Sex Education Vs. Abstinence-Only Schools

In recent discussions of sex education, a controversial issue has been whether children and teenagers should be taught sex education or abstinence-only classes. On the one hand, some argue that sex education should be taught to children and teenagers. On the other hand, however, others argue that Abstinence-only classes are a better teaching method. In sum, then, the issue is what form of sex-education is more beneficial to the lives of young people. While some may believe that abstinence-only lessons are a suitable learning method, kids need to be taught sex education in order to have healthier lives. For many parents, they dread the day to come where they have to teach their children about sex, which is usually around before or beginning …show more content…
“Curiosity killed the cat” is an understatement when it comes to teens that participate in sexual activities. When children or teens are introduced to the world of sex it is no secret that they are tempted to participate in sexual activity for themselves, which only ends up causing more harm not only to themselves, but also society. “Teens who engage in sexual activity risk a host of negative outcomes including STD infection, emotional and psychological harm, and out-of-wedlock childbearing. Genuine abstinence education is therefore crucial to the physical and psycho-emotional well-being of the nation 's youth” (Evidence on the Effectiveness of Abstinence Education: An Update). Although many will admit that sex can be great it can also be not-so-great because it comes with many health problems and damage to your personal life. For example, no teenage goes into high school saying “I can’t wait to get pregnant!” despite them being forced to accept all of the pros and cons that come with pregnancy. Both the mother and father are thrust too soon into adulthood and have increased their chances of having an unhealthy personal life. However, if they are taught only about abstinence then that influences young people to put off having sex until marriage. When it comes to participating in sexual activity, most of the teenage participants can end up inflicting long-term harm upon themselves in exchange for the temporary good feeling that sex can bring them. And most of the time the teenagers participating in the act aren’t in the right state of mind or aren’t mature enough to be able to make grown-up decisions. “Abstinence programs also provide youths with valuable life and decision-making skills that lay the foundation for personal responsibility and developing healthy relationships and