Causes and Effects of Improper Education in Schools

Causes and Effects of Improper Sex Education in Schools Teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection and disease rates in the United States have significantly increased during the 21st century. Many claim that this increase is a direct effect of the sexually explicit nature of this generation; others assume that teenagers simply choose to rebel against lessons from elders and school officials. What modern Americans fail to realize is that these rapidly increasing rates are likely caused by lack of proper sex education in schools. Most schools base their lessons of sex education on abstinence. Conservatives who fail to keep up with modern society usually construct these lessons. Though it is true that abstinence is the best way to avoid unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases, this should not be the only point made. Sex education is meant to increase awareness of the risks as well as knowledge about performing the activity itself. Sadly, the latter is rarely mentioned. Because most sex education is based on abstinence, actual lessons on intercourse and safe sex, if any, are brief. Students are taught what not to do instead of preparing them for the real thing. Teenagers need to be taught the anatomy involved as well as how to prepare for a worst-case scenario. Also, since schools are so focused on preaching abstinence, there seems to be no time to teach their students what to do when the time comes for them to make their sexual debut. The fact that the majority of teenagers in the United States are sexually active is still not accepted by society and as a result, it is censored as much as possible. It seems as though sex is a taboo and this is hurting the generation of teenagers more than it is helping. Questions from teens often go unanswered because they are hesitant to ask their disapproving elders. This, on top of their lack of basic knowledge, causes them to step into the world of sexual intercourse essentially blind. The effects of improper sex education are very evident in today’s society. The main causes of this lack of knowledge include teaching only abstinence and keeping a taboo on teenage sex. What adults need to realize is that teenagers are going to keep engaging in sexual activity whether they approve of it or not. They can help lower the negative outcomes by teaching new generations about sex instead of preaching abstinence. Teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections and diseases can be avoided if proper sex education is provided, so what are we waiting for?