CAN WE TEACH SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS? Can We Teach Sex Education in Schools? Emanuel Castro DeVry University 1 CAN WE TEACH SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS? 2 We argue that sex education can be dangerous for students because by showing them how sexual intercourse is performed, it violates their morals. Sex education isn't just about gender, though. It is about one way to make young students aware of sexual illnesses and train them for the future. In classrooms, basic knowledge of sex should be taught to avoid early pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), to lessen the population, and to recognize puberty and maturity. People say that sex education will build curiosity about sex for the students, which gives them the idea to act it out. They are persuaded to engage in sexual intercourse which leads to teenage pregnancy and sexual illness. It's also said to be a debate that can make young students nervous or excited. They will see it as more a recreational than a serious subject. If the students start to laugh or make inappropriate remarks about it, this can result in out of control actions. One reason people are against sex education is that it brings up many issues between the whole abstinence claim and the methods of birth control. Many cultural beliefs and traditions may be against adolescents teaching sex, as it might be immoral and uncivilized. In certain third world countries, one example of this is that they are predominantly Muslim for religion. It illustrates the concern of people's personal and religious views that may contradict how children should be taught in sex education classes. While some argue that there is no need to teach sex education in schools, most of the population still wants to follow the study about this. One major reason is that it helps young adults avoid early pregnancy and sexual diseases like HIV and Aids. According to Masland (2004), in their early year’s teens become more sexually active. This can lead to teenage pregnancy and abortion. Moreover, in the U.S., most teenagers are already sexually active, with the teenage pregnancy rate doubling compared to other Western countries, with 750,000 adolescents becoming pregnant each year and around 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported by young people under 25. This is because teens are not well educated about sex, and just decide to try it on their own as they become curious. Sex education must, therefore, be taught to provide them with correct information regarding sex, unplanned pregnancies, and STDs. Another positive aspect of sex education is that it talks about sexual maturity and puberty. This helps the young students to know and understand that they are not alone in that and evolving process. Once they pass their teenage years, sex education will be their guide to show them what puberty and sexual maturity means for all genders. Eventually, sex education will help to reduce population growth. The world population currently stands at over 7 billion, meaning the world already has its redline. People will know the value of the population with the introduction of sex education. It's not just about birth control; it's about understanding one's responsibility when it comes to the issue of sexual interaction. Sex education will allow people to know their limits appropriately. As of March 1, 2016, all states are actively engaged in some way of sex education for public school students. Twenty-four states and the Columbia District require public schools to teach sex education (21 of which are required for sex education and HIV education). Additionally, 20 States require that information on sex and/or HIV should be medically, factually or scientifically correct where available. State definitions of "medically accurate" range from CAN WE TEACH SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS? 3 requiring the Department of Health to review the curriculum for consistency to requiring the curriculum to be based on "established guidelines on which medical professionals depend." An example of which would be New Jersey state law on medical accuracy which states “Family life education curriculum must be aligned with the most recent version of the New Jersey Core curriculum Content Standards which requires that instructional material be current, medically accurate and supported by extensive research.” (Blackman & Scotti) To sum up, in classrooms, sex education should be taught to help young people be on the right track. They must have knowledge of sex so that they will not lose their balance while reaching the stage of adulthood. Young adults must learn the truth of refraining and regulating themselves with sex education to avoid early pregnancy, unplanned overpopulation, and STDs. References Masland, M. (2004, July 1). Carnal knowledge: The sex ed debate. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3071001/ns/health-childrens_health/t/carnal-knowledge-sex-eddebate/#.Xjij-WhKiUk Facts on American Teens’ Sexual and Reproductive Health. (2014, May). Retrieved February 3, 2020, from https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/FB-ATSRH.pdf Blackman, K., & Scotti, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/statepolicies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx
