The Importance Of Sex Education

The US teen pregnancy rate is at 72.2%, which is larger than any rate in Western European countries. Sex education can solve the problem that we see, and possibly lower that rate. It can benefit kids by informing them about everything involving sex instead of sheltering them from the truth. Abstinence-only education is the other option that is typically used, but creating a program to cover everything and not exclude some children who have different beliefs is the overall goal. This program should be offered for all students as a mandatory course because of the amount of information that is to be gained by teaching about sex, relationships, protection, STD’s, and sexual orientation.

While teen pregnancy has been steadily decreasing, a growing number of teens infected with std's has been increasing. Sex education in schools has helped the pregnancy issue but needs to continue to further decrease teen pregnancies and to eradicate teen std's. In addition, educators need to start the sex education classes at an earlier age. Schools that teach comprehensive sex ed have a higher sexual literacy rate, lower std rates and lower teen pregnancy rate when compared to schools that teach abstinence only or have no sex ed curriculum.

Sex education has been a hot debate topic for decades with people coming down on all sides of the argument. Should schools have sex ed, which is a class or session that educates kids on sexually transmitted diseases, birth control and the risk of pregnancy? Should they instead focus on abstinence from sexual intercourse instead of education on making teenage intercourse safe? Which is right? Both? Neither? Well, according to many worldwide studies, sex ed isn’t as effective as many would hope. This is especially true in the case of traditional sex education and how it relates to teen pregnancy numbers.

Clemmitt (2010) states that currently the most effective approach to prevent teenage pregnancy is evidence-based sex education programs. The primary debate about the best method of preventing teenage pregnancy is between abstinence-only courses and comprehensive sex education. The author says that after operating comprehensive sex education, the Obama approach, many communities and county areas have drastically reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Studies and statistics suggested that abstinence-only courses have not contributed to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The author points out that the abstinence-only courses also include sexually transmitted diseases classes and discussions of unhealthy relationship and making decisions, and abstinence

The fact that the United States does not actually require mandatory sex education is of utmost concern, seeing that places where sex education is not taught at all also experience the highest birthrates. In addition to places where sex education is not taught at all, areas in which abstinence-only education were taught also faced higher birthrates (Stanger-Hall and Hall 6). While abstinence only programs have shown no real statistical evidence of success, comprehensive sex education programs have, by combining the positives of both abstinence and information on how to engage in safe sex (Starkman and Rajani 314). In comprehensive sex education, students are taught not only how to use contraceptives properly, but also how to obtain them, as well as other aspects of practicing safe sex. Encouragingly, comprehensive sex education has shown a forty percent success rate in all of the following, “delaying the initiation of sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing contraceptive use.” Even more impressively, there was sixty-seven percent rate in these areas individually (Malone and Rodriguez 1). Teaching that abstinence is the only option, and providing no alternatives, leaves many teens vulnerable to engaging in unsafe sex out of pure incompetence (Starkman and Rajani 314). Despite many concerns, comprehensive sex education does not make a teenager more likely to be sexually active, and is surprisingly supported by the majority

Sexual education teaches adolescents about the use of birth control, their bodies, STD’s, and pregnancy. Due to the awareness of sexual education, adolescents are more careful about sexual intercourse. The pregnancy rate has reached the lowest in modern era between 1990-2010. It declined to 51% pregnancies per 1000 females ages 14-19 to 57.4%. This is the lowest recorded since 1973. Sexual education was not offered in schools until 1983 and many people had close to no knowledge about the options. Even though teens today are aware of their options today, they do not take proper precautions.

Teenage pregnancy is a growing problem in the United States today. As of 2010, 57.84% of 15-19 year old girls will become pregnant, which is especially high as compared to the rates of other developed countries. (Kost, 3) Why are unplanned pregnancy rates in teenagers so high? There are various factors that contribute to these high teen pregnancy rates, but one major factor is the type of sexual education that teenagers receives. While attention to abstinence in sexual education can be beneficial, it is when sexual education focuses solely on abstinence that teen pregnancy rates increase. Comprehensive sex education in schools has been shown to lower the rates of teen pregnancy more than abstinence only sex education has, and therefore should

Comprehensive sexuality education has always been a focal point of the debate across the United States. Any topics related to sexuality education would make tremendous amount of people feel embarrassed and uncomfortable because sex education is fallaciously perceived as a stigma of the society on an increase rate of unintended pregnancy, the outbreak of sexual transmitted diseases, and other social ethical issues. From a U.S. review, however, “the overwhelming weight of evidence shows that sex education that discusses contraception does not increase sexual activity.” The understanding of sex education not only covers simply a part in reproduction, or how babies are conceived and born but also helps the teenager to have some basis understanding of virtually every aspect of sex by the time he or she reaches full maturity, and more importantly, it encourages confidence and improves communication skills, the social issues surrounding sexuality and reproduction as well as cultural norms, family

Adolescence can be a very confusing and difficult time for many teens because they are pushed out of childhood and into adulthood. The push for the use of comprehensive sex education programs is causing the rates of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) to increase. By providing teens with a comprehensive sex education program that can not only confuse them about their sexuality, but also lead them to engage in sex before they are mentally ready, is extremely harmful. Because abstinence is the only sure way to prevent the spread of STDs and stop unwanted pregnancies among adolescents, it should be the only curriculum taught to them.

Comprehensive sex education is effective at assisting young people to make healthy decisions about sex and adopt healthy sexual behaviors. Strong evidence suggests that comprehensive approaches to sex education help young people both to withstand the pressures to have sex too soon and to have healthy, responsible and mutually protective relationships when they do become sexually active. A November 2007 report found that “two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive programs that supported both abstinence and the use of condoms and contraceptives for sexually active teens had positive behavioral effects (Rochman 2012).” Many delayed or reduced sexual activity, reduced the number of sexual partners, and increased the use of condoms or other contraceptives. Research has identified highly effective sex education and HIV prevention programs affect multiple behaviors and achieve positive health impacts. Behavioral outcomes have included delaying the initiation of sex as well as reducing the frequency of sex, the number of new partners, the incidence of unprotected sex, and increasing the use of condoms and contraception among sexually active participants. Long-term impacts have included lower STI and pregnancy rates (McKeon

Sex education programs decreases the risk of young adults getting pregnant and the reduce of STDS. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS examined sex education programs. Out of 53 interventions, 22 “delayed the onset of sexual activity, reduce the number of sexual partners or reduce unplanned pregnancy and STD rates,” the UNAIDS analysis concluded (Fingers). Sex education teaches the use of contraceptives that have reduce teen pregnancies and STDS.

In 2007, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy created Emerging Answers 2007. In this work, research and numerous findings on the benefits of sex-ed were compiled. An example of one of these findings is that no programs that teach sexual education have any correlation to an increase in sexual activities. Research has also found that when students are taught about sex-ed they are more likely to practice safe sex. “Studies show that when teens are educated about condoms and have access to them, levels of condom use at first intercourse increase while levels of sex stay the same...According to a study by researchers from Guttmacher and Columbia University published in the January 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, approximately 86% of the decline in teenage pregnancy in this country between 1995 and 2002 was due to dramatic improvements in contraceptive use, including increases in the use of individual methods, increases in the use of multiple methods, and substantial declines in nonuse. Just 14% of the decline could be attributed to a decrease in sexual activity” (“Comprehensive Sex Education”). These results make it very clear that sex-ed is what is best for America’s youths. In fact, America is somewhat conservative compared to other countries, as many

“In 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years.” (CDC). As these numbers are shocking to many Americans, schools still have not taken the initiative to teach efficient sex education. Although some teenagers are receiving sex education, most are not being taught it in a successful way. Sex education can be explained in two different procedures: comprehensive or abstinence only. The difference between the two is that comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as a secondary choice, and teens that decide not to wait should be informed on how to use birth control when participating in sexual activity. Comprehensive sex education is a method that should be required in all schools and is the most effective way to keep

Several educational programs provide students with information about to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. As the author of The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis added “Even though abstinence is a valued outcome of school-based sex education programs, the effectiveness of such interventions in promoting abstinent behavior is still far from settled”. In addition, as much as school would like to prevent teen pregnancy is up to the younger girls to decide. One of the programs about sex education is teaching students to abstain from having sex. The safest way to avoid any sexual transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancy is by teaching students to refrain from sexual activities. In most cases parents would want that the sexual education programs offered in school teach students to avoid having sexual relations until older or married. As stated in the article Abstinence-Only Education: Are abstinence-only sex education courses effective? that “by stressing discipline, self-control, and self-respect” the “abstinence-only programs build character in students”.

Comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on birth control is a much more effective educational tool to prevent teen pregnancy than abstinence-only education. Fortunately, teen pregnancy rates have fallen dramatically in the past 20 years. “In 2002, the rate of pregnancy was 75.4 for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 19, from 116.9 in 1990 (Teen