In the education field there are always debates on how information should be presented to children and what way will be the most effective in getting the message across. This is especially an issue when looking at the effectiveness of sex education in schools. There are two main ways of conducting this class, but one are more effective than other programs.
One of the programs that are used by many schools is the abstinence program. This program presents the message that the students should just refrain from sex all together. This is the message that my school presented as well. There have been a couple studies to look at the effectiveness of it. When looking to see if this method prevents sexual activity (Lashof-Sullivan 2015) found that it did not reduce the sexual activity. It also proved not to reduce the amount of sexually transmitted disease spreading amount the students. This method is not as effective as others.
Another program that schools use is called a comprehensive program. This program is sends a message of abstinence, but also talks about how to practice safe sex. It gives them information on how to protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (Kohler, Manhart, & Lafferty 2007). In 2007, Kohler, Manhart, & Lafferty found that teens that were given a comprehensive sex education reduced the occurrence of teen pregnancy. They associated these finding with the students being taught about birth control and condoms. Comprehensive programs have also been shown to reduce sexually transmitted diseases in teens (Lashof-Sullivan 2015).
The other aspect that helps make the comprehensive program more effective is having parents involved with the education process. A comprehensive program called Get Real gave parents activities to do with their children to help share their values about sex and increase how comfortable the parents and children feel when talking about sex. Grossman, Tracy, Charmaraman, Ceder, & Erkut (2014) found when the parents were involved that the children showed delayed sexual activity. They also found that this was more prominent in boys because these programs had the parents talk to their sons. Kohler, Manhart, & Lafferty (2007) also found when parents were still together the children were more likely to have received education about sex. This is not to say that parents should stay together it is to say that when parents are divorced they should communicate on how to have this talk with their children.
Learning is a big part of school and just like every other subject students need to know about safe sex. The abstinence program is fine, but the comprehensive program has shown more promise. It has shown to help push back the age that students have sex the first time. All the information is good, but children need to feel comfortable asking their parents questions that they did not feel comfortable asking during the class. These classes are not going to teach students everything because students are not going to feel comfortable asking all the questions that they have in a classroom of their peers. This means that parents need to keep an open communication pathway with their children to make sure that they fully learn everything that they want to learn. Much like any other subject, sex education is better when reinforced with outside lessons.
References
Grossman, J. M., Tracy, A. J., Charmaraman, L., Ceder, I., & Erkut, S. (2014). Protective Effects of Middle School Comprehensive Sex Education With Family Involvement. Journal of School Health, 84(11), 739-747. doi:10.1111/josh.12199
Kohler, P. K., Manhart, L. E., & Lafferty, W. E. (2007). Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4), 344-351. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2007.08.026
Lashof-Sullivan, M. (2015, January). Sex Education in Schools. Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, 16(1), 263-293.