B. Thesis statement: Research suggests that comprehensive sex education programs should be implemented in public schools because they decrease sexual risk behaviors in adolescents as well as the rate of unplanned teen pregnancies.…
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.…
These educative programs need to be implemented in the school system. Each semester, there should be one required sex education assembly to make kids aware of the consequences of unsafe sex and the difficulty of unplanned pregnancy. They would be educated on how girls get pregnant, what happens to the girl’s body during and after pregnancy, and the risks that pregnancy may entail such as STD’s, HIV and AIDS. They would also need to be educated on estimated costs of having a baby and the amount of time required when taking responsibility of having a child. Then, if the youth are…
If children and adolescents are educated about sex practices at too young of an age it can encourage them to partake in sexual activities prematurely. This can result in teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and negative mental health or low self-esteem. If students are educated about sex with abstinence based program it can reduce the amount of teen pregnancies that occur. For example, Project IMPPACT in New York City “focuses on the importance of abstaining from sexual intercourse” (Lieberman, Gray, Wier, Fiorention, & Maloney, 2000). This program discovered that “Lower rates of adolescent sexual activity are associated with having parents who demonstrate a combination of traditional attitudes toward sexual behavior and effective communication practices” (Lieberman et al, 2000).…
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…
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…
Should schools teach more about sex education? Would it help boys and girls be safer? Would there be less Sexually Transmitted Diseases or more? “The truth is if teens learned more about sex then there would be less teen pregnancies and less STDs.” ("5 Reasons Schools Should Adopt LGBTQ-inclusive Sex Ed.") I think teen pregnancies are unfortunate and teens should really think more about the consequence and how it can affect your life. “Most students, however, do not receive any instruction until 9th or 10th grade, by which time many have already became sexually active.” ("Implementing Sex Education.") “Ages 15 to 24 makeup 25 percent of the sexually active population, but acquire half of all new Sexually Transmitted Infections which is about 9.8 million new cases a year.” (“FACTS ABOUT SEX EDUCATION.")…
Each of us deserves medically accurate and thorough information in order to make informed decisions about our health. Teenagers who are exposed solely to abstinence-only sexual education programs are not experiencing this right to information. Abstinence-only sexual education programs preach abstaining from sex until marriage, often omitting conversations about other significant topics of sexual health – such as contraception, STIs, etc. Although practicing abstinence is the only sure way to avoid STIs and unwanted pregnancy, it is not realistic to expect all adolescents to remain abstinent until marriage. Research suggests that implementing comprehensive sexual education programs – those that include information on an array of sexual health…
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…
The topic of sex is a unique issue because it’s one of those topics that are essential for a teenager to know about (like their changing bodies, needs, and aspects of gender differences, sexual orientation and the nature of sex). Yet, certain types of sex education topics are not discussed as much as they should be and/or by the right person. About one-third of teens had not received any formal instruction about contraception; fewer males received this instruction than females (62% vs. 70%) [15]. Among teens aged 18–19, 41% report that they know little or nothing about condoms and 75% say they know little or nothing about the contraceptive pill [15]. Many sexually experienced teens (46% of males and 33% of females) do not receive formal instruction about contraception before they first have sex [15]. 63% of parents say it is not acceptable for teens to be sexually active even if they take precautions [10]; so it can be assumed that they would agree that that limitation of sex education is acceptable without realizing the penalties of what it can do to teens. Yet, individuals such as 42% of teen females and 43% of teen males have admitted to already having sexually intercourse at least once [1].…
States with abstinence-only sex education rank the highest in the numbers of underage pregnancies. Abstinence-only sex educations’ exclusive purpose is teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity. But, this program excludes other types of sexual and reproduction health education, particularly regarding birth control and safe sex. By excluding this information, abstinence-only programs may end up deterring contraceptive use among teens that do have sex, risking underage teen pregnancies. This information can help protect the health of teenagers, and by not showing any big positive effect, this program is considered ineffective. In order to prevent teen pregnancies and risk of disease, teenagers need to be able to comprehend every major aspect of sexual intercourse and need to know about safe ways to engage in such activities.…
The increase of teenage pregnancy has placed a burden upon the argument for non-abstinent-only education. As indicated by the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, every year an estimated 850,000 teenagers become pregnant. These statistics also conclude that more than one-third of girls will become pregnant before the age of twenty, and that 78 percent of these pregnancies are unintended. Comprehensive sex education helps delay sexual intercourse between teens by offering them the tools they need to avoid unintended pregnancy.(Berne 91) “Research done by Douglas Kirby for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy shows that programs that provide teenagers with comprehensive sex education that includes a discussion of…
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…
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.…