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Sex Education
Sex education informs young people of what they need to know about sex and their risk factors. Sex education being taught in schools not only talks about sex, but makes students aware of sexual reproduction, health, and sexuality. Are teenagers being exposed to sex education to early? At what age should this subject be introduced to children? It is believed that school children engaging in sexual activity is increasing, however statistics and the media state otherwise. “A significant decrease among students, where the proportion who are sexually active declined from 59 percent in 1991 to 41 percent in 2011 (Child Trends).” The purpose of this essay is to not only state the pros and cons but to inform both parents and students of why sex education needs to be taught in schools.
Over the years the topic has gone through various changes in the public school system. The first generation taught sexual anatomy and the risk of pregnancy, but soon was criticized for not showing knowledge of reducing risky sexual behavior, which soon lead to the second generation (Rodriguez, 1). The second generation approached sexual communication, values, and making personal decisions in one’s life; although students made smarter decisions in the areas taught, it failed to introduce teens to all contraceptives, therefore risky behavior was still being shown. Following the failure of the second generation the program of “abstinence only” began. The problem with this was it not only made students aware of the contraception available to the children, therefore encouraging risky behavior. The most current generation, the practice being taught in schools today, is known as “comprehensive sexuality education”; it not only encourages young adult...
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...ve in delaying sexual debut among younger teens (Kirby). Parent and many others think otherwise; but recent statistics show that sex education is beneficial in some way to the school system.
Works Cited
Facts on American Teens' Sources of Information About Sex." Facts on American Teens' Sources of Information About Sex. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Have Better Sex." Have Better Sex. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Myths & Facts about Sex Education." Myths & Facts about Sex Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014
"Sex Education Stirs Controversy." USATODAY.com. N.p., 10 July 2002. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Sexuality Education." International Encyclopedia of Marriage;Family. 2003, MONICA RODRIGUEZ, JEFFREY P. MORAN, and "Sex Education." Dictionary of American History. 2003. "Sexuality Education." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Communication: A Series of National Surveys of Teens about Sex. Menlo Park, CA: Henry J. Kaiser
Sex Education. (2010). In Current Issues: Macmillan social science library. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com.byui.idm.oclc.org/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?query=&prodId=OVIC&contentModules=&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&disableHighlighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&action=2&catId=GALE%7C00000000LVZ0&activityType=&documentId=GALE%7CPC3021900154&source=Bookmark&u=byuidaho&jsid=97f094e06dbbf5f2bcaec07adbde8e61
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.
Masland, Molly. “The Sex Education Debate: An Overview.” Sex Education. Ed. Kristen Bailey. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. At issue. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.
"Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health." Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Jan. 2014.
McAvoy, Paula. “The Aims Of Sex Education: Demoting Autonomy And Promoting Mutuality.” Educational Theory. Academic Search Premier, 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Jun. 2014.
Quindlin, Anna. "Sex Ed." The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines. By Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 275-77. Print.
Reiss, P. M. (2005, September 27). A Brief History of Sex Education - OpenLearn - Open University. Retrieved from The Open University: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/body-mind/health/health-studies/brief-history-sex-education
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.
The controversy of whether sex education should be taught in schools has been a lingering argument for years. Opposing sides are so firm on their position that they will not consider those whose opinions counter their own, making it difficult to come up with a solution. Those who are against the teaching of sex education in school feel that they should be the ones educating their children about sex and that sex should be abstained from until marriage. On the other hand, people who support sexual education programs believe their children will learn the importance of contraception, learn how to have sex through the teachings of a professional, and how they can help open up better relationships with their parents.
(1985) Sexual education and sexual experience among adolescents. American Journal of Public Health: Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 113-117. 75, No. 58, No.
The government likes to pretend that if high school students get taught the “abstinence-only” method they would never think of taking part in sexual activities. Statistically this is incorrect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “56 percent of high school students are virgins”(Martin). For the 56 percent abstinence only is doing them well, but there are still 44 percent of high school students engaging in sex without knowing the precau...
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
First of all, the main reason children have sex prematurely is because they are curious. Students lack knowledge about sex because they haven’t been taught about it, however, when children know the consequences behind their actions and the risks they are taking they less likely to want to have sex. If we take the time to show kids what it is like to take care of a child as a teenager or show them AIDS victims; they may be much less likely to want to indulge in sexual activities. Sex education probably can’t prevent teenage sex, but it can ensure students have the knowledge they need so they’ll be aware of what they are getting themselves into.
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...