Pros And Cons Of Sex Education In Schools

Should Sex Education be taught in Schools?
A Review of the Literature

Kaleem Dookhan

Contemporary Issues in Education, CIED 4001
Dr. Kumar Mahabir
May 7, 2014

Should Sex Education be Taught in Schools?
A Review of the Literature

Throughout our lives mankind has grown to understand sexual intercourse is a natural part of our existence. However, we ask ourselves what would be an appropriate age to acquire this knowledge. In more recent times teenagers are becoming sexually active and find themselves in situations where they have sexual intercourse at school. As a result of this, there has been an alarming increase in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Research has shown some schools are teaching sex education in their classrooms as a part of instruction even though it’s not part of their curriculum. This is a very controversial matter and with it containing such delicate issues there are many pros and cons for sex education to be taught in schools. Researchers have observed that these pros and cons fall into the category of:
1. Sexually Transmitted Diseases
2. Teenage Pregnancies
3. Sexually Active Teenagers
4. Exposure to Television
5. Sex Education Should be Taught by Parents
6. Teachers not Trained to Teach Sex Education

Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The majority of sexually active teens know little about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) until it’s too late. According to (Julie Downs of the Department of Social and Decision Sciences 2006, para.2) “For the most part kids learn about sexually transmitted diseases when they are getting diagnosed with them”. Only after contracting the disease teens would become an expert on that particular disease. In a study by Federal Centers for Disease Contro...

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... will execute them are unprepared and unmotivated?” Teachers require special training before they can be allowed to teach such delicate content. (Wasan 2010 para.10) “If we teach children to use condoms, we tell them in effect that it is all right to have sex thus they gain a false assurance in a situation where they themselves should not be trying out at an early age,” In order for students to acquire precise information that would benefit them, teachers would require training on how to deliver sex education.
As the world around our students and children becomes sexually explicit, it is required that the child receives sufficient information about sex. By educating those at school would be beneficial to a great extent especially the ones who didn’t receive any at home. It would up to the parents to handle sex education that is suitable and comfortable for them.