Should Sex Ed Be Taught in Schools?
Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?
Sexual education is very important for children with a developing body and for teenagers with questions about sex. Sexual education in schools can be very beneficial for children and teenagers. Knowing about the inevitably changing body may help the process. Sexually active and potentially sexually active teens should be educated on contraceptives, STDs, and abstinence. This is why our group thinks that sexual education should most definitely be taught in schools. Sexual Education is taught throughout the United States. Only 3 states require consent before the school may give any sexual education to the children and 35 states allow the parents to opt out for their children. There are two major kinds of sexual education: abstinence based education and a comprehensive based education. The abstinence based sexual education focuses on abstinence and not having sex before marriage. The comprehensive sexual education may start as early as 5th grade and covers the topics like proper use of contraceptives, STDs, safe sex practices, sexuality and masturbation. Some schools may even teach both practices. 37 states are required to include sexual education instruction and 11 require only that it is included somehow in the education. In 2009 the CDC conducted a survey and reported that almost 50% of high school students said they had sex. 14% of those students had 4 or more partners. Although the teen pregnancy rate has declined, it is still the highest of all developed nations at 68 per 1,000. Canada’s teen pregnancy rate is 27 per 1000. Most teens are getting education on abstinence, STDs, HIV but are not learning how to properly use contraceptives. Any many teens have not been taught how to properly use any contraceptives before their first sexual encounter.
Approximately 65% of high schools teach their students about condoms and 39% of schools taught their students how to use them. Sex education is taught widely across
Sexual education is very important for children with a developing body and for teenagers with questions about sex. Sexual education in schools can be very beneficial for children and teenagers. Knowing about the inevitably changing body may help the process. Sexually active and potentially sexually active teens should be educated on contraceptives, STDs, and abstinence. This is why our group thinks that sexual education should most definitely be taught in schools. Sexual Education is taught throughout the United States. Only 3 states require consent before the school may give any sexual education to the children and 35 states allow the parents to opt out for their children. There are two major kinds of sexual education: abstinence based education and a comprehensive based education. The abstinence based sexual education focuses on abstinence and not having sex before marriage. The comprehensive sexual education may start as early as 5th grade and covers the topics like proper use of contraceptives, STDs, safe sex practices, sexuality and masturbation. Some schools may even teach both practices. 37 states are required to include sexual education instruction and 11 require only that it is included somehow in the education. In 2009 the CDC conducted a survey and reported that almost 50% of high school students said they had sex. 14% of those students had 4 or more partners. Although the teen pregnancy rate has declined, it is still the highest of all developed nations at 68 per 1,000. Canada’s teen pregnancy rate is 27 per 1000. Most teens are getting education on abstinence, STDs, HIV but are not learning how to properly use contraceptives. Any many teens have not been taught how to properly use any contraceptives before their first sexual encounter.
Approximately 65% of high schools teach their students about condoms and 39% of schools taught their students how to use them. Sex education is taught widely across
References: Great Schools, Single Sex Education the Pros and Cons, March 2010, http://www.greatschools.org/find-a-school/defining-your-ideal/1139-single-sex-education-the-pros-and-cons.gs, accessed April 8, 2012. Guttmacher Institute, Facts on American Teens’ Sources of Information About Sex, February 2012, http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-Teen-Sex-Ed.html, accessed March 20, 2012. KwikMed, Teenage Pregnancy Rate Declines in United States, April 7th, 2011, http://kwikblog.kwikmed.com/2011/04/07/teenage-pregnancy-declines-abstinence-vs-contraception, accessed April 7, 2012. National Conference of State legislatures, State Policies on Sex Education in Schools, Legislative Tracking: 2012 Sex Education Legislation and Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Statutes, December 2011, http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-policies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx, accessed March20, 2012. NPR, Sex Education in America: An NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll, February 24, 2004, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1622610, accessed March 18, 2012. Public School Review, Public Schools and Sex Education, September 20, 2008, http://www.publicschoolreview.com/articles/46, accessed April 8, 2012. [->0] - http://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/