Let’s Talk About Sex…Education

A major debate right now in the world of education is sexual education. Sexual education, also known as “sex ed,” refers to the education students receive, or do not receive, in school in regards to safe sex and the risks/dangers associated with having sex.

Across the country, schools have implemented varying degrees of sex education within their curriculums. Some schools, especially private or religiously affiliated schools, tend to not have any degree of sex ed, and if they do have any at all, it is often a lesson that teaches abstinence only. On the contrary, there are some schools that go so far as to explain the many different forms of protection/birth control, the risks and dangers associated with unprotected sex, and consent.

The issue of what should be included in a school’s sexual education curriculum is such a hot topic because many parents, especially conservative or religious parents, believe that teaching any form of sex ed defies the parents’ choice to teach their children their family values. Many of these parents argue that the only thing that should be taught in schools is abstinence-only sexual education, or nothing at all.

Supporters of abstinence-only sexual education argue that this is the most effective way to prevent teen pregnancy, and in theory this makes sense, however, in practice it has proven to be unsuccessful. Although this lesson may have very short term success, possibly for up to a 12-18 months, it has proven to be very unsuccessful in the long term. The teen pregnancy rate in the United States has not decreased from abstinence-only education. In fact, the students who receive this form of sex ed are more at risk of teen pregnancy than someone who received a comprehensive sexual education, simply because they were not informed of the many forms of protection and resources available to them to prevent pregnancy. In addition to not being effective, abstinence-only education often includes inaccurate or biased information with the goal of scaring the students away from wanting to have sex…ever. But, as I mentioned before, this may work in the short-term, but in the long-term there are no benefits.

Some parents argue that teaching children about how to have safe sex in school encourages them to have more sex at an earlier age, which is simply not true. It actually prepares students for the future whenever they decide wanted to have sex. Personally, I received a very comprehensive sex education and it in no way encouraged or influenced how I felt about when I should have sex. The information was simply stored in the back of my mind for when I would need it in the future, when I decided when I was ready.

Another way to approach sexual education is with a comprehensive sex ed curriculum. A major aspect of comprehensive sex education that needs to be incorporated into every school’s curriculum is the topic of consent. Students need to understand that full consent is necessary when having any type of sexual interaction, and that if the consent is not there, it can have serious legal consequences. This concept is important for both parties to understand, because some victims of rape do not even realize what they experienced constituted as rape. They need to be informed that it can happen to anyone, by anyone, and that they have the power to stand up for themselves or get help.

Comprehensive sex education must to be incorporated into every school’s curriculum in America. Students need to be prepared for whenever they do decide to participate in sexual intercourse, so that they can keep themselves and their partners safe. By not requiring every student to learn about safe sex and the resources available to them, we are doing them a disservice.

There needs to be a national curriculum that all schools must follow regarding sex education. This is the only way to ensure that every student receives a proper education on such an important topic. Without the federal government stepping in, regulating this aspect of education would be impossible because many states would not require comprehensive sexual education.

In regards to the parents who are concerned about their children learning more about sex than just abstinence; they can have a private discussion in their own homes with their own children regarding the values that they wish for their children to learn. They have the option to talk to their children first, before the school, so that their child can hear both sides and make their own informed decision about whether or not, or when, they want to have sex. This compromise, in which every student can receive both formal and informal teachings of sex ed, is the most beneficial for the students because they are properly informed of the dangers and resources available to them regarding sex, while also learning about their own family’s values concerning sex.