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The importance of gender education for children and teenagers
A paper on Comprehensive Sexual Education
Sex education for teenagers
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The rise of the teen pregnancy rate has caused us to question the effectiveness of the prevention programs that are offered to adolescents. There have been several programs focused on preventing teen pregnancy from abstinence-only to more comprehensive sexual education programs. Abstinent-only advocates believe that abstaining from having intercourse is the only way to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy. While practicing abstinence is the only 100% secure method of reducing this rate, it is not a logical view. Adolescents will continue to have sexual behavior, and it is important in teaching them more precise education when it comes to sex education. With-holding important information and facts about sexual behavior can change an adolescents’ life forever. Whether it be from teen pregnancy or from a life threatening STD. Informing the adolescents of abstinence-only does not educate them of the risks associated with sexual behavior. Providing our adolescents of a more precise sex education program, that includes curriculum on contraceptive, STDs, better communication skills, risky sexual behavior, abstinence, the outcome of teen pregnancy, and include activities that focus on career goals, could reduce the rate of teen pregnancies and protect our adolescents’ health. Teen pregnancy has become an epidemic in the United States alone. Today, more than half of all teenagers report having had sexual intercourse at least once before leaving high school (Glazer, 1993). Each year, almost 750,000 U.S. women, aged 15–19 become pregnant (Guttmacher Institute, 2011). Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school than their classmates. They are also more likely to end up on welfare. The children of t... ... middle of paper ... ...ieved from http://library.cqpress.com.columbus.libproxy.ivytech.edu/cqresearcher/ Kantor, L.M. (2008). Abstinence-only education violating students’ rights to health information. Human Rights Journal of the Section of Individual Rights & Responsibilities, 35(3), 1-4. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Koch, K. (1998). Encouraging teen abstinence. CQ Researcher, 8, 577-600. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com.columbus.libproxy.ivytech.edu/cqresearcher/ Sheahen, L. (2005). The case against abstinence-only sex education. Beliefnet. Retrieved April 26, 2011 from http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2005/06/The-Case-Against-Abstinence- Only-Sex-Education.aspx?p=3 Young people should be provided with comprehensive sex education, editorial says. (2009). Medical News Today. Retrieved April 25, 2011 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/145331.php
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.
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
Students should be informed about more than just “don’t have sex” because eventually it is going to happen and they need to be educated on the proper way to handle the situations. Because students are mostly taught abstinence it has created the situation to where researchers find” Abstinence-only education, instead of reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, has made teenagers and young adults more vulnerable to ST...
encompasses sexual development, reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, and gender roles.” Sex education discusses important aspects of reproduction, sexuality, and just growing up in general in a physical and emotional sense. One would have to wonder though; does sex education actually serve its purpose? Does it enlighten teens enough about sex and the consequences, to the point where you can actually tell the difference between those who are sexually educated and those who are not? According to a study done bye Coyle (1999) sex education no matter where, at home or in school, and no matter the program does indeed help decrease the amount of teens having unsafe sex. Based on information from that same study about 3 million teenagers a year get an STD, and roughly 10% of adolescent females ages 15-19 get pregnant every year unintentionally. In an article from The Alan Guttmacher Institute (1999) there has been a 20% drop in female pregnancies between n 1990 and 1997 and the drop has continued, they have stated that the reason for this i...
Although some educators believe abstinence is the best way to teach sexual education to high school students, it often lacks the necessary information to help the teen make good decisions with their sex life. We should be giving the youth of today a complete sexual education curriculum and trust them to make the right decision on contraceptive and “staying safe”. Students should be taught the information concerning the different types of contraceptives available, the sexually transmitted diseases that can be contracted, and the effects. Having this information will allow the student to evaluate their decisions and make an educated decision about having sex.
Kirby, Douglas. "Abstinence, Sex, And STD/HIV Education Programs For Teens: Their Impact On Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy, And Sexually Transmitted Disease." Annual Review Of Sex Research 18 (2007): 143-177. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 1 Apr. 2013.
Sexual education should be taught in school, but as an abstinence-only program. According to Robert Rector, a researcher for the Heritage Foundation, abstinence-based sexual education reduced teen sexual activity. In fact, it has helped to reduce the amount of teen pregnancy (Teens at Risk, 1). Some may say that comprehensive sexual education is better because it “prepares” the teens for what might happen during sexual activity, but here it will be shown that is not always the truth.
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...
Sex before marriage has always been a major issue. Teen pregnancy seems to double yearly: with no sign of stopping. Some teens use contraceptives and birth control incorrectly. They think pregnancy just can’t happen to them. In a lot of cases their embarrassed to buy protection or just simply unsure of how to use them. Many unplanned pregnancies happen beca...
Three million teenagers will contract a sexually transmitted disease and one in three women will become pregnant before they are twenty years old. Teens are contracting sexually transmitted diseases and getting pregnant at an alarming rate causing the government, schools, and parents to scratch their heads. America is the country with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world. Many are wondering what can be done to stop this. A debate has been going on about whether abstinence only education is doing any good for high school students in America. Abstinence only education teaches teenagers to abstain from all sexual acts until they are married. It does not teach about pregnancy or the different types of contraceptives that are available to prevent pregnancy. On the other hand, there is safe sex education. Safe sex education teaches teenagers facts about intercourse they need to know, acknowledges the potential consequences or risks of sexual behavior, and helps them make better decisions to protect themselves and their bodies.
Sexual Education Every year, teens in the U.S. experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies. By the age of 18, 62 percent of U.S. males and 70 percent of U.S. females have lost their virginity. Thousands of high school students are thrown into the real world on their own, unprepared to live a sexually healthy life. With the absence of sexual education being taught in high schools, teens do not have healthy sexual behaviors and only hurt themselves. Comprehensive sex education has been proven effective at assisting younger students to make healthy decisions based on sex and adopt much healthier sexual behaviors.
Teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) have become a major issue in the United States. One reason is that many young people lack the knowledge and resources they need to protect themselves from pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, teenage mothers have stated that the education provided to them did not prepare them for the possible repercussions of unprotected sex. The result of this lack of accountability, whether in the home or at school, has aided in the rise in teen pregnancy and STDs. In order for teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease rates to decrease, schools must implement abstinence-plus education.
Sex education in our schools has been a hot topic of debate for decades. The main point in question has been whether to utilize comprehensive sex education or abstinence-only curriculum to educate our youth. The popularity of abstinence-only curriculum over the last couple of decades has grown largely due to the United States government passing a law to give funding to states that teach the abstinence-only approach to sex education. But not teaching our children about sex and sexuality is not giving them the information they need to make well educated decisions. Sex education in our schools should teach more than just abstinence-only because these programs are not proven to prevent teens from having sex. Children need to be educated on how to prevent contracting sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies and be given the knowledge to understand the changes to their bodies during puberty. According to the Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten-12th Grade from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), comprehensive sex education “should be appropriate to age, developmental level, and cultural background of students and respect the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community” (SIECUS).
In today’s society, many individuals are aware of the issue of teenage pregnancy and the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases among the youth. One can simply turn on their television and become quickly aware of the popular, yet controversial, discussion of teenage sexual activity in the United States through the news and shows like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant. Almost ever, discussion about teenagers and their sexual activity refers back to Sex Education in the public school system. Many individuals would consider Sex Education to be the source and/or solution to the problems that occur as a result of sexually active teenagers in the United States. For many decades, Sex Education has been taught in public schools but also has been a topic of controversy. Proponents of Abstinence-Only Education argue that Traditional Sex Education should not just focus on teaching students about contraceptives and how to use them, but instead it should also help students develop and acquire the virtues of prudence and temperance, and teach students the importance of abstinence and the emotional risk that comes along with being sexually active at such a young age. Other people like to argue that Traditional Sex Education should be taught in schools because they believe that informing students about how to be safe when participating in sexual acts is very important. Abstinence-Only Education is the best form of Sex Education for students and should be taught in the public school system because it teaches students the importance of abstaining from sex along with helping them develop or acquire the virtues of prudence and temperance.
Preventing teenage pregnancy has been a goal for many years now. Statistics have tried to keep up with the change in the teenage generation. Many people have different opinions on the subject of teen pregnancy, because to some people teens seem to be getting pregnant expeditiously in these times. People fail to realize that having a baby is a privilege to many people and not a problem. Many people take having a baby as a lightly. Getting pregnant and having a kid has many pros/cons. Having a child can be very hard on some people and cause them to break. When babies are brought into this world there are a lot of things to worry about. The greatest problem associated with teen pregnancy is financial instability. Most teens do not have the salary to support a child. In the prevention of teen pregnancy there are many things that are helpful. Abstinence is a for sure way of not getting pregnant. There are also other helpful ways to help prevent teen pregnancy, such as sex education and birth control. All of these things are essential in the helping to prevent teenage pregnancy.