Explaining a controversy

Why is sex education such a controversy in this world? Well, some people think that sex education should not even be taught in school because they think it is the parent’s issue to deal with and not the schools. Some of the same people think that when schools have sex education courses that teach about sex and hand out condoms to protect kids, that the schools are telling kids it is okay to have sex. Some schools are now even putting sex programs in their schools so kids will have somewhere else to go about problems dealing with sex.

One of the main controversies of sex education is abstinence. Some writers like Rush Limbaugh, and Tony Snow say abstinence is the only way to go. In “ Condoms: The New Diploma” Limbaugh says, “ condom distribution sanctions, even encourages, sexual activity, which in teen years tends to be promiscuous and relegates to secondary status the most important lesson to be taught: abstinence.” He thinks the only way to prevent getting a disease or not getting pregnant is by abstinence. Ubell also agrees with abstinence and thinks that waiting until marriage is a wise thing to do in, “Sex- Education Programs That Work- And Some That Don’t”. He also talks about how acknowledging that teens are sexually active and using behavior to prevent this can also help with pregnancy and transmitting diseases. Lastly, Snow also thinks that abstinence is the safest way to prevent pregnancy and diseases. Snow mentions that programs that schools are teaching are like cults and they are just drawing the kids in and weakening them. They are not teaching abstinence but fun ways to have sex and to “ increase spontaneity”. In the end, all these authors promote abstinence and nothing else.

Another part of the sex education controversy is contraceptions. Adam Weisman thinks that condoms should be distributed in school and can help prevent young teen pregnancies and STD’s. Weisman also thinks that birth control clinics should be put in schools. He thinks this approach works and may prevent some births (Birth Control in the Schools). So Weisman is all for handing out condoms in school and programs that in the school’s that will hand out the condoms. Snow, on the other hand, thinks that handing out condoms in the schools and programs in the schools promote sex. Snow says, “ The Programs That Work establish an elaborate system of idiocies, the first of which is that high-schoolers, beginning at age 13, spend an inordinate amount of time fondling condoms.