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Chrisshondra Hinds English 111 Daniel Kellermeyer 5/06/
Sex Education in Schools
The history of sex education goes back to the late nineteenth century. Sex education then consisted of medical and biological information about venereal disease and reproduction. Later, when the Second World War was over, mass media played a large role in making information on sex available to kids. Many people felt this caused a need for sex education in public school ("Sex Education," Encarta.). Halfheartedly public schools began teaching minimal sex education, until the late 1960's, when educational and governmental organizations created more developed programs for sex education in schools. These programs were encouraged by religious organizations ("Sex Education," Grolier's.). However, these organizations were met with opposition by many people with many different theories. What are sex education classes is the question that was running through my head when I was young? I heard a lot of adult talking about it so I wanted to know. When I went to school I decided to ask my teachers. This is what I was told sex education is a class that was designed to help reduce the risks of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behavior, such as unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and infection with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. It also aims to contribute to young people’s positive experience of their sexuality by enhancing the quality of their relationships and their
ability to make informed decisions over their lifetime. Sex education that works, by which we mean that it is effective is sex education that contributes to both these aims thus helping young people to be safe and enjoy their sexuality. All theories on sex education share the belief that sex education in public schools are not working and teen pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases, among teenagers, are rising. But young people face a barrage of confusing messages. Along with titillating images from the media, some kids are told to “just say no” to sex. In school, others are taught how to put condoms on bananas in preparation for the real thing, and still other children receive no information whatsoever. Transcending the cacophony of mixed messages is a host of alarming facts. Kids are becoming more sexually active at an earlier age. Sixty-six percent of American high school students have had sex by their senior year. These same teens are paying the price by contracting dangerous and sometimes deadly sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 65 percent of all sexually transmitted infections contracted by Americans this year will occur in people under 24. One in four new HIV infections occurs in people younger than 22. There’s a disconnect somewhere. Someone’s not getting the message. We need to find out why and help our kids be more responsible, said Dr. Ted Feinberg, assistant executive director of the National Association of School Psychologists. Sex education is defined, broadly, as instruction in results and processes of sexual activity ("Sex Education," Encarta.). Sex education as known today is, according to Grolier's Encyclopedia, “a formal instruction program to provide children and young adults with an objective understanding of sex as a biological, psychological, and social life force."
kids could benefit from sex education. As children become teenagers, they should be taught about abstinence and the consequences of sex. Then, as studies show, by high school they are becoming sexually active and should be taught about contraceptives as well as about venereal disease and AIDS. This may not solve the high teen-pregnancy rate or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among teens. However, it may stop the increase and cause teens to be more responsible and educated when it comes to sex.
Works Cited Blinn-Pike, Lynn. "Sex Education in Rural Schools in the United States: Impact of Rural Educators' Community Identities." Sex Education 8.1 (2008): 77-92. Martin, James. "MP's Sex Education Bill Is 'unhelpful'" Children & Young People Now. Mar.- Apr. 2009. Web. 1 May 2011. Masland, Molly. "Teach Girls to Just Say No to Sex, Says Tory MP." Metro. 1 May 2011. Web. 4 May 2011. Planned Parenthood. Web. 06 May 2011. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/. "Sex Education Should Not Be Taught in Schools, Say More than Half of Parents." Daily Mail. 2 May 2011. Web. 6 May 2011. "Sex Education That Works." AIDS & HIV Information from the AIDS Charity AVERT. July- Aug. 2009. Web. 06 May 2011. http://www.avert.org/sex-education.htm.
