Parents always seem to agree on education being a vital aspect of life. Knowledge of literature, math, and philosophy can help students go far beyond their expectations; however this process starts with awareness at a young age. One topic that is widely neglected in education is sex. Sexual education classes vary tremendously across the nation; while some schools insist on hiding the facts from children, others are much more open with discussion. Abstinence only classes are popular among educators, but statistically they are highly ineffective. As sex becomes a reality for younger aged students, it is necessary for schools to provide suitable sex ed classes to reduce teen pregnancy and STD rates. This has turned into an ethical problem, with educators hiding information from students; they are also sheltering them from reality.…
Quindlen remembers being taught at a young age that teenage pregnancy rates can lower just by learning basic information. However, she explains it is in the nature of teenagers to have sex to be accepted in today’s society. Teenage pregnancies are no longer a “shock factor” in these adolescent stages of life. Ultimately, Quindlen believes sex ed should be taught at home within families.…
Sex education is so readily available at many clinics and hospitals. Although this information is easily accessible, teens do not use this to their advantage. Instead, they would much rather rely on T.V. shows such as “Teen Mom” to interpret how teen pregnancy is. It has been said many times; don’t believe everything you read on the internet because not everything is true or credible. Teens need to get the facts about sex and teen pregnancy from doctors and health care professionals. With teen pregnancy rates being so high it is clear sex education has failed them along the way. Role-playing…
When I was around the age to start talking about sexual activities, it was a funny and weird subject to speak on. In reality, it is a touchy topic to talk about with teens. You feel that you already know or you don’t need to know because you are not having sex. Oh! How we were wrong. My mom told me about birth control, condoms, and abstinence. At first I didn’t know exactly what abstinence was but I figured out that it meant wait to have sex when you’re ready. My mom told me to wait until I get married, never get pressured to do anything. I never learned a lot of facts at school because we didn’t have sex education. Sex education should be in all middle and high schools. So many kids like I did didn’t know about safe sex and the cause and effects on what will happen. Not only females but more males have no idea on what to expect as well. Recent discussions has showed that if you tell kids to stay abstinent not only will they go out and have sex anyway but cause a lot of problems such as, teen pregnancy, more infections spreading, and emotional distress.…
Sex instruction is critical, however numerous amounts of students complete sex education classes with a mutilated perspective of sexuality and without a decent comprehension of contraception and safe-sex practices. Schools without sex education, leave children confused and often misguided. Students are left to learn through their parents about sex, who could, in turn, be misinformed themselves by never having taken a course in sexual education. Without sexual education classes, little is accomplished leaving a defective and contorted, one-sided point of view of safe sex such as abstinence. The lack of knowledge also can lead to an increase in teen pregnancy, and the spread of sexually transmitted disease, Sexual education should be taught to…
Soaring rates of sexually transmitted diseases among teens are adding urgency to the debate over sex education. Conservatives claim the alarming statistics illustrate why abstinence should be the single mantra when it comes to sex ed. Liberals counter that the increase in disease is the strongest case for more detailed information. Caught in the middle are America’s kids, who are more vulnerable than ever to potentially deadly diseases.…
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average teenager engages in sexual intercourse by the age of seventeen, but do not marry until the mid-twenties (citation). This means that young adults are at an increased risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections for nearly ten years or longer. The numbers of students engaging in sexual activity of ages thirteen to twenty-four continues to grow each year, as does the number of unplanned pregnancies and HIV infections due to not being fully educated about the risks. Today, the duty of educating students and teenagers about sexual intercourse and the risks involved is left to the government and public school system. Abstinence education programs in public…
Comprehensive Sexual Education What has happened to today’s society that we are opposed to condoms because they might entice sex? When has allowing our youth to practice unsafe sex over safe sex been okay? We often think because we supply kids with condoms, birth control, and talks, that we are giving them permission to have sex, when in fact we are merely trying to protect them from STDs and pregnancy. We do not need to scare kids, but we do need to provide them with information about safe sex practices and what can happen if they do plan to explore their sexual urge. Facts are the most important thing we can offer those select few of youth who wish to engage in sex. Since when has providing information been a bad thing? Shouldn’t the youth know what they are doing and what can happen before they do it? Most schools and education environments that do encourage any sort of sexual education, teach kids to “just say no”. The one main problem with this “abstinence only” education is that it denies those who do say “yes” information, instead of providing other acceptable options other than abstinence. Throughout time, ratings have shown that teaching the abstinence only education doesn’t affect the rates at which teenagers decide to have sex. Though comprehensive sex education doesn’t stop kids from having sex, it does however teach them how to participate in safe sex. Teenagers in today’s society are not stupid. When they are told by teachers that abstinence is the only way that they will not get a STD, they know they are being lied to or misled. Giving teenagers’ information about the risks of different types of sexual behavior can help them make informed decisions about sex. The most effective programs are not the ones that try to divert teens from sex completely but rather the ones that try to steer teens away from dangerous sexual behaviors. Most teens who do not have the correct information on risky sexual behaviors veer away from vaginal intercourse, and…
When comparing the worlds of George Orwell’s 1984 and today, many parallels become apparent in terms of the sexual oppression that exists in both universes. The overwhelming control the government holds over sex and sexual content, as well as sexual education or lack thereof, all play a pivotal role in defining a society’s view on sex and sexuality. I believe that the similarities that are evident should most definitely be some cause for concern.…
The United States is often known as the land of opportunity, the birthplace of the American Dream, and the place to the start of a new life. But the United States doesn’t come without its flaws. America is also known for having the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world. The cause of the high rate of teen pregnancy has baffled many politicians and educators alike and has been a problem for decades. But research suggests that the United States approach on sex educated is dated and ineffective. Instead of focusing on avoiding the topic of sex, Americans should embrace the topic and should be willing to freely talk about sex.…
The two forms of sexual education taught in America are comprehensive (abstinence, safe sex, diseases) and abstinence-only (no sex till marriage). Abstinence-only sex education in the schools of the United States of America are bad for teenagers and won’t make a large difference in this country to a great extent because they don’t fully inform and aware students.…
The United States has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy of any developed country. Each year, unprotected sex results in almost four million teenagers contracting an STD. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is also a serious health concern for young people. Of the 40,000 new HIV infections in the US every year, about 20,000 occur in people under the age of 25, unprotected sex being to blame. (1) The National Abortion Rights Advocacy League says, “By denying teens the full range of information regarding human sexuality, abstinence-only education fails to provide young people with the information they need to protect their health and well-being.” (2) Surveys done by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that “students who have sex education know more and feel better prepared to handle different situations and decisions than those who have not.” (3) If the abstinence-only approach continues, it is expected have serious consequences by denying young people access to the information they need to protect themselves. These…
When I think of the word “sex” I think of intimacy, privacy, and discretion. For most teenagers sex is just what is popular at the time. They don’t understand that it is not like any other fad. Now that sex has become popular it is the parents’ job to do something to change it. Children are taught how to interact with others and the difference of what is right and wrong by their parents from birth. If parents don’t teach their kids that no amount of popularity is worth the burden of a child at a young age then no one will. In Anna Quindlen’s essay “Sex Ed” she sat with six 16 year old girls at a family planning clinic in New York, the girls knew a lot about sex but were also pregnant. Where were their parents? Schools are wasting their money on sex ed classes. Do you really want a stranger to teach your child about sex anyway? It is important for our children to be educated about sexuality, but it is not the schools’ place to teach it.…
Many sex education class just preach abstinence, and not how to use birth controls properly or tell the teens of the failure rate. Schools are now getting involved, some even handing out birth control, but not explaining how to properly use them. Birth control decisions should be kept at home, between the parents and the child. Schools should keep teaching sex education, just refrain from giving the students birth control. Schools should start teching kid s more facts about the birth controls and how to properly use them. Schools should also be there for any questions and teach kids the risks of having sex. (Parsons) “Young people get involved in sex primarily because our culture works overtime to promote extra-marital sex, in books, movies, music, television and drama. Teens are taught that sex is something they have a right to enjoy without consequences. Handing out condoms and birth control pills only underscores this fallacy.” (Parsons)…
Concern for public health and safety have resulted in regulations of medical practices to standards of living enforced by social services and so on; sex education for today’s youth should be based on this same premise, to control the risks that are involved with the sexual activity of youth in the U.S. which are a potential threats to public health and safety. Among these concerns for youth who become sexually active outside of the context of marriage are the threat of STI’s and HIV and unwanted pregnancy. Looking at sex education from the perspective of public health and safety, it is clear that the most logical approach to effective sex education for today’s youth is the comprehensive approach which address several options for protecting oneself from the risks of sexual activity, as opposed to the abstinence only approach which has a biased “one solution for all” approach that does not address youth who are at a high risk for negative outcomes of sexual activity.…