Growing up with two conservative Christian parents I felt secluded and unaware from the reality of sex and how it played a role in my life. I felt confused about how to react about sexual behavior because I was being taught two different things in school and church. My church and parents never talked about sexual behavior, the only thing I knew was that sex was supposed to be saved until marriage with no questions asked. If any teens had any questions about it, they would be seen as rebels for questioning that topic. In contrast to my church, my school portrayed a whole different aspect about sex. My peers and friends in school portrayed sex as a normal thing that everyone did. My school instated the idea that sex was a natural thing and that …show more content…
As I hit puberty I started to question everything I was taught in church about sex. I wanted to know why it was such a taboo topic that no one wanted to talk about. I question that if in society sex was a normal thing, why was it not the same in church. When I tried to ask my parents about sex, they would always change the conversation or they would tell me to go to my room. They always felt uncomfortable talking about anything sexual. Even when we watched television or a movie, they always changed the channel or skipped the scene. My parents always portrayed sex as a bad thing that should not be talked about with …show more content…
I never viewed pregnancy as a bad thing that ended your life. Instead I viewed it as something special that definitely could change your life but it was something beautiful that not all women could have. I saw the struggles that my friends had throughout their pregnancy and after they had their babies. Many of my friends were not able to go out because they had to take care of their baby. They couldn’t buy themselves new clothes because they had to either buy their baby food or they had to buy their baby diapers or other necessities that they needed. At that point in my life, I decided that although it was a beautiful thing, I wasn’t mature or ready to have such a big change in my life. I realized that being a teen mom was a hard job where there had to be a lot of sacrifices that I wasn’t sure I was able to make at that point in my
Many different elements contribute to the controversy of abstinence vs. comprehensive, including the recent gay and lesbian equal rights controversy (in which the gay and lesbian community are fighting for and sometimes denied the right to marry), contradictory studies, and the religious beliefs of those involved. So what is the right way to teach teens about sex? As a huge factor in how teens see themselves, those around them, and intimate relationships, that is a question in need of an answer. Patrick Malone, director of communications for Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), and Monica Rodriguez, president and CEO of SIECUS, (2013) state that:
In 1961, Evangelist and pastor Tim LaHaye worked on informing and ridding public schools of sex education programs. In a letter that he wrote to parents at a school he said; “ As a parent, taxpayer, and a Christian, you need to be informed on the devastating Radical Sex Education Program now being advocated by some educators across America”(72). In this letter, LaHaye uses the word “devastating” to show how truly upset he was about this program. He went on to quote the bible in saying that sex was accepted in Christian beliefs and that that was not the problem. The problem was that the context, in which the education was coming from, was not coming from the Bible. LaHaye believed that because God create...
Currently, sex education in schools is primarily centered on the distribution of information without elaborating about the moral implications dealing with sex. Teenagers are well versed on things such as how long sperm lives inside the body and can identify all of the workings of the female reproductive system. However, they are still getting pregnant and still contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Anna Quindlen examines this trend in her essay, “Sex Ed”. Quindlen points out that it is the moral implications of sex that have been left out of the curriculum and it is the responsibility of parents to make those moral connections with their children (277). Understanding the morality of sex, she argues, may help teenagers to make more informed decisions on taking the next step towards sexual activity. They must understand that “…when you sleep with someone you take off a lot more than your clothes” (Quindlen 277). Sex is not simply a...
Sex Education is essentially the teachings of human sexuality in regards to sexual anatomy, reproduction, intercourse and behaviors associated. Learning about these aspects is important to adolescent development as it is a natural part of life. One way children learn about this is through school or somewhere in their community such as an after school program. Though it seems like an obvious lesson to learn, children have a difficult time getting this information from any source other than an organized curriculum in their health class at school. This is somewhat understandable as it can be very uncomfortable for parents and guardians to discuss these intimate details with their innocent child but it has the potential to cause problems later in the adolescent’s life. Brewin’s article addresses the parental concern that sex education may actually stir sexual desires and behaviors in the children that were not present before (Brewin.) However, curiosity comes about naturally and if it is met with over-protectiveness and suspicion from parents then the child has no other choice but to get the facts from another source which could possibly be firsthand experience.
"Sex Education in Christian & Catholic Schools." The Premier Online Debate Website. 8 Mar. 2013. Web. 7 Mar. 2014. .
The controversy of whether sex education should be taught in schools has been a lingering argument for years. Opposing sides are so firm on their position that they will not consider those whose opinions counter their own, making it difficult to come up with a solution. Those who are against the teaching of sex education in school feel that they should be the ones educating their children about sex and that sex should be abstained from until marriage. On the other hand, people who support sexual education programs believe their children will learn the importance of contraception, learn how to have sex through the teachings of a professional, and how they can help open up better relationships with their parents.
Looking at our past, there have been dramatic changes in the way humans view sex. Long before the 1900s individuals framed their views based on the religious institution. Due to the fact that they strongly centered their idea of sexual thought on religion, they believed that the only purpose of having sex was to procreate. As the 1920’s approached, there were various factors that changed the way individuals viewed sex. The “new women” known, as flappers were women who were confident in who they were. They changed their attire as well as their social attitude. In the 1920s, the flappers redefined sex; customs and traditions were broken and new norms were created by society.
Sex is a predominant part of life, and that is not changing anytime soon. A common response to this is to dismiss the conversation. Instead of overlooking the problem like the majority of individuals, an inquiry into what is being taught/shown to youth is needed. Strasburger, the author of “Adolescents, Sex, and the Media: Ooooo, Baby, Baby—a Q & A” notes:
I never dreamed of having a child at such a young are. In fact, in high school I was the typical student. I maintained good grades, stayed on the honor roll, participated in extracurricular activities, and even volunteered at local hospitals. Outside of school my friends I were always doing something after the football games or just hanging on Saturday nights, being typical teens. Soon all of that would come to an end. Little did I know for the next few months to come, I would be home to what could be our future president or the person that would make history for finding the cure for cancer. The scariest thing is, I would be forever responsible for a new life, as if trying to be responsible for my own was not enough.
When I found out I was pregnant I could never have imagined how hard my life was going to be as a teen mom. I remember my dad sitting me down and telling me he respected my decision to keep my daughter, but that I had no idea how hard I just made my life, I don’t think that in that moment I really realized what he meant, but I would soon find out. I was just starting my 11th grade year when my daughter was born so I still had two years of school left. I also had to work so I could take care of my daughter, so trying to do both seemed impossible, at one point my school wanted me to go to school during the day and at night so I could graduate. There was no way I could work and go to school during the day and at night. I had to think long and hard about what I needed to do, my daughter and I needed to be able to survive so I definitely needed my job, so I did
In America, a significant problem we should look at is regarding sexually active young teens. It seems that almost every teen is sexually active. They are having sex at such a early age. A question that rings in our minds, is do they truly even know what sex is? Growing up, Catholic teachings instructed myself to wait until marriage. They say premarital sex is a sin. Now, not only are churches teaching abstinence, but, schools as well. Premarital sex is a important growing problem: that usually results in a unwanted pregnancy, in some cases; forced abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, ultimate emotions of remorse. Sexual relations among teens is a problem not only for them, but possibly their children and America as a whole.
“Everything is going to be O.K.,” my mother said, before walking into her bedroom and crying her eyes out. Throughout my teenage years I had it made. I had security, support of my family, and everything I could ask for. When I turned 16, I found out something that would change my life forever, I was pregnant. Being pregnant at a young age is a very difficult thing to go through. It can be hard mentally, financially and also physically.
The late 1960s to early 1980s saw the first fave of organized sexual education opposition. (Pardini, Priscilla) These opposers aimed to criticize any form of sex ed being taught in schools.(Pardini, Priscilla) “Sex education programs were described by the Christian Crusade and other conservative groups as ‘smut" and ‘raw sex”.(Pardini, Priscilla) Some “far right” leaders argued that sexual education resulted in an increase in teen sexual activity.(Pardini, Priscilla)
The condoms display in the Hidden Heroes: the Genius of Everyday Things exhibit is a showcase that would cause an individual to wonder about adolescents’ overall knowledge of human sexuality. In today’s society, children are susceptible to learning about such a delicate topic not only from their families and peers, but through the media as well. These sources often provide misrepresentations of the information due to ignorance and biased views. Therefore, in order to inform individuals more accurately, sex education programs have been created with the intention to be implemented into schools across the country. This has led up to being one of the most controversial issues hovering over educational institutions, where the inclusion of such programs has been hotly debated. However, recently, the dispute is not so much about whether sex education should be taught in schools, but rather what content should be taught and what approach should be taken.
This is known to be the best time of your life. Girls who are faced with teen pregnancy go through dramatic changes. They have to make adjustments in their life and limit the partying and most of the physical activities. Along with those changes, pregnant teens need to focus on getting an education in order to get a job that will support themselves and their child. No one’s life is easy, especially going through a drastic change like this. Even though it gets rough at times it can still be manageable and that is what a lot of people don’t realize.