The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools

The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools
ENG 105

The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools

In today’s economic situation and with the cost of medical bills on the rise, it makes since to focus on sex education in the school system. In the United States teen pregnancy rates and STD rates continue to lead the way with the highest numbers in the developed world, more than twice as high as rates in other countries. According to the Guttmacher Institute in the article “Facts on American Teens” Sexual and Reproductive Health” (January 2011), only 13% of teens have ever had vaginal sex by the age of 15, sexual activity is common by the late teen years. Sex education is an outlet for teens to receive information, examine their values and learn relationship skills that will enable them to resist becoming sexually active before they are ready. It also is to prevent unprotected intercourse and to help young people become responsible sexually healthy adults, Guttmacher Institute (School-Based Sexuality Education: The Issues and Challenges, Patricia Donovan). Sex education in public schools will lead young teenagers to healthier sex behavior now and in their later lives. One reason sex education should be available in public schools is so that teens will better understand the meaning, gain the knowledge about sex and sex identity. This year in Mississippi, Governor Haley Barbour signed a law that requires all Mississippi schools to teach some form of sex education. According to the article “New Law makes Sex Education Mandatory in Mississippi Schools”, (Daniel Hight), states that Mississippi’s House Bill 999 requires all public schools to teach sex education curriculum. Sex education in public schools will help to provide teens with information

The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools

and the knowledge to make choices about sex at a critical time of their development. Maybe the parents of these teens should be involved in what their children are learning in school and help with the teaching process about abstinence until they are old enough to make wise decisions about sex. I believe that sex education curriculum is of great value for teenagers, for the pressure of having to be with the in-crowd may help with their decision to not do what the other peers are doing because of the fear of consequences. Although many school districts may be under pressure to eliminate the educating of sex and the prevention of teen pregnancy and diseases. The bill that was passed in Mississippi is one that I believe should be passed in every state. This law will surely cut down on teen pregnancy as well as the diseases that teens may contract in having unprotected sex. Another reason sex education should be taught in public schools is the abortion rate in today’s society is so frowned upon, more so in the Christian society for the bible teaches against having sex before marriage. The bible teaches this in 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20, “Run from sexual sin, No other sin so clearly affect the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” This passage of scripture speaks volumes to the Christian world but also to the world in general. Perhaps if the church and parents get involved with teaching sex

The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools

education, teen pregnancy would not happen so frequently today. Today’s teen generation may have the fear of having sex without being married for it is indeed a sin.
It is also the church’s moral duty to provide the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of today’s young people. As Christians, the importance of holy living is to not act upon sexual conduct, for your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. According to the Bible, sexual relations between individuals are to be restricted to marriage only. The leaders of the church should make sure that this is being taught in Sunday school and the pastor’s sermon. Finally sex education should be taught in public schools because there are many deadly or life changing diseases that a person may contract from having unprotected sex. This could be more life changing for a teenager that has not yet lived a full life, and to be faced with the tragic of having a disease that may not be curable. According to statistics in the article “HIV and AIDS”, now there are an estimated 42 million people living with HIV or Aids worldwide, and more than 3 million die every year from Aids-related illnesses. Young teenagers are at persistent risks for HIV infections, especially minority races and ethnicities. Continuing education on HIV and abstinence will certainly help prevent some of these diseases but also teach teenagers today. In the article “Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth” (Anjani Chandra, March 3, 2011), in 2008 CDC estimated that rates of Chlamydia increased and the largest numbers of reported cases of Chlamydia and gonorrhea were among teenagers aged 15-19. STD’s
The Need for Sex Education in Public Schools

are a serious health problem, if untreated some STD’s may cause permanent damage, such as infertility and even death. Some common factors that can increase a person contracting STD are: sexual activity at a young age, multiple sex partners, and unprotected sex. Teaching sexual education in public schools could help reduce HIV and STD’s among teens in today’s society. Teenagers should be taught the consequences of having unprotected sex and the lifetime consequences of possibly contracting one of these diseases. Perhaps the United States can learn from the Dutch about Teen Sex, according to (Maia Szalavitz) she writes that the Dutch are known for their liberal attitudes toward sex, for Dutch parents allow their 15 to 17 year old children to sleep with their partners in their homes, according to a 2003 survey. In the United States this idea is surely frowned upon and is completely immoral, but is a very interesting fact to know. There may very well be some parents in the United States that may see this analysis as one that may help in decreasing teenage pregnancy and diseases. I believe that this may work for the Dutch but for the United States the problem with teenage pregnancy and diseases is on the rise, and to contribute to this problem would be disastrous to our young generation. This is why I believe that sex education in public schools will lead young teenagers to healthier sex behavior now and in their later lives.