Information on the urgency of the project- what factors are contributing to the ripeness of the conservation opportunities? Why should we invest now? (You may provide this information either in the Statement of Need or in your project descriptions). The Need for Comprehensive Sex Education: When boys and girls reach adolescence, they must make a series of decisions regarding their sexual choices that could have ramifications for the rest of their lives. They usually derive information on sex and related subjects from sources such as friends, books, the media (including advertising, television, radio, magazines), and the internet. They are being bombarded by sexual images everywhere while being told to “just say no.” The problem is that these sources may not provide them correct or accurate information. Age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education is proven more effective for teens and young adults. These education programs not only provide accurate information, but they also correct any misinformation that participants have acquired. Young people deserve complete and accurate information, open and honest discussion, and accessible, affordable services. Accordingly, one of PPG’s priorities is providing such programs that help educate and empower girls and boys to make strong and healthy choices in their lives. Unfortunately, for over two decades, the federal government has put millions of taxpayer dollars into abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Some states are working to mandate comprehensive sex education, and many have rejected abstinence-only funding. In fact, only 28 states are currently accepting abstinence-only-until-marriage funding. However, the politics around this issue are not the same in all states.... ... middle of paper ... ...appropriate for teens. Also, students as educators are better able to develop materials, activities and presentations that coincide with the values and resources of the community since they are themselves members of those communities. The report emphasizes numerous other intervention characteristics that are central to TAG and BTM, including the importance of curricula that focus on clear goals of preventing pregnancy and/or HIV/STIs; specific behaviors related to the prevention of these health outcomes; as well as psychosocial risk and protective factors that can affect sexual behaviors. Finally, the Kirby report stressed the importance of education programs reaching beyond schools. Each year, in addition to the in school sessions, TAG members speak with groups at Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA programs, homeless shelters and other youth serving organizations.
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.
It has been almost thirty three years since the first federal funding was put to use in “. . . sex education programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage to the exclusion of all other approaches . . .” according to the article “Sex education” (2010) published by “Opposing Viewpoints in Context;” a website that specializes in covering social issues. Since then a muddy controversy has arisen over whether that is the best approach. On one hand is the traditional approach of abstinence (not having sex before marriage), and on the other is the idea that what is being done is not enough, and that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach. This entails not only warning against sex, but also teaching teens about how to have “Safe Sex” (“Sex Education,” 2010).
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.
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).
Collins, Chris, Priya Alagiri, and Todd Summers. "Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education: What Are the Arguments? What Is the Evidence?" AIDS Research Institute. University of California, San Francisco, Mar. 2002. Web. 19 Feb. 2011. .
...firm that effective sexual education is imperative to the American society as “rates of sexually transmitted disease (STD), teen pregnancy, and teen births are higher in the [U.S.] than in most other industrialized countries” (Kohler). In the contemporary society of America, the involvement of young adolescents in sexual relationships is a reality that cannot be denied and no school-based intervention can undo the pressure of media and natural hormonal urges that adolescents experience; but at least through an effective comprehensive-based sexual education teenagers can be provided with accurate medical and health information about prevention methods for teenage pregnancy, STDs and STIs, and HIV. Engaging in sexual behaviors is a personal decision and teenagers need to have accurate information about sexual self-protection so that they can be well-prepared and safe.
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.
National Abstinence Education Association. “Comprehensive Sex Education Is Inappropriate And Harmful.” Do Abstinence Programs Work?. Christina Fisanick. Michigan. Greenhaven Press, 2010. 33-42. Print.
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.
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.
So what should teens be taught about sex? In the article, “Young People, Sexuality and Relationships,” by Peter Aggleton, the author describes how sex isn’t used as something great in a relationship but gives the true reasons teens are having sex. The article was published in the year 2000 in the Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy. This article was published to explain to young people some of the consequences of having sex. More young people are having sex these days without looking at what really can happen. Aggleton shows an overview of the pregnancies, STD’s, and other emotional things that can stick with someone the rest of their lives.
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...
The need for sex education is very questionable in today’s society. An article by Pamela DeCarlo, from the Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies, discusses why sex education is needed in schools. She asks why education on this subject is needed and if will help or hurt today’s children. Her view of the issue is that kids do need to have education to help to protect them but that it isn’t enough to prevent them from receiving STD’s and becoming pregnant. “Knowledge alone is not enough to change behaviors.” DeCarlo also says that, “Programs that rely mainly on conveying information about sex or moral precepts-how...
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).