Comprehensive Sex Education Research Paper

When thinking about being a teenager, everyone can remember how stressful of a time this truly was. Today’s teens now have one more stressing aspect and that is that of abstinence only policies. Many high schools throughout the United States, are opting out of abstinence only education and going to the much more effective comprehensive sex education. Schools that strictly teach abstinence only, have higher rates of teen pregnancy and are at a substantially increased STD risk rate. While there are two very opposing sides to how teenagers will be taught about sex, the underlying theme is that, young adults should be aware that abstinence is the only 100% safe way to not get an STD or become pregnant. However, they also need to be taught the real

facts of life so they are well informed and in turn far safer. While abstinence only policies wish to focus on more of a moral standpoint, comprehensive sex education can prove its stance through facts and statistics. Comprehensive sex education allows teens to safely be sexually active while still knowing how abstinence plays into sex ed. Teenagers should not have too worry about becoming a statistic, instead all individuals in a teens life should be working together to enhance today’s youth’s lives.
When thinking about any topic, there are always positives and negatives. This line of logic still stands when it comes to abstinence only policies. A large majority of the studies found on the positives of abstinence based programs, have one constant. The positive is that it is the only way to stay completely safe. There is no other birth control that is completely effective. However, there is minimal evidence that it delays sexual activity by two years when comparing comprehensive sex education to those being taught abstinence only. Med Page Today’s senior editor John Never, wrote an article about several benefits that entail teaching abstinence-only. The article entitled “Some Benefits Seen For Abstinence-Only Sex Ed” discussing exactly what the article’s title states. At the beginning of the article, Never reveals a study that showed middle schoolers who had an abstinence based learning styles statistics. “An education program for middle schoolers promoting chastity significantly reduced their self-reported sexual activity two years later, compared with other sex education approaches, researchers conducting a randomized trial said.” (Never) While pushing back sexual activity by two years is a huge benefit to ensure teenagers are more ready to be sexually active, the gap in years is not so extensive that it is worth said teens not being taught how to be safe when the time does inevitably come. It is for this reason many programs are moving away from abstinence-only education and more towards a more comprehensive based learning style. The best argument for teaching a comprehensive sex ed is to do so in a manner that when a teen does feel ready to be sexually active, they will still be educated on how to go about it safely.
Among the main issues that stem from not teaching teens how to safely participate in sexual activities are that of not knowing enough about finding adequate resources. The resources a teen needs to sexually engage in these activities safely are mainly condoms and birth control. Although it is self explanatory, the main reason that the STD rates and pregnancy rates are as high as they are in counties that only teach abstinence only, is that teens are simply unaware or have never been taught how to obtain what is needed in order to be sexually active in a safe manor. A study done entitled ‘The Case of Comprehensive Sex Education’ discusses how much of an issue it is for today’s teens to properly obtain contraceptives. “Less than half of all public schools in the country offer information on how to obtain birth control”. (Starkman and Rajani, 313) There are two different aspects to ensure that today’s youth is safe and that stems from proper contraceptives and being taught in the best possible manor. Although abstinence-only has less evidence to support its effectiveness than the evidence backing up comprehensive sex ed, there are still roughly 23% of schools in the United States still teaching abstinence-only according to a statistic from ABC news. Sarah McCammon writes “"We tell people not to drink and drive, we don't teach them not to drive. ... We would never withhold information about seat belts because they wouldn't know how to protect themselves.” (Abstinence-Only Education is Ineffective and Unethical)
Throughout the United States, the 23% of public schools are still teaching abstinence based education as mentioned before, which leaves 77% that are teaching comprehensive sex ed.

These two teaching styles could not be more different, the same goes for the statistics of the STD and teen pregnancy rates. Abstinence only policies across the United States, are leading to greater downfalls than that of schools who teach comprehensive sex education. Kathrin F. Stanger- Hall, wrote an article entitled ‘Abstinence- Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education’. The article is very straight forward in stating that “Comprehensive sex and/or STD education that includes abstinence as a desired behavior was correlated with the lowest teen pregnancy rates across states.” (Stanger-Hall) Comprehensive sex education is thus lowering rates and statistics for the simple fact that teenagers are better informed. This direct quote is not saying to only teach about using protection or only talking about how to deal with an STD. Rather it is stating that schools should address the fact that the only truly safe way to protect oneself, is abstinence. Abstinence, as stated, is the “desired behavior”, meaning this is the goal. However, schools need to be realistic in that teenagers are going to be sexually active regardless of the type of education they receive. The only truly safe way to protect today’s teens, is to ensure they are being taught the most effective

methods to remain safe, not only for themselves, but for all involved.
By definition, comprehensive sex education is an “instruction method based on-curriculum that aims to give students the knowledge, attitudes, skills and values to make appropriate and healthy choices in their sexual lives.” (Wikipedia).

When people think about compressive sex ed, individuals tend to believe those teaching are only teaching condoms and birth control. While in some manor this is accurate, they teach what truly encompasses being sexually active. The knowledge that is taught in comprehensive sex education is the stereotypical education. It is how to be safe if teen’s decide to be sexually active, which means condoms and birth control. The attitudes skills and values of a comprehensive based education are all very similar. This is what falls under bringing abstinence only and comprehensive together. Based off of a study from ‘Aids Patient Care and STDs’, there is no proof that abstinence only works but ample proof that comprehensive sex education is far more effective. The best and most clear way to describe the difference is stated in the before mentioned

article.
“There is little evidence that abstinence-only programs are successful in encouraging teenagers from delaying sexuality activity until marriage, and consequently, avoiding pregnancy, or STD or HIV infection. Comprehensive sex education, which emphasizes the benefits of abstinence while also teaching about contraception and disease-prevention methods, has been proven to reduce rates of teen pregnancy and STD infection.” (Starkman and Rajani, 131)
While this quote discusses how abstinence is not an effective way to teach today’s teens. Instead, they should be taught side-by-side in order for the youth be as informed as they possibly can be.
Today’s teenagers learn a bulk of what they know from public schooling. From this standpoint, it stands to reason that if teens are to learn about how to be sexually active in a safe
manor, a large majority of what they will learn, should be coming from schools. As a whole, schools have the greatest resources to properly inform today’s youth on being the safest they possibly can be. Middle and high schoolers spend eight hours a day at school, making teachers and people in school who teens tend to see the most on a daily basis. Thus, they have the capability to have the greatest impact. They also have a much higher budget to be able to use and apply a greater number of resources. While the more hands on and fact based education regarding sexual education should be coming from schools, said schools should not be the only ones involved in educating today’s teenagers.