Essay/Term paper: Why sex education should be taught in schools

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Science Research Papers

Why Sex Education Should Be Taught In Schools


Most America teenagers are sexually active and think nothing could ever
happen to them.
But, many of them are misinformed about the risks that are involved in
sex. Teens also don't always know the best ways to protect themselves and their
partners from becoming pregnant or getting STD's.
Alan Harris said, the more educated someone is the more likely they are
to make responsible and informed choice for their behaviors. Sex education
given by teachers at school is the most relabel way to give kids the right
information about sex. In schools sex education information is give by
professional and has be proven by many reports all over the country and world.
The first formal attempts at sex education was introduced by a Dr.
Arnold a schoolmaster at a public school. Dr. Arnold used the Bible to make the
schoolboys fell guilt and scared of sex and masturbation. The nineteenth-
century scare tactics books of Dr. Arnold were nothing like the sex book used by
the sex educations teachers of today(Greaves. pg.171).
Schools that have sex education taught by a sex education professions
and that use reports and survey from all over the country and world are the most
convening sources of information. They have had the most influence on my
decisions about sex as well as many other teens. Parents and other teens can
give out wrong information about sex that can give a false scene of security,
which can lead to a unwanted pregnancy or STD. Sex education must be taught in
schools so, student get the right information.
Most parents fell that the best place for sex education is in the home.
The parents can teach their children family and religious values. Teacher Mary
L. Tatum says, Schools do a better job influence children and have more time to
try to influence children better that anyone except, perhaps, the parents. It
is important that parents give sex information but, school need to reinforce
what the parents teach to make sure that the information is correct.
Most people who are against teaching sex education in schools have the
opinion that, ³Sex education encourage students to become sexually active at
younger ages.² But, ³The World Health Organization has reviewed 35
scientifically controlled studies in the U.S. and abroad, and found that no
program increased the invitation of sexual intercourse over the control group.²

Not all parents know how to talk to their children and if they do the
children do not always understand or listen to what the parents have to say.
Some mothers wait to ask embarrassed daughter just before their wedding,
³You do know what to do, don't you?² or, ³Do you want to ask me any questions?²
(Kelly .101) Parents of the bride usually assume that the husband will know
what to do about sex.
According to APPCNC (Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North
Carolina) research, parents who talk to their children about sex tend to
encourages they children to delay first time sexual intercourse. The children
will also become sexually active at a older age and are more likely to prevent
unwanted pregnancies and STD's. But, passed attitudes of parents is, once a
child is taught about sex they fully understand all that is needed to be
understood and there is never a need to talked about sex again.(Berne. pg.2)
Some children do what ever the parents tell the not to do. In this case it
would be bad to have the parents talk to the child and will get their sex
education for another source, their peers. Peers exchange information in locker
rooms, play grounds, and parties. Dorothy W. Baruch found that, Childish
Imagining usually changes sexual ideas a lot more that getting facts. This is
how many teens get most of their information about sex.
The most important thing when teaching sex education is have accurate
information that is taught to them so, they can make their own decision with
correct information when the have to make that choice. The best to get this
information is at school for a teacher or other trained professional.
The North Carolina Coalition on Adolescent Pregnancy found that, ninety
percent of the people surveyed agree that, sex education should be taught in the
public schools. Even parents agree, as show in Douglas Kirby studies, about
three fourths of U.S. adult population supports making information and
contraceptive available through school-based health centers.
School-based Programs to Reduce Sexual Risk Behavior: Review of
Effectiveness, states that, ³If effective programs are implemented in our nation'
s schools, they can have and important impact upon reducing sexual risk-taking
behavior...² It can also, ³provide and effective component in a large overall
strategy to reduce unintended pregnancy, STD and HIV²
One out of ten America teenage girl under the age of 20 get pregnant
each year (Berne .18). That's over one million teenage girls in our country
alone. More that half of those pregnancies unfortunately end in abortions or
miscarriages. If the teen mother is not married and choose to have the baby
anyway, four percent of the babies are put up for adoption (Berne .155).
Half of the pregnant teens will lose their babies from abortion or
miscarriage and those that don't will have to suffer with the effect that
pregnancies have on teen mothers. When pregnant teenagers decided to have their
babies and keep them, there are many consequences that effect them before,
during, and after labor. Some of the consequences are: 8 out of 10 teenagers
are likely to drop out of school, 72 percent will divorce by 18, the legal age
of marriage, the risk of committing suicide is 10 times greater, they are 100
times more likely to abuse their child, and the risk of birth defects and
complications in a teen mother are two to three times higher than in an adult
mother(Berne .9). Teen sex and pregnancies is out of control in America. These
teen mothers are not ready for sex or pregnancies.
The median age of first sexual intercourse for girls is just above
sixteen years old (16.2), or 11th grade and the median age for boys is around
fifteen and a half years old (15.7) or 10th grade.
Kids who live in poor and or broken homes do poorly at school, have no
interest in college, and whose parents have low education; are one to three
years younger the first time they engaged in sexual intercourse(Berne .4).
Harriet Pilpel and Laurie Rockett have found in a study of parents that,
eighty percent of the parents believed the sex education should be taught in
schools. The SIECUS report of November 1979 found that, only one to three
percent of parents did not give their children permission to attend the schools
sex education class.
Sex education is best when taught in schools. Because, schools have
professional teaching the information and get their information from surveys and
reports. Teens do not always get along with their parents and will not take the
advise evening if it is right information. And the teens peers usually spread
false information around to each other which can be harmful or even deadly for
teens. If the schools are allow to teach to students hopefully it will help the
teens to make the right decisions to prevent unwanted pregnancies of STD's.

Works Cited


Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolina. The
Advocate, 1995. pg.10.
Baruch, Dorothy Walter. New Ways in Sex Education: New York, McGraw-
Hill, 1959. pg.41.
Berne, Linda A. and Barbara K. Huberman. 17 Arguments Against
Comprehensive Sexuality Education And The Answers From Scientific Literature.
class handout. 1994.pgs.1-9, 155.
--- Dealing with the Reality of Teen Sexual Behavior, class handout,
1994. pg.4.
Greaves, Norman. J. Sex education in College and Department of
Education; Health Education Journal, . 1965. pg.171-177.
Harris, Alan. Sex Education, Rationale and Reaction , What does ŒSex
Education' Mean?
Cambridge University Press, Ed. Rogers, 1974. pg.19.
Huberman, Barbara and Douglas, Karin, The North Carolina Coalition on
Adolescent Pregnancy: March 1993. pg.5.
Kelly, Gary F. Sex Education in the Eighties: Parents as Sex Educators,
New York, Plenum Press, 1981. pg.101.
Kirby, Douglas. School-Based Program To Reduce Sexual Risk-Taking
Behaviors:
Sexuality and HIV/AIDS Education, Health Clinics And Condom
Availability Programs.class handout. 1994.
Pilpel, Harriet and Rockett, Laurie, Sex Education in the Eighties: Sex
Education and the Law, New York, Plenum Press, 1981. pg.19.
Tatum, Mary Lee. Sex Education in the Eighties: Education in the Public
School, New York, Plenum Press, 1981. pg.138
Roberts, E.J., and Holt, S.A. Parents-child communication about
sexuality. SIECUS Report, 1980, 8(4), 1-2,10.
World Health Organization , Technical Report, pg.572. 1994.