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Previously, sex education in the United States has been taught using a variety of scare tactics and questionable metaphors. A favorite that teachers across the country use is to compare a person’s virginity to a piece of tape. The tape is passed around and stuck to the arm of every student in the class, gradually becoming dirtier and losing its stickiness, in order to show “ that the more people you get “stuck” on, the dirtier and less valuable you become” (Smothers). The abstinence-only method of teaching “is one of our worst enemies because of the overwhelming shame and fear that it attaches to healthy sexual behavior” (Sanoff). Of course teachers should not promote unrestrained sexual activity, but neither should they “make everyone feel disgusted about sex” (B. Sharpe). Adolescents are taught throughout their lives that sex is “a dirty and damaging trait that must be controlled” and that is greatly harmful to their mental, emotional, and physical health (Sanoff). They grow up not understanding that their urges are completely healthy and natural and not knowing how to cope with…
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Parents always seem to agree on education being a vital aspect of life. Knowledge of literature, math, and philosophy can help students go far beyond their expectations; however this process starts with awareness at a young age. One topic that is widely neglected in education is sex. Sexual education classes vary tremendously across the nation; while some schools insist on hiding the facts from children, others are much more open with discussion. Abstinence only classes are popular among educators, but statistically they are highly ineffective. As sex becomes a reality for younger aged students, it is necessary for schools to provide suitable sex ed classes to reduce teen pregnancy and STD rates. This has turned into an ethical problem, with educators hiding information from students; they are also sheltering them from reality.…
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When I was around the age to start talking about sexual activities, it was a funny and weird subject to speak on. In reality, it is a touchy topic to talk about with teens. You feel that you already know or you don’t need to know because you are not having sex. Oh! How we were wrong. My mom told me about birth control, condoms, and abstinence. At first I didn’t know exactly what abstinence was but I figured out that it meant wait to have sex when you’re ready. My mom told me to wait until I get married, never get pressured to do anything. I never learned a lot of facts at school because we didn’t have sex education. Sex education should be in all middle and high schools. So many kids like I did didn’t know about safe sex and the cause and effects on what will happen. Not only females but more males have no idea on what to expect as well. Recent discussions has showed that if you tell kids to stay abstinent not only will they go out and have sex anyway but cause a lot of problems such as, teen pregnancy, more infections spreading, and emotional distress.…
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Sex instruction is critical, however numerous amounts of students complete sex education classes with a mutilated perspective of sexuality and without a decent comprehension of contraception and safe-sex practices. Schools without sex education, leave children confused and often misguided. Students are left to learn through their parents about sex, who could, in turn, be misinformed themselves by never having taken a course in sexual education. Without sexual education classes, little is accomplished leaving a defective and contorted, one-sided point of view of safe sex such as abstinence. The lack of knowledge also can lead to an increase in teen pregnancy, and the spread of sexually transmitted disease, Sexual education should be taught to…
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The United States is often known as the land of opportunity, the birthplace of the American Dream, and the place to the start of a new life. But the United States doesn’t come without its flaws. America is also known for having the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world. The cause of the high rate of teen pregnancy has baffled many politicians and educators alike and has been a problem for decades. But research suggests that the United States approach on sex educated is dated and ineffective. Instead of focusing on avoiding the topic of sex, Americans should embrace the topic and should be willing to freely talk about sex.…
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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.…
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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…
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Teens did not know their own bodies. There were little factual resources that teenagers can depend. Few choices left for them, teenagers were guided along high risk actions. Abstinence was the approved option by parents, as it teaches teens to not be sexually active but not on protection or STDS. Another path is exploration on their own means. Exploration was dangerous, because teenagers were unaware of the consequences. Both options plunged teens’ health into a abyss. Then around 1980s, media started to reach towards the topic of sexual activity in teenagers. Many teen movies brushed against the topic about sexual activity and gave more positive responses than usual. Now, there is a rapid increase in sexual activity amongst teens. Due to this rise of sexually active teens, sexual health programs in high schools need to be updated to accommodate this change. High schools need to avoid only abstinence learning and implemented new programs for…
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The topic of sex is a unique issue because it’s one of those topics that are essential for a teenager to know about (like their changing bodies, needs, and aspects of gender differences, sexual orientation and the nature of sex). Yet, certain types of sex education topics are not discussed as much as they should be and/or by the right person. About one-third of teens had not received any formal instruction about contraception; fewer males received this instruction than females (62% vs. 70%) [15]. Among teens aged 18–19, 41% report that they know little or nothing about condoms and 75% say they know little or nothing about the contraceptive pill [15]. Many sexually experienced teens (46% of males and 33% of females) do not receive formal instruction about contraception before they first have sex [15]. 63% of parents say it is not acceptable for teens to be sexually active even if they take precautions [10]; so it can be assumed that they would agree that that limitation of sex education is acceptable without realizing the penalties of what it can do to teens. Yet, individuals such as 42% of teen females and 43% of teen males have admitted to already having sexually intercourse at least once [1].…
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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…
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The two forms of sexual education taught in America are comprehensive (abstinence, safe sex, diseases) and abstinence-only (no sex till marriage). Abstinence-only sex education in the schools of the United States of America are bad for teenagers and won’t make a large difference in this country to a great extent because they don’t fully inform and aware students.…
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The United States has the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancy of any developed country. Each year, unprotected sex results in almost four million teenagers contracting an STD. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is also a serious health concern for young people. Of the 40,000 new HIV infections in the US every year, about 20,000 occur in people under the age of 25, unprotected sex being to blame. (1) The National Abortion Rights Advocacy League says, “By denying teens the full range of information regarding human sexuality, abstinence-only education fails to provide young people with the information they need to protect their health and well-being.” (2) Surveys done by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that “students who have sex education know more and feel better prepared to handle different situations and decisions than those who have not.” (3) If the abstinence-only approach continues, it is expected have serious consequences by denying young people access to the information they need to protect themselves. These…
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Concern for public health and safety have resulted in regulations of medical practices to standards of living enforced by social services and so on; sex education for today’s youth should be based on this same premise, to control the risks that are involved with the sexual activity of youth in the U.S. which are a potential threats to public health and safety. Among these concerns for youth who become sexually active outside of the context of marriage are the threat of STI’s and HIV and unwanted pregnancy. Looking at sex education from the perspective of public health and safety, it is clear that the most logical approach to effective sex education for today’s youth is the comprehensive approach which address several options for protecting oneself from the risks of sexual activity, as opposed to the abstinence only approach which has a biased “one solution for all” approach that does not address youth who are at a high risk for negative outcomes of sexual activity.…
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Many sex education class just preach abstinence, and not how to use birth controls properly or tell the teens of the failure rate. Schools are now getting involved, some even handing out birth control, but not explaining how to properly use them. Birth control decisions should be kept at home, between the parents and the child. Schools should keep teaching sex education, just refrain from giving the students birth control. Schools should start teching kid s more facts about the birth controls and how to properly use them. Schools should also be there for any questions and teach kids the risks of having sex. (Parsons) “Young people get involved in sex primarily because our culture works overtime to promote extra-marital sex, in books, movies, music, television and drama. Teens are taught that sex is something they have a right to enjoy without consequences. Handing out condoms and birth control pills only underscores this fallacy.” (Parsons)…
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As a student who has gone through the Texas education system since the 6th grade, I found a Sex-Ed class to be nothing but informing. Studies have shown that students who have gone through a abstinence class that includes accurate information over contraception, relationships, STD’s and societal pressures have delayed having sex. This is one piece of evidence in my mind that shows how important a class of this topic really can be. In addition, one of the most overlooked factors over a…
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