Parental Sex Education

Additional research has explored the effects of abstinence based programs on actual behavior outcomes. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) compared the effects of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs, operationalizing effectiveness in terms of initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates. They found that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only or no education were significantly less likely to report a teenage pregnancy. In addition, their conclusions mirrored Sather and Kelly (2002), finding that abstinence-based programs did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in sexual activity. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) actually concluded that comprehensive sex education was more likely than abstinence based to reduce the percentage engaging in sexual activity. Overall, the researchers showed that comprehensive sex education, including but not limited to contraception, did not increase the prevalence of sexual activity in teenagers or the risk of teen pregnancy, while also showing the that abstinence only education produced a higher likelihood of pregnancy.

One major problem in America’s society today is teen pregnancy rates. In fact, “teen sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbearing are associated with substantial social, economic, and health costs” (Sedgwick). However, this problem is not one without a solution. The rise of teen pregnancy rates can be prevented and reversed by providing better access to birth control for teens, eliminating the negative connotation that accompanies abstinence, and implementing more efficient sex education in public schools.

The role of educating students about the importance of healthy sexual relationships has fallen hard and fast on public schools. School aged boys and girls are not receiving information from their parents on what decisions they should make in regards to sex. Parents are finding this topic of conversation too taboo to breach and as a result, students are getting what little information they are receiving from school. Less then half of school aged adolescents talk to their parents about sex and abstinence (Smith, 2005).

People such as President George W. Bush has made no secret of his view that sex education should teach teenagers "abstinence only" rather than including information on other ways to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. Unfortunately, despite spending more than $10 million on abstinence-only programs in Texas alone, this strategy has not been shown to be effective at curbing teen pregnancies or halting the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. (2010 Union of Concerned Scientists) In addition, the Bush administration distorted science-based performance measures to test whether abstinence-only programs were proving effective, such as charting the birth rate of female program participants. In place of such established measures, the Bush administration required the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to track only participants' program attendance and attitudes, measures designed to obscure the lack of efficacy of abstinence-only programs. (Federal Register 65:69562-65, November 17, 2000). This

Proponents for abstinence-only education believe that the abstinence-only message has contributed to the decline of adolescent sexual activity as well as negative related outcomes. In the 1990s there was a decrease in adolescent pregnancy, birth and abortion rates. These proponents attribute these declining statistics to the abstinence-only message and claim that the declines cannot be accredited to increased

But they get the message that sex is risky.” They begin to see sex as a sensitive issue that should be taken very seriously because it involves life-changing consequences. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health found that teaching about contraception and making them available to teenagers was not associated with increased risk of sexual activity as many abstinence-only supporters have insisted. Therefore, the availability of birth control along with education about it does not increase sexual activity but informs teenagers to practice good decision-making for their bodies and their future.

Where in the first world would one expect the teen pregnancy rate to be the highest? Surprisingly, it is the United States that has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any first world country, more than double the rate of twenty other first world countries and almost ten times greater than that of Switzerland. While some of the disparity can be attributed to factors such as income inequality, the presence of abstinence only education has a major impact on birth and STD rates in the United States in comparison to other countries with more comprehensive programs. It is clear that this difference in approaches has a significant effect, and the United States needs to act to ensure the health of its citizens. Urgent actions are necessary

Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all

It only takes a glance at a tv, a billboard, or a magazine to observe a recurring theme: sex sells. In our increasingly hypersexual nation, sex may sell, but it is certainly not taught. This is prevalent in the fact that US has both the highest amount of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases than any other first world country (Malone and Rodriguez 2). Because of this, there is now a greater concern in both how sexual education is being distributed and taught in the United States, and how that has lead to these issues. For a portion of our history, not only was abstinence-only education heavily encouraged by society, it was also heavily funded by the government. In recent years, this extra funding has ceased to exist, allowing

Statistics from recent studies suggest that only 13% of U.S. teens have ever had sex by the age of 15. But by the age of 19, seven in ten teens of both sexes have had sex. Between 1995 and 2006-2008, the percentage of teens aged 15-17 who had ever engaged in sexual intercourse declined from 38% to 28%. Among teens aged 18-19, it declined from 68% in 1995 to 60% in 2006-2008. The pregnancy rate among young women has declined steadily from 117 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 in 1990 to 70 per 1,000 in 2005. However in 2006, the rate increased for the first time in more than a decade, rising to

While parents would like their children to wait as long as possible to begin having sex, the reality is that teens are having sex much younger than many parents think. Some teens, or preteens, begin having sex or engaging in sexual behavior in junior high. By the time they are seniors in high school, an estimated 65 percent of teens have had sex, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2007. (Dawn, 2009). Unfortunately, a percentage of those teens will become pregnant. After more than a decade and a half of decline (a 27 percent drop from 1991 to 2000), teen birth rates rose again in 2006, which was the last year for which data are available. It is still unclear on what caused teen birth rates to rise again, with supporters of abstinence-only sex education programs and contraception-based programs each blaming the other side for the increase. However, a 2007 study in the Journal of American Public Health attributed the trend in decreasing pregnancy rates to improved contraception use among teens during that time. (Anderson Orr, 2009).

No matter what personal and/or cultural reasons you might have, parents are a child’s first teacher. Which means that they still have the responsibility of educating their child not only about sex, but also about the health issues related to being sexually active. Educating children about this topic is vital to their well-being, and it teaches them how to be mentally strong in a society that can be so cruel at times.

Communication between parents and adolescents is important when educating teens on how to practice safer sex. Roni Caryn Rabin in her article, “Why Parents Should Have the ‘Sex Talk’ With Their Children,” provides evidence as to how and why these conversations are important for healthy adolescent sexual development. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60 percent of sexually active high school students did not use any birth control the last time they had intercourse. This article emphasizes that these numbers can be reduced if parents simply engage in a conversation with their teens about sex. Furthermore, factors such as being uncomfortable or nervous about talking to their parents and fears that parents will over react play a key role in why parents and their children do not have a safe sex talk (Rabin, 2015). Over all, Rabin stresses that this topic is important to address regularly in order to promote safe sex and healthy relationships in teens. However, after reviewing this article, there are four aspects that must be acknowledged in order to educate parents on how to engage in conversations about sex in the most effective way.

Sex education helps people gain information, skills and motivation to make healthy decisions about sex and sexuality, but also helps teach about the abstinence as the best method for avoiding sexual transmitted disease and unintended pregnancy. (What is sex education?). Research has identified highly effective sex education and HIV prevention programs that affect multiple behaviors or achieve positive health impacts. Behavioral outcomes have included delaying initiation of sex as well as reducing the frequency of sex, the number of new partners, and the incidence of unprotected sex. The most successful programs aimed at the reducing teen pregnancy are those targeting younger adolescents who are not yet seually experienced. (Sex Education can help prevent teen pregnancy.).

School systems in the United states have been implementing sexual education into classrooms. Arguments are abundant when dealing with such fragile situations and there are many advantages and disadvantages of sexual education being taught in the public schools. It seems that most parents are either strongly for or against sex education classes, but there are a few parents that are on both sides. In fact, there are more parents that support sex education classes. However, there are pros and cons that must be considered by parents when dealing with sex education classes that one would not have to consider with a less controversial topic such as math or reading. In general, parents need to be aware of his or her own family or religious beliefs and values and know their child’s intellect and maturity levels. Debates about sex education have fixated on two different approaches: “safe sex” courses, which inspire teens to utilize contraceptives, especially condoms, when having sex, and “abstinence edification”, which encourage teens to delay sexual activity. Teaches teens that abstinence is the best way to prevent teen pregnancies and sexual transmitted diseases including HIV. Throughout the United States, only some teens are given sex education, however others are not being taught the right way leading them to make poor choices.