read More

  • Be Informed: Have the Sex Talk with Your Kids

    785 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Annotated Bibliography: Advocates For Youth By Sue Alford

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    This is a website page edited by Sue Alford, the Editor and Director of Public Information Services for Advocates of Youth, a nonprofit organization in Washington D.C. This advocacy group promotes efficient sexual education and is dedicated towards STI and HIV/AIDS prevention. Alford contrasts comprehensive and abstinence-only education through a descriptive table that lists how they differ in curriculum, methods of teaching, and attitudes towards sexual activity in adolescents. This source will help me see the distinctions between the two methods of education, allowing me to interpret the pros and cons of each.

    Read More

  • Reproductive Health Nvq

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    The epidemic of HIV/AIDS is now progressing at a rapid pace among young people. Young people form a significant segment of those attending sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics and those infected by HIV. Many adolescents around the world are sexually active and because many sexual contacts among them are unprotected, they are at a risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV/AIDS. Another reason for their vulnerability to STDs is the lack of sex education, including education on the prevention of

    Read More

  • Sex Education For Public Schools

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Sexual Education Programs

    2081 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sexual Education Programs for Older Adults American culture has a taboo that revolves around talking about sex. This stigma is also subjected to older adults, as society tends to think that they cannot or should not participate in sex. This creates a medical and social problem as people are unsure how to breach the topic. Clinicians are often guilty of neglecting the topic of sex with their older clients as they assume that they will not be engaging in sex.

    Read More

  • Abstinence And Sexual Education Programs

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Teens are confused by messages that are non-directive about risk-taking and optimal health” (Abstinence Is The Best Policy). Sex Ed programs are confusing young adults and are not being clear about the dangers of teens having sex. “Early sexual activity is associated with an increased risk of STDs, reduced psychological and emotional well-being, lower academic achievement, teen pregnancy, and out-of-wedlock childbearing” (Abstinence Education Programs). Sexual activity at a young age is resulting in so many unwanted situations and a clear message about abstinence could be the best preventative measure to take. Preaching abstinence will not only educate the youth about consequences of sexual activity but also give a clear message about what would happen if they were in that

    Read More

  • Sexual Education in Schools

    876 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sex among teenagers is one of the most controversial topics of our time. The teen pregnancy and STD rates in the United States alone have become a major problem over the years. Despite these skyrocketing sex cases, sexual education is not being taught in some schools, and the ones that do are extremely limited. Parents, the government, organizations, and school boards do not teach the proper curriculum necessary for students to thoroughly understand sexual behavior. This essay will explain the need for proper sexual education in our schools.

    Read More

  • Comprehensive Sex Education In Schools

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    If comprehensive sex education is offered at schools to children, it will allow them access to more information that if the parent tried to educate them. The reasons for this are that the teachers are specially trained to teach the children this information in a way that they can understand. Having this class at schools also provides the children with textbooks which offer even more things like drawings, diagrams and accurate information about sex education. Making sure teen have accurate information about sex important making sure that they are ready for sex instead of leaving them guessing or worst using inaccurate information.

    Read More

  • Teenagers Need Safe Sex Education

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    Three million teenagers will contract a sexually transmitted disease and one in three women will become pregnant before they are twenty years old. Teens are contracting sexually transmitted diseases and getting pregnant at an alarming rate causing the government, schools, and parents to scratch their heads. America is the country with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world. Many are wondering what can be done to stop this. A debate has been going on about whether abstinence only education is doing any good for high school students in America. Abstinence only education teaches teenagers to abstain from all sexual acts until they are married. It does not teach about pregnancy or the different types of contraceptives that are available to prevent pregnancy. On the other hand, there is safe sex education. Safe sex education teaches teenagers facts about intercourse they need to know, acknowledges the potential consequences or risks of sexual behavior, and helps them make better decisions to protect themselves and their bodies.

    Read More

  • Sex Education : A Hot Topic Of Debate

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Teaching Sex Education in Schools

    2307 Words  | 5 Pages

    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...

    Read More

More about Comprehensive Sexual Education

Open Document