I am most definitely an advocate for sex education to be taught within the public school system. Much like everything else in life, this is a topic that I also believe should be an ongoing discussion at home once the subject has been introduced by either the child or the parent. Let's remember though that the teenager's timing doesn't always align with the parent's. So, in that case, we have our trusty school system to rely on....hopefully.
Morals, values, religious influences etc. all are first intoduced in the home. That is where abstinence is first talked about too and it's usually based off of those above listed influences. It's a different story, however, when you bring that teenager into the public schools where there is a vast mix of morals, values, and influences. Abstinence isn't always taught at home and neither is safe sex for that matter. Parents shy away from this topic out of denial or faith in someone else talking about it or whatever, who knows why. The point I am making is that influences among peers combined with the teenagers own growth and development, thoughts and opinions tend to hold a lot of value when it comes to decision-making. It's a wonderful thing when a teenager is able to remain abstinent due to strong morals and opinions etc. especially when coupled with all of the curiosity and pressure of the teenage years. But what about the teens that choose differently? What about the teens who are being raised in a home where the subject is taboo or that parents are ill-informed themselves? If for no other reason than pure education, it should be taught. At the end of the day, the teen is going to decide when the time is right to engage in sexual activity and once the decision is made, it will happen. No doubt about it. Instead of letting them be another negative statistic for us let's help them out with pamphlets, education, condoms, and resouces. Sex is a part of life and can be a beautiful thing when engaged in appropriately.
It's vital for the education to be presented in a healthy and attention-grabbing way to all teens, especially if it's the only way one will hear about it. Learning about STDs, pregnancy, and safe sex may help to confirm the decision of the teen who has decided to be abstinent and remain that way until later in life anyway. I had never heard of "abstinence-PLUS" education and after researching it a bit, I suppose that is what I lean towards. It means to promote abstinence in the schools but to also provide information about contraceptives, STDs, HIV, and pregnancy ("Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education"). That sounds reasonable enough to me. The article I just mentioned, "Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education" is a very thorough one discussing the controversy and provides arguments, statistics, research, and disadvantages/advantages for both sides. Hopefully by the time my kids are school age and into their teen years this argument will be settled and give peace of mind to everyone across the board-parents, teachers, teens, and the rest of society that the subject is alive and being recognized and discussed.
Reference
"Abstinence Only vs. Comprehensive Sex Education". Retrieved: September 21, 2010 from
http://ari.ucsf.edu/science/reports/abstinence.pdf.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeletePeer pressure among children has increases so much it seems these days. If sex ed is taught in school not only will teens be able to make a more infromed decision about what they may be getting their self into but they could also prevent things such as pregnancy or an std. Like you had mentioned teens will engage in sex when they feel they are ready and no matter what is taught to them they will do it if they think that is the right decision even though it may not be. So another words the more info they know about sex ed the better off our children are so that they can hopefully stay absitnent and if not abstinent hopefully engage in safe sex.
Melissa V.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI noticed we have alot of the same thoughts regarding this topic. I mentioned in my blog that I come from a family where the subject of sex was very taboo. If I had not been exposed to the topic in school I hate to think how a lack of education would have affected my choices. I'm glad that I was given the resources and information I needed to make an informed decision on my own. I do agree that abstinence is the most effective prevention method and by including other facts about sexual behavior we can reduce the risk of teen pregnancy and STI's.
Martinetta Victorian
I feel we do need to teach sex education in public schools. Time, the TV shows and the music that teens are watching have changed. Ten years ago, the current PG13 Movie would have been rated R. So, we must educate teens based on their “world’. Their environment is indeed filled with different values, beliefs, and peer pressure. Abstinence is the best way, but teens are engaging in sexual behaviors. So, abstinence plus should be taught in school. Oftentimes, sex education in school is the only information a child gets. I was one of those children, my mother didn’t discuss sex. All I was told was “U better never come in here Pregnant”. Plus, in my culture it considered disgraceful and you will get kick out of school. While the scare tactic worked on me, it is surely not the rigt way.
ReplyDeleteHeather, your post was great and you had great points to support your decision.
Keisha Mck.
I agree with mostly everything you said. I grew up in a very religious house and we were always taught to save ourselves for marriage. I still think that it is a good idea to teach sex education in public schools. Sex is a topic that is not always talked about openly at home.
ReplyDelete