When Is It The Right Time To Talk About Sex?
For several years now, health teachers and educators have argued with parents on whether or not sex education should be taught in middle and high schools and whether students should be exposed to sex at such a young age. Sex education is a term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual intercourse, sexual reproduction, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Some parents feel that sex education is inappropriate and should not be taught in school. They feel as though the government has no right to be teaching their children about sex and that it is their job to do so. On the other hand, other parents and educators feel that sex education should be taught in school and the more …show more content…
According to the Department of Public Health, about 820,000 teens become pregnant each year (1). That means that 34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn 20. If students are not educated about sex in middle and high school, then teenage pregnancy rates will continue to rise. As these rates continue to rise, sex activity between teenagers are continuing to increase and not teaching them about sex education is not helping them but hurting them. The Department of Public Health states that “as the birthrates from teenage mothers increase, so does the percentage of them dropping out of high school” (4). Not only is teenage pregnancy affecting young girls educationally, but financially as well. Mckee, Ragsdale and Southward stated “teen pregnancy and childbearing brings substantial social and economic costs through immediate and long-term impacts on teen parents and their children.” The United States spends over seven billion dollars each year due to the cost of teenage pregnancy. “Within the first year of becoming a teenage mother, one-half of teen moms get put on welfare and 80 percent end up with financial issues, like finding money to provide and support their newborn babies” (Teen Help). Schools that teach about sex education are most likely talk to students about condoms, birth control, and other things for safe sex. Informing the students …show more content…
Teaching students how to prevent pregnancy, STDs, HIV, and helping parents get the message across to their teenagers without them having to deal with the hassle, are all things that show why sex education should be mandatory in schools. Even though some parents may disagree and not want professors and teachers informing their children about sex, it makes no sense to keep the existence of sex hidden from their children when it is only going to hurt them in the long run. Teenagers and young adults deserve to know about aspects of this important experience of their lives. They should have an opportunity to study and be educated about sex on its highest level. I assert that sex education is important to taught to make our teens self aware as they start to explore their own sexuality. Should society try and do everything to suppress our teens from participating in sexual behaviors or should society acknowledge the fact that many teenagers are sexually active and prepare teenagers for the negative
For several years now, health teachers and educators have argued with parents on whether or not sex education should be taught in middle and high schools and whether students should be exposed to sex at such a young age. Sex education is a term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual intercourse, sexual reproduction, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Some parents feel that sex education is inappropriate and should not be taught in school. They feel as though the government has no right to be teaching their children about sex and that it is their job to do so. On the other hand, other parents and educators feel that sex education should be taught in school and the more …show more content…
According to the Department of Public Health, about 820,000 teens become pregnant each year (1). That means that 34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn 20. If students are not educated about sex in middle and high school, then teenage pregnancy rates will continue to rise. As these rates continue to rise, sex activity between teenagers are continuing to increase and not teaching them about sex education is not helping them but hurting them. The Department of Public Health states that “as the birthrates from teenage mothers increase, so does the percentage of them dropping out of high school” (4). Not only is teenage pregnancy affecting young girls educationally, but financially as well. Mckee, Ragsdale and Southward stated “teen pregnancy and childbearing brings substantial social and economic costs through immediate and long-term impacts on teen parents and their children.” The United States spends over seven billion dollars each year due to the cost of teenage pregnancy. “Within the first year of becoming a teenage mother, one-half of teen moms get put on welfare and 80 percent end up with financial issues, like finding money to provide and support their newborn babies” (Teen Help). Schools that teach about sex education are most likely talk to students about condoms, birth control, and other things for safe sex. Informing the students …show more content…
Teaching students how to prevent pregnancy, STDs, HIV, and helping parents get the message across to their teenagers without them having to deal with the hassle, are all things that show why sex education should be mandatory in schools. Even though some parents may disagree and not want professors and teachers informing their children about sex, it makes no sense to keep the existence of sex hidden from their children when it is only going to hurt them in the long run. Teenagers and young adults deserve to know about aspects of this important experience of their lives. They should have an opportunity to study and be educated about sex on its highest level. I assert that sex education is important to taught to make our teens self aware as they start to explore their own sexuality. Should society try and do everything to suppress our teens from participating in sexual behaviors or should society acknowledge the fact that many teenagers are sexually active and prepare teenagers for the negative