sex education

A ten-week course of sex education can do wonders in educating children about every aspect of sexual intercourse. Instead of our standard, two day system running today, we’d be able to have a longer, in depth conversation with the students that would enable them to understand the very basics of sex and all the possible ways to avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), pregnancy, and to be more accepting of sexuality as a whole. The ten week time span we are given would be broken down into categories to address all topics relating to sex education. The first two weeks would cover the basics of sex, such as the biology and anatomy of it, and the process of how it works. Puberty would also be addressed and the students would learn all the bodily and hormonal changes they are going through as well as the names and functions of their reproductive system. These two weeks would go over how the sperm and the egg meet, to create a baby and the process of pregnancy. This time span would cover the entire scientific aspect of sex.
The second two weeks would go over contraceptives in great detail. According to an article written by Linda Berne and Barbara Huberman, approximately half of the sexually active teenagers in the US have unprotected sex which accounts for the high numbers in pregnancy rates, abortions, and STDs compared to European countries. These statistics would drastically drop if we did a better job in educating students about the different forms of contraceptives. To do so, we would give students information on every type of contraceptive out there, how to use it, and where to access it. These weeks would also emphasize the pros and cons of each contraceptive and give a detailed example of exactly how to use the contraceptive (putting a condom on a banana). Price ranges and accessibility would also be covered in this category to ensure that students have an idea of where to access it and the cost.
The next two weeks would be focused on STD’s. According to Berne and Huberman’s article, the US has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the entire western world. To stress the dangers of STDs, we would cover every type of sexual disease students can encounter, and all the symptoms and consequences that come along with it. These weeks would also cover how a person can get an STD and give statistics about the number of people with each disease and the possible cures, if any. This category would get rid of any myths about STDs (how oral sex doesn’t transmit STDs) and do its very best to fully educate the children about the frequent encounters of STDs and emphasize the dangers of them.
The following two weeks would cover the different types of sexuality, such as, heterosexuality, homosexuality, transsexualism, and bisexuality. This session would allow students to understand the many different types of people in the world, and to be accepting of everyone regardless of their sexual preference.
The next week would be a conclusion of everything taught and an overall summary of the previous 8 weeks. This week would also give the students the option of abstinence as a way to avoid STDs and pregnancy as a whole. The last week would then be a question and answer session, allowing students to ask any questions they may have. Students would anonymously write their questions on a piece of paper and submit the questions to the instructor. The instructor would then at random choose questions from the pile they collected and answer them aloud one by one so the student’s identity would remain hidden. This session would clarify any confusion about any topics and allow students to reach out and engage in learning about sex without feeling any embarrassment.
This course would be offered at the end of the year to eighth grade students. This age group would be the most appropriate because young sixth graders would not have the maturity to sit through ten weeks of sexual education. Eighth grade students would be entering high school the following year and this class would offer excellent advising before they start becoming sexually active. Statistics show that the average age people lose their virginity in the US is 17. Students in eighth grade are about 14 years of age so educating them with this information before they reach the average age of intercourse would greatly prepare them.
Parents should have a say in whether or not they want their children to attend this course. If they don’t want their children to be exposed to this learning, they could easily withdraw their students from the class. However, people who oppose to the course as a whole would be given facts about the positive results of sex education. According to Loeber, new curriculum in Finland caused the percentage of adolescents having sex without contraceptives to decrease, as well as the percentage of teens having sex by the age of 15-16. These statistics prove that educating students at a young age allows them to make wiser decisions about their sexual activity and alerts them about the dangers of STDs.
Overall, this course would be an excellent tool for students while making decisions about their sexual activity and identity. This course would teach the students about the benefits and the consequences of sex as well as provide them with knowledge to aid them in choosing the lifestyle that works for them.