Sex Education: Necessary, or Promoting Sex Among Youths?
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NPR reports: "15 percent of Americans say they want abstinence-only sex education in the schools, 30 percent of the the principals of public middle schools and high schools where sex education is taught report that their schools teach abstinence-only."
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There has been an immense -- and intense -- amount of controversy surrounding the necessity and implementation of sex education in high schools (and even junior high schools) for a long time leading up to today. Even after years of heated debates, curriculum changes, and protests, American society is unable to come to a decision regarding this issue as a nation.
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Although there is strong evidence suggesting that teaching sex education courses does not increase sexual activity in young people -- in fact, it may even lower it in some cases -- there are still some who are strongly opposed to the idea and refuse to believe the facts. Some areas in America are in such harmonic opposition that no sex education is taught at all; schools in these areas opt for an 'abstinence-only' program instead.
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Ironically, these 'abstinence-only' programs actually promote teen pregnancy and do the opposite of preventing sexual activity at an early age. It is amazing that even in places like the Rio Grande Valley, where 2,000 pregnant teens in 2008 earned the record for highest pregnancy rate in the entire state, these types of programs are still upheld and renowned by some as the most appropriate form of sex 'education.'
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So why don't they work? Is it just reverse psychology taking hold on wily American teens? Probably not. The main problem with preaching abstinence is that it leaves those who choose not to participate in the lifestyle completely uneducated about how to protect themselves in a world of STDs and possible pregnancy. Abstinence-only programs assume that information about condoms, diseases, and birth control are inappropriate and unnecessary. Besides, no one wants to sit through the uncomfortable and sprawling moments present while giving your kid the "sex talk."
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Perhaps there are some who assume that teaching a detailed and comprehensive sex education course is akin to condoning -- or even encouraging -- sexual activity among youngsters. Sadly, this adamant ignorance is actually totally counterproductive and yielding completely opposite results than desired. Denying knowledge to a teen growing, changing, and surrounded by sexually saturated ads and television shows can only leave them lost and confused in a world where they are not always monitored by adults. So what happens when two hormonal teens are alone and the parents aren't home? And even if the adults are at home and maintain rules against closed-doors, there's always the park. Or the car. Or a number of other places -- teens are smarter than we tend to give them credit for, but it's hard for them to make educated decisions when we haven't given them the actual education needed to do so. Teens who are unaware of any of the benefits of condoms are very unlikely to use them.
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As society progresses, we can only hope that the merits of sex education will become more obvious than they already are -- and, consequently, the schools holding onto their abstinence-only courses will come to realize that they are hurting, rather than helping.
