Why Sex Education Is Important to Be Taught in Schools - Assignment Example

Fetaw Hinsa Marienau, Catherine Woman’s Study June Why Sex Education Is Important To Be Taught In Schools I think sex education is very important to be taught in school. In fact, I believe it should be considered as a subject similar to Math, History, and others. It is my belief that incorporating sex education in class will decrease the number of reported pregnancies, infections and other related problems among the youth. Authorities, however, hold differing views on this issue. Levesque points out that many social and youth welfare associations have indicated that sex education in schools is just like any other subject whose importance is tested at examinations rather that in real life practicability (Kirby, 2000a). However, increasing sex education classes in schools helps to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies, infections among other teenage problems caused by poor sexual decision making. The increase in the number of teenage pregnancies, abortions, and babies born of wedlock, has been a national issue of debate in United States. Aria (2009) reported that the growing number of young mothers and fathers has been an awakening call for all education stakeholders to provide education that is able to guard young people against uniformed sexual relationships. Sex education in schools has been used for a long time as a strategy to reduce and curb teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases among the youth in Chicago and other parts of America. While this strategy has seemed successful, opposing opinions indicate that increases sex education in schools couldn’t curb teenage pregnancies but only increasing them (Arai, 2009). Current sex education programming incorporates lessons on how sexually transmitted diseases could be treated with no acknowledgement of the emotional harm from premature sex. In addition, the program focuses on age-related topics on understanding one’s body and the physiologic changes it undergoes during puberty, discussions on safe sex, prevention on the transmission of sexually acquired infections, and the importance of contraception in preventing unwanted pregnancies (Witmer, 2012). However, according to Aria (2009), increasing sex education programs in schools is the main solution to curb teen pregnancies. Such programs should be well planned and timed and should be provided by qualified individuals who have diverse knowledge and experience in social, emotional and psychological subjects. All the education stakeholders need to create a culture that good sex education programs can help in preventing and controlling the ever rising cases of teenage pregnancies. Notably, the results of sex education programs shall not be dependent on the number of sex education programs but by how they are offered to the young people. Yet, the increasing cases of teenage pregnancies and school drop outs among the youth in America have created doubts on the effectiveness of sex education. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of these programs in controlling teenage pregnancies among the youth. The quality of sex education programs needs to be uplifted through getting qualified personnel for the task as well as allocating substantial resources for the programs. The project to this object is what is the most effective factor in sex education at preventing teenage pregnancies in Chicago? The researcher believes having these sorts of sex education programming in high schools will result less teen pregnancies. Approaches to sex education The issue of how to prevent teenage pregnancy revolves around what factors are identified as the causative influences. Sex education has received a lot of support over the last few years among teachers and parents as a method to combat the ever increasing cases of “Sexually transmitted infection,” STI infections and teenage pregnancies. According to McKay (2000), sex education takes place every day in home schools, churches and the media. In schools, the sex education curriculum includes though is not limited to, sexual development, sexual health, interpersonal relationships, as well affection, romance, intimacy, sex, body image and gender roles. Sex education programs teach knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, morals, and skills that promote strong and healthy relationships, good character, and healthful sexuality. Sex education in all areas of education aims at enlightening and assisting the young people to understand a positive view of their sexuality while giving them skills and knowledge that will help them in maintaining their sexual health and help them make decision about their future sexual life (Zabin, 2002). The most comprehensive approach to sex education addresses the social, psychological, biological and spiritual dimensions of human sexuality from an informational point of view, affective point of view and from a communicational point of view (Maluleke, 2003). Sex education involves synchronizing these aspects to enable the youth know themselves better thus improve on the way they relate with other people. This is however contrary to the misconception among many people that sex education increases sex activities among the youth. Proponents of sex education programs in schools say that sexuality programs in schools teach skills and knowledge that are critical in the social and sexual life of the youth (Bruess and Greenberg, 2008). Different perspectives on sex education Sex education shouldn’t be viciously done but should be undertaken by well trained instructors who are familiar with the subject of sex. In many schools the neglect of sex education has had a great impact in number of reported pregnancies among the youth in different schools in United States. This has considerably led to the increase in the number of school drop outs due to pregnancy related complications. This has in time sprouted an argument on the relevance and effectiveness of the sex education that is carried out in different schools. Youth welfare associations and religious movements say that the increase in number of sex education classes has only increased the awareness of the subject thus more and more youth have been involved in sexual activities (Caroll 6). However, Aurora believes that “if sex education programs in schools are increased then the students will be able to learn how to become sex-knowledgeable adults thus fully understand themselves as well as all results of uniformed sex” (26). Bruess and Greenberg (2008) describe the importance of increasing sex education programs in schools by noting that “the problem of increased unwanted and unintended pregnancies and other sexual effects that are caused by lack of information among the American teenagers can be adjusted with more sex education programs in schools” (p. 67). What should be taught Teenagers should be taught the direct consequences of sex before marriage, unprotected sex and importantly how to abstain and use protection. When all students are well informed about the consequences of early and unprotected sex as well as the risks that accompany such actions as infection from sexually transmitted diseases, then they will make correct decisions before engaging in any sexual activity thus reducing the number of pregnancies and infections. Since parents can’t fully take the full responsibility of teaching their children about sex and sex related consequences, then the schools should be best place where such sex lessons can be done. However, the role of parents in sex education and awareness of their children can’t be entirely ignored. Churches and family social functions are some of the forums where parents have greatly engaged young people into lessons regarding and affecting their sexual lives. Parents and religious leaders have refuted the credits taken by schools as the best places for children to learn about their sex activities. In contrast, they consider schools as an experimentation phase where the youth try what they have learnt. History and development of sex education Kohler (2008) traces sex education in schools to the nineteenth century when sex education consisted of medical information about sexually transmitted diseases as well as the human reproduction systems. During the middle of that century, and with the evolution of mass media, sex information became much more available to all people, including children. People became enlightened about their sexuality but the young people became overwhelmed by the information from so much information about their sexuality thus ended up making wrong or misinformed decisions. Due to this, phenomenon Maticka-Tyndale (2001) notes that; many people felt that there was a need to introduce controlled sex education programs in schools that would act as a guide to the young people in making decisions about their sexuality (p. 15). Thus in the 1960’s, public schools began teaching minimized sex education programs in the early 1970s, however the educational bodies and government departments developed and financed more concrete programs for sex education (Huber, 2009). Since then there has been an exponential growth in the development of sex education among the youth in United States and other regions in the world despite very strong opposing forces from individuals and organizations, which consider sex education among the youth as a catalyst to the increasing teenage pregnancies and the spreading of STIs. Present sex education programs in schools Until recently, the discussion of sex had been a dreaded subject especially between parents and their children. Young people sought information about their sexuality from their friends or the internet and electronic media (UNAIDS 2007). Some of these sources have been misleading and have over a long time contributed to a number of cases of teen pregnancies and spread of STIs among the youth. Current statistics indicate that teens are more engaged in sex than earlier years. Significantly, 25 per cent of all girls in Chicago and 35 percent of all boys have had sex before the age of fifteen (Kirby, Baumler and Coyle, 2011). This is a tender age for sex and statistics continue to indicate that by age of eighteen, 75 per cent of girls and 85 per cent of boys had sex (Jordan et al, 2008). This indicates the need for sex education to the youth from the very initial stage they start schooling. Due to this young age for initiating sexual activity, children should be taught about relations and respect for others as early as their kindergarten school level. As they grow, children should be well informed about their sexuality; involvement in sex at a young age could have effects on their future life prospects (Kirby, 2000). As the kids grow to teenagers, they should be taught the importance of abstinence and consequences of sex and by the time they are in high school which is the time when they are very sexually active they should be taught about contraceptives and the possibility of contracting venereal diseases and catching pregnancies (Bedimo et al, 2002). However; this educational approach may not solve the high teen pregnancy rates or the spread of STDs, it may considerably stop the increase and help more young people in being more responsible and more educated about their sexuality (Jemmott, Jemmott and Fong, 2010). Effectiveness of sex education in controlling teen pregnancies There has been a concern among parents and guardians as to whether there is any evidence that sexual education programs imposed on the youth have any significance in reducing the risk of unintended pregnancies among the youth. According to Gibbs (2003), the answer to this concern is a yes because presently there are substantive literature supporting and highlighting many regions in the world where sex education has helped in bringing up morally and socially sensitive youth who closely guard their sexuality. Sex education is an eye opener to many young people who closely follow the teaching in the programs to improve their relationships and sexuality (Dryburg, 2009). Sex education programs are deemed to succeed if the people providing such programs understand what is needed by the youth in making decisions about their sexual relationships. The effectiveness of sex education in controlling teen pregnancies in Chicago and other states in America is very dependent on the support that the education programs are given by all stakeholders in the growth of the young people. The position of parents and guardians may be very influential in the success and the effectiveness of sex education programs. The support of parents in implementing sex education programs should be total for the programs to succeed. The support of the youth is also very important. Once the young people appreciate the role of sex education in their social lives, then these programs are automatically going to succeed in changing the sexual relationships of the youth in a positive way. The role of religious community is also very important for effective sex education awareness among the youth. The fact that churches have a great command of social life of people means that they can help the schools in providing sex education programs to the youth. Notably, the support of the government can’t be ignored in achieving an effective sex education programming because the government provides resources that are necessary in facilitating these programs. While all this support is necessary, the ultimate success of sex education in controlling teen pregnancy and spread of STDs will largely dependent on the interaction that the youth have with the sex education trainers (Beier et al, 2000). An effective sex education program will therefore require a very consistent and series of sexual teaching by the trainers to the youth at the appropriate stages of their tenancy. When sex education programming is offered to the youth at the right time and in the right manner, then results will be as expected and the increase in teenage pregnancies will be controlled. While the goal of implementing sex education programs among the youth is to reduce the frequency of teen pregnancy and spread of diseases, the effects that may accompany these programs may be negative (Bradford, 2004). Increasing sex education programs in schools will definitely increase the awareness of sex and sexual activity among young people and consequently more young people will be involved in sex related activities. The end result of this would be increased number of pregnancies and spread of sexually transmitted infections among the youth. On the other hand, the increase in teenage pregnancies among the youth in Chicago and other states of America has attracted many critics about the rationale and importance of using sex education in schools. The use of sex education programs has resulted to the expected informed youth on sexual relationships as well as the unanticipated misuse of such awareness. The few notable reduction in cases of teenage pregnancies in schools with well planned sex education programs in addition to the awareness and knowledge that youth have been imparted in relation to their sexuality are some of the good result of sex education. However, those poorly organized sex education programs where the duty of administering such programs is left on the teachers haven’t helped in informing the youth about how to handle their sexuality thus increased pregnancies and spread of STIs. Caroll, Newton and Romer agree that there is increased teenage pregnancies and dropouts in schools that don’t have intensive sex education programs, “many schools in United States that do not have co-existence or sex related classes have recorded increased cases of teenage pregnancies, abortions and school drop outs” (13, 90 and 24). The increase in teenage pregnancies and infections is a top modern society problem that is a threat to social coexistence especially among the teenage population because the young population does not have the information that they need to sexually relate to their partners. Schools should be regarded as the most important place where young people get their sex education with reinforcement from the education they get from their parents. In areas where schools don’t have consistent sex education programs, teenagers have ended up in the internet, television and used friends to learn about sex which aren’t reliable and trusted channels to get sex information. However, social scholars say that friends and electronic media have been very influential and significant in molding the youth sexual behavior. These scholars say that many television and radio station air very educative sex related programs that advise on the effects of having immature sex (Newton 57). Irvine notes that there is an increase in the number of young mothers and unlicensed abortions in United States in recent past because of inappropriate and neglect of sex related educational programs in schools (21). This is regrettable especially in a nation that is supposed to uphold sex education to its young people. This means that the standard of sex education has been dropping thus the increased number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. This is the reason why there is a great need to increase the sex and coexistence education programs and make sex courses obligatory in all levels of education. This should be the evidence to those people and organizations who don’t believe that increase in sex education in schools can reduce teenage pregnancies. Evidently, Levesque and Irvine say that, “schools which have intensive sex education programs have reported limited or no cases of school dropouts due to pregnancies or abortions” (72, 9). However, parents believe that church teachings and family social functions are the effective methods that the youth can be taught about their sexuality. They say that an increase in church sexual teachings as well as similar teaching during family functions would considerably reduce the number of immature pregnancies and spread of sexually transmitted infections among the youth. People and welfare associations who are opposed to the idea of increasing sex education program in schools to curb teenage pregnancies have characterized the young population as very innovative and aggressive and likely to practice everything that is taught in class. They say that increasing sex education programs in schools will definitely increase its awareness among the students and consequently more students will be involved in sex related activities. Newton believes that ‘increasing awareness of sex related activities and the expected peer pressure will lead to many teenagers indulging in unhealthy sexual relations” (16).The end result of this would be increased number of pregnancies and spread of sexually transmitted infections among the youth. Since sex education has been introduced at all levels in education in schools, the students at the lower level of education may be adversely affected because they may not be ready for sex related education. On a normal consideration, many students are expected to put all the sex teachings they learn from school to a positive use. Parents, churches and social welfare organizations have been concerned that providing information about sex to young people automatically arouses the curiosity and consequent sexual experimentation. This will logically increase the sexual activity among the youth thus increased probability of teenage pregnancies, abortions and infections. Campos notes this as the reason why many parents and religious groups in United States have been on the other side of the increased sex education programs in schools (36). Parents don’t usually agree with these measures that are taken by schools due to their religious and cultural backgrounds. However, religion or cultural orientation isn’t a better hiding for parents to shy away from allowing their kids to undergo sex education programs because regardless of any religion that one is aligned to, unguided sex relationships lead to pregnancies and infections to all teenagers. A great number of American teenagers are sexually active but think nothing could happen to them. They have many undesired sexual activities. These teenagers are not well informed about the risks that are involved in sex at their age. Teens do not have ideas on the best methods they can use to protect their partners from sex risks such pregnancies and diseases. Many scholars have noted that the more an individual is educated on all issues related to sex, the more that individual is likely to make an informed choice for his/her sexual behavior. The increase in sex education in schools should be encouraged because sex education extended by teachers is the most reliable way to offer the right information about sex to teenagers. Schools extend more professional and guided sex education as opposed to family counseling and sex information obtained from friends and internet. While parents and friends can give false information about sex, schools give the right information because sex education. However, the role of parents, churches, friends and social welfare associations can’t be ignored because the youth can’t learn everything about their sexuality at school. This group acts as a counsel and guides to implementation all sex lessons that are taught at school thus sex education is an all inclusive exercise where the input of every party is required to achieve the desired results. Conclusion In the understanding that a child spends more than half of daytime at school in addition to very conservative parents who never talk about sexuality with their children, learning institutions are the most appropriate areas where the responsibility of sex education can be highly practiced and appreciated. However, school based sex education programs should only complement religious, social groups, and families in providing sex education to children. The responsibility of providing sex education to the youth can’t only be left to the schools because the contribution of every member in the society has its own impact in the decisions that the youth make concerning their sexuality. The knowledge of what to teach, when to teach and why are the most important factors when providing sex education to the youth. Literature proves that sex education has created morally and socially sensitive youth who value their sexuality. It has been suggested that approaches such as teaching students the consequences of unprotected sex, discussions on the physical and physiologic bodily changes during puberty, information on the importance of contraceptives, and preventive measures on STD contraction, among others have helped children become sexually aware and responsible adults in the future. However, the effectiveness of sex education in reducing cases of teen pregnancies and related effects can only be achieved if sex education programs are offered at the right time and with the right messages. The possible youth interpretations of the lessons provided by sex education programs should be considered and evaluated before the programs are rolled out. Campos describes the effects of the collision on opinions between the parents and schools concerning sex education to the youth as very devastating, “each year, United States experiences an approximate of 850,000 pregnancies and nine million sexually transmitted infections from the youth under the age of 25” (27). At the age of 18, two-thirds of United States females and 60 percent of males have been involved in sex. A comprehensive sex education programs become very necessary in assisting the teenagers to make healthy decisions concerning their sexuality. Increasing sex education programs in schools stands as the best method that the youth can learn more about the their sexuality hence be more informed in making decisions and thus reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and sexually transmitted infections. 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