Should sex education be taught in public schools?
by Heather Bardinelli
Issue date: 4/20/09 Section: Opinion
American teenagers have more pregnancies, births and abortions than teens in other industrialized countries. Approximately 4 million teens contract a sexually transmitted disease each year. About 820,000 girls become pregnant before they turn 20.
Teens are having sex. There is no doubt about that, so does it help that the government will not fund a sex education program that teaches safe sex? 75 percent of parents say they would like their children to be taught both abstinence and safe sex. Yet, one-third of American high schools are teaching abstinence-only sex education. Other schools avoid the subject altogether. If sex education began in middle school and involved the topic of safe sex, the rate of teen pregnancies and STDs might be lower.
Nothing can be done to stop teens from having sex. According to the Center for Disease Control, 46.7 percent of U.S. high school students say they've had sex at least once during high school. Many middle school students are also admitting to engaging in oral sex.
Teaching safe sex would not be encouraging students to have sex, but rather to be safe if they do choose to so.
Perhaps the rate of teen pregnancies and STDs would not be so high if teens knew how to use a condom, or better yet, what a condom is.
In middle school, the only sex education I got was watching disgusting slides of STDs and hearing that if I have sex I'll get pregnant. Everyone in the school got the same classes, yet girls were still getting pregnant in middle school.
The scare tactic did not work. Teaching safe sex will not solve the problem of teen pregnancy and STDs, but I do think it will lessen it. If teens are aware of the risks of having sex, as well as how to be safe, they are more likely to be smart about it.
Teens are having sex. There is no doubt about that, so does it help that the government will not fund a sex education program that teaches safe sex? 75 percent of parents say they would like their children to be taught both abstinence and safe sex. Yet, one-third of American high schools are teaching abstinence-only sex education. Other schools avoid the subject altogether. If sex education began in middle school and involved the topic of safe sex, the rate of teen pregnancies and STDs might be lower.
Nothing can be done to stop teens from having sex. According to the Center for Disease Control, 46.7 percent of U.S. high school students say they've had sex at least once during high school. Many middle school students are also admitting to engaging in oral sex.
Teaching safe sex would not be encouraging students to have sex, but rather to be safe if they do choose to so.
Perhaps the rate of teen pregnancies and STDs would not be so high if teens knew how to use a condom, or better yet, what a condom is.
In middle school, the only sex education I got was watching disgusting slides of STDs and hearing that if I have sex I'll get pregnant. Everyone in the school got the same classes, yet girls were still getting pregnant in middle school.
The scare tactic did not work. Teaching safe sex will not solve the problem of teen pregnancy and STDs, but I do think it will lessen it. If teens are aware of the risks of having sex, as well as how to be safe, they are more likely to be smart about it.
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 6
Joe Schmitz
posted 5/08/09 @ 11:10 AM EST
A lot of American teen pregnancy, births and abortions has risen more since sex education has been introduced into the education systems to be teaching these teens about what it proposes to be teaching, but yet it is not working!
Schools are meant to teach kids the basic elements of study such as Math, reading, writing, English, History, science, health (anatomy), and physical endurance. (Continued…)
avilon
posted 6/23/09 @ 9:46 AM EST
of course it isnt working.when they think that condoms and birth control pills can stop std's and pregnancy why not.in our mind we're thinking it want happen to me because my sex ed teacher said that 1 in whatever get pregnant or that 1 in this get an std and we automatically think that their not that one. (Continued…)
Alexis Butler
posted 10/15/09 @ 5:45 PM EST
I think that sex education should be taught in schools point blank.
argumentative essay
posted 11/29/09 @ 6:44 AM EST
Sex education in schools is a way for teenagers to find out more useful information about sex then they get in the streets.
abi
posted 12/08/09 @ 2:08 PM EST
sex education in schools? I am doing a research paper on this topic and i am pulled . . . i dont know which i am for. I believe in saving yourself for marriage. (Continued…)
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