Sex Education in Schools Essay

Abstract jejuneage exciteual practice raising is a topic of a great deal debate in Americas shoals because agitate and its salutaryness related issues argon prevalent in the lives of so numerous adolescents. Teenagers engage manpowert in rideual activities has led to an increase in rouseu every last(predicate)y transmitted diseases, emotional and psychological injuries, and out-of-wedlock childbearing (Rector, 2002, para. 1). Therefore, schools across the nation throw been charged with implementing programs that will school the adolescent almost the risks of engaging in fetch upual activities before trade union. Americas schools use one of the both comm except known approaches in hopes to deter premarital energize. These approaches are sobriety reading and ex decenniumsive put forward fostering. sobriety reading is a subject of gender teaching that places strict emphasis on quiting from put forward until marriage. panoptic sex upbringing examines temp erance along with sexual reproductive health schooling and contraceptives. This paper will examine both approaches and show that statewide sex education is the most strong method. IntroductionSex is a hot topic that reaches some(prenominal) children through the different mediums to include school, internet, radio, and television. An effective way to arm our children with important data concerning sex education is by providing abstinence education in our schools. According to Powezek, in the United States, maturement classes are usually implemented in elementary schools, while sex education is employed in middle school and junior postgraduate school (Powezek, 2009, para. 1). Sex education has been incorporated in health programs inwardly schools. Since sex education is funded by the federal government, funding recipients are mandated to prolong the governments declaration during implementation. There are scarce a few who oppose sex education being taught in school A new po ll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvards Kennedy School of brass finds that only 7percent of Americans say sex education should non be taught in schools(NPR, 2004, para. 1). Although advocates agree that sex education should be taught, brawl exists among the meeting about the symbol of program that should be taught.According to NPR, cardinal percent of advocates believe that sex education should adhere to commandment abstinence until marriage without discussion of alternatives such as pencil erasers and contraception (NPR, 2004, para 2). cardinal six-spot percent believes that both abstinence and alternative methods such as condoms and birth controls should be taught. Thirty-six percent of reinforcerers believe that the primary rivet should be on how to make responsible decisions concerning sex rather than checking abstinence only (NPR, 2004, para. 2). The two most popular methods used in schools in the United States are abstinence education and comprehens ive sex education.Although, no sex is the safest sex, as described in abstinence education, it does non reiterate the importance of being safe if, and when it is decided to watch sex. It is authorized that having no sex at all is the safest and most effective method, only when with the peer pressures of today, there should be an understanding of how to protect themselves against, STDs, emotional and psychological injuries, and out wed lock child bearing. Abstinence education only teaches not to have sex, when there should be involvement of both messages. It should teach a point of not to have sex, elevate in any case what precautions that take on to be taken to be safe if striplings do become sexually involved with an individual. Abstinence Sex EducationThe majority of hatful have heard the slogan, Say no to drugs. Similarly, we have heard that one should abstain from sex until marriage. In 1981, during President Ronald Reagans administration, the federal government cease lessly funded sex education programs that suggest refraining from sex until marriage. There has been no look to confirm the programs effectiveness. However, between the years of 1996 and 2008, Congress pass over $1.5 billion dollars in state and federal funding in support of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Many studies have been done to prove the effectiveness of abstinence only education. It has been proven numerous amounts of times, that this piss of sex education does not have an impact on the future sexual behavior of teenagers. A study done by HHS in April 2007 showed, Teenagers exposed to abstinence-only based programs werenot any more likely to abstain from sex, and these teenagers had the same return of partners and became sexually active at the same age as the control group (Darfinger 2008).Jemmot et al thought that by creating a new curriculum, it would change the aftermath of school-age childs engaging in sex education. He followed up with each pupil that participated in the abstinence program at a three month, six month, and twelve month make. His study proved that the program was effective at the three month follow up, but was no longer palmy or provided any impact after this mark (Denny 2006). Abstinence education has been criticized because it denies that many teenagers will become sexually active. The mission of abstinence education is that all children avoid engaging in sexual activities. Abstinence education also fails to teach about contraception or condom use. Although topics of fiber building, values, and tactics for saying no are discussed, abstinence education fails to educate on issues such as abortions. Diseases are cited as a moderateness to abstain until marriage rather than a reason to use contraceptives and an different(prenominal) methods of protection. Abstinence has only contributed to a small percentage of the overall compensate, and no(prenominal) for teens aged 18-19. For those ages 15-17, abstinence was responsible for about 23 percent of the decline (Goldin, 2010, para. 3). schoolwide Sex EducationComprehensive sex education provides student with a full outlook on sexuality. Comprehensive sex education provides adolescents with in bodation to make responsible choices concerning their sexual health as well as building knowledge, attitude and skills (Healthy Teen Network, 2010). Supporters of comprehensive sex education agree with abstinence until marriage. Believers of comprehensive sex education programs believe that many teens will still engage in sexual activities. Therefore, age eliminate alternative methods essential be taught as well. These methods include contraception and condom use. Sexually transmitted diseases and Human Immunodeficiency Virus are major discussion topics in a comprehensive sex education setting. Below are startling statistics on why comprehensive sex education moldiness continue to be taught By their 18th birthday, six in ten teenage women and more th an five in ten teenage men have had sexual inter kind. Between 1995 and 2002, the descend of teens aged 1517 who hadever engaged in sexual intercourse declined 10%. Of the virtually 750,000 teen pregnancies that occur each year, 82% are unint devastationed. More than one-quarter end in abortion.The pregnancy rate among U.S. women aged 1519 has declined steadyfrom 117 pregnancies per 1,000 women in 1990 to 75 per 1,000 women in 2002. Approximately 14% of the decline in teen pregnancy between 1995 and 2002 was due to teens delaying sex or having sex less often, while 86% was due to an increase in sexually experienced teens contraceptive use. Despite the decline, the United States continues to have one of the mettlesomeest teen pregnancy rates in the developed worldalmost twice as high as those of England, Wales and Canada, and eight times as high as those of the Netherlands and Japan (Guttmaker give, 2010). Another study done by the diary of Adolescent Health shows an excellent diagram on the ratio of teens that participated in a comprehensive sex education course, an abstinence only sex education course, and no sex education course that the only form of education that was successful had a better success rate was the comprehensive sex education course. The rime on the Venn diagram are numbered as such the song on the outside part of the diagram show the percentage of students who participated in each individual type of course.So the 66.8% participated in comprehensive sex education, 23.8% participated in abstinence only, and 9.4% did not participate in a sex education course at all. Then the numbers on the inside of the diagram show which percentage of teens that had been fraught(p) or knew that they made another teen pregnant. So the 53.5% is representation of the comprehensive sex education students engaged in unprotected sex and either was pregnant themselves or had made some pregnant before. The 27.1% is the number of teens that were taught abstine nce only who had engaged in unprotected sex and either was pregnant themselves or had made some pregnant before. The 19.4% represent those who had not gotten any type of sex education course at all. If you will notices the only number that is lower than the amount of students taught, is the comprehensive sex education ratio because this form of education increased the amount of teens using contraceptive and also decrease the number of STIs contracted. These statistics prove that without providing students with some sort of knowledge of sex education, the lives of children and teens partaking in sexual activity are being endangered every day.It must be understood that comprehensive sex education promotesabstinence until marriage, but also effectively tackles the serious concerns of health associated with having unprotected sex. According to overt opinion survey, eighty two percent of adults support comprehensive sex education curriculum that includes information on abstinence and other methods of preventing pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Sexually Transmitted Infections (Schwarz 2007). Despite these astonishing facts, polls and statistics, the federal government continues to invest millions of dollars into an abstinence only program. Considering the increasing number of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in teens, restricting funding to abstinence only education is jeopardizing the health and lives of teenagers in the United States (Schwarz 2007). It is tiny that teens are provided with an inclusive knowledge about protecting themselves against these things, so that these numbers will decrease in the years to come. Comprehensive sex education supporters do provide explanation to adolescents about the benefits of putting off sex until they are emotionally and physically ready.Unlike abstinence education, comprehensive education implementers teach these youth how to guard themselves from diseases and pregnancies (Avert, 2010). There are no views to support effectiveness of abstinence only education. However, abstinence education and comprehensive sex education incorporate views offer support to biblical principles. Yes, youth should not involve themselves in sexual activities. Sex before marriage is wrong. The account book tells to flee fornication (1 Corinthians 618, NIV). Therefore, anyone who participates in sex before marriage has sinned before God. In fact, marriage is the only approval for sex attached by God (Hebrews 134, NIV). Sex education also provides much more information to teens. It provides information about puberty and the changes that their bodies will endure. It also discusses the psychological impact that puberty and sex has on teens. It talks about the emotional stress of sex as well as other things.It arrive ates on other sexual pleasures such as masturbation and spontaneous sex. It helps teens to understand what can be expected from a sexual relatio nship. It helps them lay out what is acceptable in a sexual relationship and what is not satisfactory. almost serious topics talked about in a comprehensive sex education course that is not talked about in an abstinence only course are such things as rape. It teaches teens about peerpressure and that it is estimable to say no if you are not ready. It advises that no one is allowed to touch their bodies if it is not what they want or are ready for. These are all very important things that students should know. ConclusionSex education should be taught in the schools and in the homes of youth. The method that should be taught still remains a problematic topic. Abstinence education and comprehensive education have good intentions for our young people. The main difference between abstinence based and comprehensive approaches to sex education is that comprehensive approaches do not focus either solely or so closely on teaching young people that they should abstain from sex until they are married (Avert, 2010) . Abstinence supporters may further argue that teaching anything other than abstinence violates Gods law. However, realism remains that the need to inform youth of alternative methods is essential because it is sheer that these youth are partakers in sex before marriage.Annotated BibliographyAvert (2010, June 11). Abstinence and Sex Education. Avert.org. Retrieved from, http//www.avert.org/abstinence.htm Blog at wordpress.com. (2008). Still Trucking. Retrieved from http//stilltruckin.wordpress.com/2008/04/14/sex-education-and-teen-pregnancy/ Darflinger, M. Honesty is the crush PolicySex Education and Accuracy, ( ), 81-97. Retrieved from http//www.cinahl.com/cgi-bin/refsvc?jid=1942&accno=2009875074 Denny, G., & Young, M. (2006). An Evaluation of an Abstinence-Only Sex Education computer program an 18-month follow up . , ( ), 414-422. Goldin, R. (2006, December 12). Contraception v Abstinence Education. Retrieved from http//stats.org/stories/contrac_v_abs t_dec12_06.htm Guttmacher Institute (2006, December). Facts on sex education in the United States. Retrieved from, http//www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_sexEd2006.html Healthy Teen Network. Comprehensive Sexuality education. Retrieved from, http//www.healthyteennetwork.org/vertical/Sites/%7BB4D0CC76-CF78-4784-BA7C-5D0436F6040C%7D/uploads/%7B4C5F842E-E67A-4AC2-921B-287950431BD7%7D.PDF NPR (2004, February 24). Sex Education in America. NPR.org. Retrieved from, http//www.npr.org/templates/ account/story.php?storyId=1622610 Powazek, D.(2009, May 13). Abstinence education in Schools. United Families International. Retrieved from, http//unitedfamiliesinternational.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/abstinence-education-in-schools/ Schwarz, A. (2007). 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