The Birds and the Bees

 

Sex education is such an important broad subject yet most schools either

cram it into one marking period or fail to even educate students about it. There are many questions in relation to sex education. Why in 2021 is abstinence still being taught? Why don’t all fifty states mandate sexual education? And yet the most important question why should sex education be required in schools?

In broad terms sex education is in essence high quality teaching about a variety of topics including but not limited to sex, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases and the prevention of them, protection, sexual health, pregnancies, and ones own values and beliefs regarding these topics. While many children and young adults may get information about these subjects from their parents, peers, or even the media, lots of them have no way to be educated on these topics. According to research published by the Guttmacher Institute, “The result of sex education policies becomes more clear when considering that in 2016, the United States had higher rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease than most other industrialized countries.

There are two main methods to teaching sex education such as comprehensive sex eduaction and abstinence only sex education. Comprehensive sex education starts in early childhood and continues through highschool. It covers the emotional and physical basis of the subject. It promotes diverse sexualitys and sexual oritentions while helping young children realize how important their health is. Abstinence only teaches that students should not partake in sexual intercourse until marriage discussing condoms as the only method of contraception and usually avoids topics such as abortion, masurbation, and sexual expression. Abstinence teachings should be avoided because students are bound to start exploring sexually and they should understand what they're doing and how to be safe while doing it.

According to the Guttmacher Institute as of september 1st 2021,

39 states and the District of Columbia mandate sex education and/or HIV education.

20 states and DC require provision of information on contraception.

28 states require that abstinence be stressed.

35 states and DC require provision of information about skills for healthy romantic and sexual relationships.

9 states require the importance of consent to sexual activity to be covered.

Elizabeth Nash, interim associate director of state issues guttmacher Institute states that “It’s hard to get legislators behind comprehensive sex ed,” explaining that campaigning on controversial and sensitive topics can make lawmakers uncomfortable. “Most states will tweak the policies they already have to be more inclusive or double down on conservative regulations,” Nash said.

So why should sexual education be required in schools?

School is the most appropriate place sex education can be held and students need to learn different aspects of changes they will go through as they grow older. It is the educator's job to provide sufficient information about the differences between sexes including the LGBTQIA community and how they will behave differently at different ages. As students are going through these changes sex education helps them to be more prepared for different phases such as, puberty and menopause. The more we educate the less shock and panic these new life changes will cause. Not only will educating young students help them to learn about their own bodies, it will help them to learn about ill minded people and their intentions and how to stay safe and get help if they ever happen to go through something traumatic.

Similar to abstinence only teachings, comprehensive sexual education teachings do stress that abstinence is the only way to prevent pregnancy and one of the best ways to prevent an STD. The difference between the two is that comprehensive gives realistic factual information about sexual practices and protecting yourself if you choose to partake in them. Teaching comprehensive sex education allows adolescents to make more informed decisons before participating in sexual activities, without information young adults often mistake what are safe and unsafe actions. Children and adolescents need the right information from the right resources about sex, sexual relationships, and various other related issues to make the right decision for their present and future. they need to understand what can happen if there are misconceptions about sex, which in turn becomes dangerous. In this current society education is the biggest key and tool to generate more awareness. There is more to sex education than the birds and the bees talk and as soon as everyone realizes that the safer we will all eventually become.

https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/americas-sex-education/

https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/sex-and-hiv-education#