Sex Education linked to Delayed Teen Intercourse?

Growing up, I was required to take a series of health courses.  From late middle school into early high school, these courses largely focused on puberty, drugs, alcohol, sexual intercourse, and CPR.  Granted health was mandatory in order to graduate, every student needed to participate to a certain extent.  The Center for the Advancement of Health was determined to find the effectiveness of such teachings, specifically on teenage sexual behavior.

Did the countless sexually informative videos actually deter teenage sexual intercourse, or rather, did they encourage such behavior through exposure?  The findings were surprising; generally, those who received sex education in school were incredibly reluctant to begin intercourse at an early age. Males were an astonishing 71% less likely to engage in sexual intercourse before the age of 15, while females were 59% less likely.  African American females reduced their chances of having sex by the age of 15, by 91%! Clearly, health education was necessary in deterring sex amongst children under 15.  While deterring underage children from having sex, its important to keep in mind that one day they will probably engage in sexual intercourse. Following such logic, what affect did health class have on children once they decided to engage in sexual intercourse?  Did the majority use protection?

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Surprisingly, the study showed education had no effect on whether females used birth control.  In fact, males were 2.77 more times likely to rely on females birth control, for their first sexual intercourse.  Such statistics prove concerning; are classes teaching guys to irresponsibly rely on women for sexual protection?  Deterring sexual intercourse before age fifteen is important, however, protection for both genders should be emphasized(as sex is inevitable).  Claire Brindis, interim director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California at San Francisco, explained that most health classes are designated to answering questions pertaining to sexual peer pressure, and additionally, distinguishing true versus false aspects of mythology.  In addition to distinguishing what’s true, false, I believe these programs are failing at emphasizing the importance of protection; for both men and women.  When I took health class, I remember they emphasized a minimum of two types of protection, one for the man, one for the women.  Obviously, most adolescents disobey this rule and only use one form of protection.  The statistics above show that young men are becoming increasingly reliant on female contraception methods, consequently proving that they are not using their own form of protection.

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While education is important towards deterring premature sexual action, Science Daily finds that the more important correlation lies between socioeconomic status, and sexual intercourse.  In analyzing how a school is run, the study was able to account for all predictors of sexual activity.  This study claims analyzing socioeconomic factors such as deprivation, can be correlated directly to sexual intercourse tendencies, statistics.  For example, if an economically deprived individual is placed within affluent sexual education, they will be more hesitant to act impulsively.  On the contrary, if an affluent individual is placed within an economically deprived sexual education, they may be encouraged to act impulsively.  Such correlations provide accurate to school systems similar to mine.  Since I grew up in a wealthy school system, they discouraged sexual intercourse through sophisticated, mandatory health courses.  However, it’s hard to explain what deterred inappropriate or premature sexual activity.  Was it the socioeconomic status of the area, or was it the information presented in the mandatory health courses?  While the first article praises sexual education, without sufficient socioeconomic abilities, classes wouldn’t exist.  Clearly, the ability to sustain and practice safe sex, is correlated to the socioeconomic status of ones’ school district.