Comprehensive Sexual Education What has happened to today’s society that we are opposed to condoms because they might entice sex? When has allowing our youth to practice unsafe sex over safe sex been okay? We often think because we supply kids with condoms, birth control, and talks, that we are giving them permission to have sex, when in fact we are merely trying to protect them from STDs and pregnancy. We do not need to scare kids, but we do need to provide them with information about safe sex practices and what can happen if they do plan to explore their sexual urge. Facts are the most important thing we can offer those select few of youth who wish to engage in sex. Since when has providing information been a bad thing? Shouldn’t the youth know what they are doing and what can happen before they do it? Most schools and education environments that do encourage any sort of sexual education, teach kids to “just say no”. The one main problem with this “abstinence only” education is that it denies those who do say “yes” information, instead of providing other acceptable options other than abstinence. Throughout time, ratings have shown that teaching the abstinence only education doesn’t affect the rates at which teenagers decide to have sex. Though comprehensive sex education doesn’t stop kids from having sex, it does however teach them how to participate in safe sex. Teenagers in today’s society are not stupid. When they are told by teachers that abstinence is the only way that they will not get a STD, they know they are being lied to or misled. Giving teenagers’ information about the risks of different types of sexual behavior can help them make informed decisions about sex. The most effective programs are not the ones that try to divert teens from sex completely but rather the ones that try to steer teens away from dangerous sexual behaviors. Most teens who do not have the correct information on risky sexual behaviors veer away from vaginal intercourse, and…
Carnal knowledge: The sex and debate By Molly Masland Soaring rates of sexually transmitted diseases among teens are adding urgency to the debate over sex education. Conservatives claim the alarming statistics illustrate why abstinence should be the single mantra when it comes to sex ed. Liberals counter that the increase in disease is the strongest case for more detailed information. Caught in the middle are America’s kids, who are more vulnerable than ever to potentially deadly diseases.…
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average teenager engages in sexual intercourse by the age of seventeen, but do not marry until the mid-twenties (citation). This means that young adults are at an increased risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections for nearly ten years or longer. The numbers of students engaging in sexual activity of ages thirteen to twenty-four continues to grow each year, as does the number of unplanned pregnancies and HIV infections due to not being fully educated about the risks. Today, the duty of educating students and teenagers about sexual intercourse and the risks involved is left to the government and public school system. Abstinence education programs in public…
Sex Education in public schools has always been a widely debated topic in American History. Determining what information to give out and how old the children need to be is constantly being argued. However, many programs are only preaching abstinence, especially to young women. Young men on the other hand get the “condom talk.” Very little information about female contraceptives, physical or medicinal, is ever discussed in these sex education sessions. Rebecca Walker, in 1995, wrote that young women must be treated as growing, learning, individuals, and need information concerning “sex and access to birth control and abortion” in order to nurture their self-esteem and protect them from violence.[1] With limited access to information, women are being denied the ability to make a fully cognitive decision about their bodies.…
Sex Education: Should Condoms be distributed in Schools? "Sex Education: Should Condoms be distributed in Schools?" was very eye catching to the reader. The author of this essay Rush H. Limbaugh III, points out a lot of good points here which I highly agree with. Sex education can be very tricky, what are its limitations? What should the students be taught and what shouldn't they be taught? If my memory serves me right, I don't remember ever receiving any condoms from any schools I attended. From what I recall from my sex education class, it was clear that abstinence was the right way to go. We were all well informed of the consequences of having unprotected sex and protected sex for that matter. And for most of us who hadn't had sex yet, the videos that were shown in class were good enough to ensure us that abstinence was the way we were going. But for those schools that are issuing out condoms in sex education class, should that be allowed? I think that giving away condoms in sex education classes should not be allowed for several reasons. It pressures students into having sex. It makes students believe that having sex will be ok because they now have condoms to protect themselves from any diseases out there. And let's not forget about getting pregnant.…
Critical Analysis In the essay “Condoms: the New Diploma”, by Rush Limbaugh published in his book The Way Things Ought To Be in 1992, Limbaugh talks about how distribution of condoms in schools can lead to teenage promiscuity and encourages sexual activity at an early age. Limbaugh’s use of Reductio ad absurdum counter attacks the opposition’s argument on condom distribution and is effective since it is hard to attack the opposition.…
“Condoms: The New Diploma” In the after math of the AIDs scare of the late 80’s, school board officials sought to create a health class curriculum that would cover sex education. This was a hot topic in the 90’s and it brought about the questions of sex education and whether it is the schools responsibility or the parents to educate their children. In Rush Limbaugh’s “Condoms: The New Diploma”, from his 1992 book titled The Way Things Ought to Be, Limbaugh claims that condom distribution promotes sexual activities in teens. Though Limbaugh provides readers with compelling arguments, readers can easily refute him and discredit his evidence.…
“Half of the 40,000 of the new HIV infections each year occur to individuals under the age of 25. That means that an average of two young people are infected with HIV every hour of every day.” (2) “In the United States, 45.6 percent of high school students and 79.5 percent of college students ages 18-24 have had sex. The average age at first marriage is 28.6 for men and 26.6 for women.” (3) Knowing these two statistics is important before choosing which side of the fence to belong to. The issue at hand is that Camden County College has decided to install condom dispensers within the campus bathrooms. A percentage of our population feels as though this encourages our students to explore sexual intercourse. However, they are wrong, and I will explain to you why it is an absolutely outstanding course of action to install the condom dispensers.…
Every year the population in Texas is steadily growing. One social issue that continues to challenge Texas residents is Teen Pregnancy. According to the Texas Department of Health, "every ten minutes a Texas teen becomes pregnant." Because of those statistics Texas has held one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the United States. Which raises the question, Should condoms be available to teens in Texas high schools? Some parents and educators suggest that providing condoms in Texas high schools is condoning sexual behavior. Others believe that teens should have access to condoms to help protect their sexual health and an unwanted pregnancy. After considering both sides of the issues I strongly suggest that condoms be available for teens in Texas high schools so they are properly equipped to have safe sex and to decrease the rates of unwanted teen pregnancy and teens contracting STD's or HIV.…
she is hoping that it would move her readers into taking action upon this issue. She wants students in high school to starting demanding that their schools provide them with condoms, and she hopes that those who are faculty at schools stand up and start distributing them. As a result of her article, Quindlen is hoping to make a difference just by publishing her article.…
Matt Nikkel English 3 April 5, 2010 Critical Analysis The essay by Rush Limbaugh entitled “Condoms: The New Diploma” is about the authors claim of how condom distribution promotes sex by teens and bypasses abstinence. This essay is created to depict the idea of free condom distribution throughout a school, in hopes to promote safe sex. Limbaugh provides hard evidence to his essay and strengthens his side by providing life relating examples and statistics such as air travel, Magic Johnson, and teacher’s views on sex education. The fluidity of the Limbaugh’s essay and his ability to use his strengths of vivid imagery creates a strong toned argument, making a very effective essay.…
According to the Center for Disease Control, 2014 marked a decrease in teen pregnancy in the United States with a rate of 24.2 per 1000 women. However, “the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations” (4). In addition, according to advocatesforyouth.org, “The percentage of the United States adult population that has been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS is six times greater than in Germany, three times greater than in the Netherlands, and one-and-a-half times greater than in France”. And while it’s easy for people to lay blame with “irresponsible teenagers” or “poor judgment”, this may be inaccurate. Most teenagers will experience some sort of sexual education in their academic careers, an education…
America is one of the leading industrialized countries in the world; America’s teens still have the most pregnancies, births, and abortions in the world. As the nation steps into the 21st century, “ The rise of ‘sexting’ and ‘hook up’ culture among teens” (Clemmitt, Marcia) promotes high levels of sexual activity within middle schools and high schools. Also mass amounts of sexual content are found in teen’s favorable music, online videos, and movies, which casually promotes sexual activity. “ A third of young U.S girls- about eight hundred and twenty thousand- become pregnant before they turn twenty.”(Friedman, Jane “Teen Sex”) The government combats this movement by promoting classes that teach abstinence and contraceptive use. Statics show that “ seventy eight percent of girls and eighty five percent of boys used contraception the first time they had sex, both up three percentage points from 2002” (Friedman, Jane “Teen Sex”) It has been proven that…
Should Condoms be distributed by Schools? By Amanda Guillermo May 09, 2009 Should condoms be distributed among secondary and high school students? The answer to that very controversial subject is yes. Yes condoms should be distributed among the students in secondary and high schools. The question is controversial due to the main subject it discusses: sex. Some schools today are distributing birth control items to promote the thoughts and ideas of safe sex. Is it right? Yes, many have agreed that it is right. Many also believe that along with condom distribution, there should be an availability of other methods of birth control, promotion of abstinence, and information for students on what being safe really means.…
Sex Education: Sweden vs. United States Federal Law in the United States mandates that “Abstinence-only-until-marriage education” teach that any sexual activity among unmarried individuals is detrimental and wrong. Along with this, it specifically prohibits instruction regarding any contraceptive unless to emphasize their failure rates. Regardless of these multimillion-dollar efforts within the United States to stress abstinence, teen pregnancy and STD rates continue to substantially exceed those within the developed countries, such as Sweden, where comprehensive sex education is deemed imperative. Sweden’s inclusive sex education programs throughout compulsory schools serves as an exemplary model for what should be the modern scientific and intellectual view on effective sexual education for today’s youth. The politicians within the United States remain blind to the realities of their nations sexually active youth and ignore actions regarding this issue that have been internationally successful. The United States’ policy is flawed in its governmental funding of abstinence – only sex education, and should instead mimic a policy that demonstrates actual results, that is, the United States should mimic Sweden’s comprehensive sex education policy.…