Let’s Talk About Sex
At some point in every adolescent’s life he/she will be faced with a transformative decision concerning his/her sexual and reproductive health. However, due to the current curriculums in America, such as Abstinence-Only, a majority of these adolescents lack the knowledge to make that decision responsibly, often resulting in unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. In order to provide the knowledge needed, Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be offered, if not mandatory, in all fifty states. The history of Abstinence-Only began primarily in 1981 when Congress passed the Adolescent Family Act Law, more commonly referred to as the ‘chastity law.’ Within this law, Abstinence-Only was partially defined …show more content…
The importance of discussing particular topics with age-appropriate students was revealed in an interview with Margaret Shuffler, an Abstinence Plus teacher at Murray Middle school. When asked about any noteworthy experiences, she recalled an event that occurred earlier this year. Shuffler stated, “ This year, I had an anonymous 8th grade note saying: I have been raped before. Does this mean I have lost my virginity?” (Shuffler). Using a resource called the BirdNBz text line, monitored by SHIFT, she was able to find the best answer to this question. In addressing this question, Shuffler decided that one day in class after a video on safe dating that discussed date rape, would be the most appropriate time. She mentioned to the class that someone’s virginity is only his/hers to give. If someone is raped, he/she has not given consent to “lose their virginity” and are, therefore, still a virgin until they choose to become sexually active. However, in Abstinence-Only, having sex outside of marriage or with more than one person results in the loss of value. A common comparison is that of a piece of gum that’s already been chewed, which no one else will ever want and should be thrown away. Within all sexual education programs, it should be discussed that rape is not a choice for the victim and basing a person’s worth to his/her sexual …show more content…
In order to combat this issue, the Netherlands currently begins Comprehensive Sexuality Education at the age of four, yet it is not what may be assumed. Four year olds are obviously not being taught about contraceptives and abortions, instead, thanks to their age-appropriate curriculum, sexuality education begins by teaching about love and healthy relationships. It is also not just for four year olds, it continues throughout school by, for example, teaching eight year olds about gender stereotypes and body image or teaching eleven year olds about contraceptive use and sexual orientations. Whereas America’s idea of Sex Education revolves primarily around abstaining from sex, sex education in the Netherlands focuses on having open and honest conversations about love and relationships. Surprisingly enough, this approach seems to be better suited for helping adolescents form their identities and providing critical information for later on in life- whether it be recognizing an abusive relationship or understanding the risks of having unprotected
At some point in every adolescent’s life he/she will be faced with a transformative decision concerning his/her sexual and reproductive health. However, due to the current curriculums in America, such as Abstinence-Only, a majority of these adolescents lack the knowledge to make that decision responsibly, often resulting in unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. In order to provide the knowledge needed, Comprehensive Sexuality Education should be offered, if not mandatory, in all fifty states. The history of Abstinence-Only began primarily in 1981 when Congress passed the Adolescent Family Act Law, more commonly referred to as the ‘chastity law.’ Within this law, Abstinence-Only was partially defined …show more content…
The importance of discussing particular topics with age-appropriate students was revealed in an interview with Margaret Shuffler, an Abstinence Plus teacher at Murray Middle school. When asked about any noteworthy experiences, she recalled an event that occurred earlier this year. Shuffler stated, “ This year, I had an anonymous 8th grade note saying: I have been raped before. Does this mean I have lost my virginity?” (Shuffler). Using a resource called the BirdNBz text line, monitored by SHIFT, she was able to find the best answer to this question. In addressing this question, Shuffler decided that one day in class after a video on safe dating that discussed date rape, would be the most appropriate time. She mentioned to the class that someone’s virginity is only his/hers to give. If someone is raped, he/she has not given consent to “lose their virginity” and are, therefore, still a virgin until they choose to become sexually active. However, in Abstinence-Only, having sex outside of marriage or with more than one person results in the loss of value. A common comparison is that of a piece of gum that’s already been chewed, which no one else will ever want and should be thrown away. Within all sexual education programs, it should be discussed that rape is not a choice for the victim and basing a person’s worth to his/her sexual …show more content…
In order to combat this issue, the Netherlands currently begins Comprehensive Sexuality Education at the age of four, yet it is not what may be assumed. Four year olds are obviously not being taught about contraceptives and abortions, instead, thanks to their age-appropriate curriculum, sexuality education begins by teaching about love and healthy relationships. It is also not just for four year olds, it continues throughout school by, for example, teaching eight year olds about gender stereotypes and body image or teaching eleven year olds about contraceptive use and sexual orientations. Whereas America’s idea of Sex Education revolves primarily around abstaining from sex, sex education in the Netherlands focuses on having open and honest conversations about love and relationships. Surprisingly enough, this approach seems to be better suited for helping adolescents form their identities and providing critical information for later on in life- whether it be recognizing an abusive relationship or understanding the risks of having unprotected