Sex Education In All 50 States

As stated in, 11 Facts About Teens and STDs, on the website DoSomething.org, “The US has the highest rate of STD infection in the industrial world “ explains exactly why we need sex education in all fifty states (DoSomething.org). Sex education should be available to all students, especially teenagers aged from fourteen to nineteen years old, in order to reduce disease, teen pregnancy, have an overall better sex knowledge and contraceptives. Not all schools offer a well rounded sex education that includes a little of everything.

In the article , General Requirements : Sex Education and HIV Educations , states “ 22 states and the District of Columbia mandate both sex and HIV education “ which means that the other 32 states, has some other type of requirement that doesn’t allow students to fully know the rights , the wrongs , the facts , and the myths.

Students should be able to learn the most they can about these topics in order to protect themselves and others. There are many girls in middle school and in high school that get pregnant due to the lack of knowledge on how to prevent pregnancy.

“ Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy is higher than in other western industrialized nation “ , the teen pregnancy might have lowered more than before in the U.S. but that still leaves us being one of the highest in the industrial world. The best way to continue reducing the rate is to push more and more states to offer sex education. Although having 22 states teaching these students sounds great, there are only 13 states that are obligated to tell the student accurate things.

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“This is shameful and hurtful, because well-rounded sex education can have a significant impact on a teens behavior”, states Ashely Deboeuf in her online article, Sex Education, Contraception Are Keys To Preventing Teen Pregnancy.

Accuracy has a lot to do with the way these students take in this information. One wrong fact or misunderstanding and it can cause a teen pregnancy. Or even worst, an STD contamination. If only 22 states are teaching students about STDs, they’re not getting the knowledge they need in order to protect themselves or even know what a STD is. In a online article named, STDs & Teens : A Reality Check, says “Of the 12 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that occur each year 3 million ( or 25 percent) are among teens. About 13 percent of youth ages 13 to 19 contact an STD each year”. So many students don’t properly know how to prevent these diseases. In some cases, they don’t even know what they are. Teaching a student about these diseases and how to get checked from them can lower the percentage very drastically. Alexandra Sifferlin, the author of the article, Here’s Why Teen STDs Are Hitting All-Times High, says “ Everyone should talk more- and more openly about STDs in order to raise awareness and reduce stigma”.

Become more comfortable with the sex and STD talk between an adult and a student, is a key source in preventing a life long disease. Contraceptives is a major point in sex education. Not only do contraceptives prevent pregnancy but they also reduce STDs rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say, ”… barrier methods can reduce the risk of pregnancy and condom use with every sexual act can greatly reduce- although not eliminate the risks of STDs” (hhs.gov, cdc.gov). When students are taught that condoms can be used to help have a healthy sexual lifestyle, they are being responsible for themselves and others. The more people are open with contraceptives the easier it will be for students to get a hold of them. Teaching students that condoms are available for their convenience at clinics, doctor office, community centers, and many other places, it makes them feel more comfortable to access them.

The website Advocates for Youth, show the following statistic, “ In a two-year study, of Philadelphia health resource centers (HRCs) that make condoms available, the percent of students using condoms at last intercourse increased from 52 to 58 percent”(Advocatesforyouth.org). It’s only a matter of being open with students and letting them know that having safe sexual intercourse and sexual activities is very important. Many parents oppose of having sex education taught to their children for many reasons. The main reason why parents oppose is because they claim it goes against their religion. On an online article called, Ten Good Reasons To Oppose Public School Education, says,” Public school sex ed attacks and undermines the religious faith of students” (Bloniegn).

I understand that religion is an important factor in many families, but teaching them sex education doesn’t promote nor force a student to have sexual intercourse or sexual activities, it’s just to inform students about sex, diseases and contraceptives for whenever they are ready to do so. In the article, Obviously, Sex Education Should Not Be Taught In Schools, by Cullen Herout, says “ Moreover, the responsibility for educating children in the area of sexual behavior and morality should belong to parents alone” (Herout).

Parents claim that sex education should be taught by them and not a random stranger but how many parents really sit down and explain things to them? Many parents think of their kids as saints who don’t do a thing, so they don’t even bother to bring the topic up. Also, many parents nowadays are far too busy with their own lives to even take time to teach their children about sex. Sex education in all 50 states shouldn’t be something to be discussed. It is important as any other subject taught in middle school and in high school. Sex education isn’t made to embarrass anyone, to change anyone’s religious believes, or to promote sex and sexual activities in any way. It is simply made to teach students the importance about sex, STDs, and contraceptives in order to help teens have a healthy sex life.

Work Cited

1. “11 Facts About Teen Pregnancy.” DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-teen-pregnancy.
2. “Sex and HIV Education.” Guttmacher Institute, 4 Sept. 2018, www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/sex-and-hiv-education.
3. Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 May 2017, www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm.
4. UHealthSystem.com, Ashley Deboeuf. “Sex Education, Contraception Are Keys to Preventing Teen Pregnancy.” Miamiherald, Miami Herald, www.miamiherald.com/living/health-fitness/article78043582.html.
5. Better Homes & Gardens. “STDs & Teens: A Reality Check.” Better Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Feb. 2017, www.bhg.com/health-family/parenting-skills/teen-challenges/stds-teens-a-reality-check/.
6. Sifferlin, Alexandra. “Why So Many American Teens Have STDs.” Time, Time, 7 Nov. 2016, time.com/4558627/heres-why-teen-stds-are-hitting-all-time-highs/.
7. Office of Adolescent Health. “Adolescent Development and Contraceptive Use.” HHS.gov, US Department of Health and Human Services, 12 Sept. 2016, www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/reproductive-health-and-teen-pregnancy/contraceptive-use/index.html.
8. Advocatesforyouth.org, www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/449-school-condom-availability.
9. TEN GOOD REASONS TO OPPOSE PUBLIC SCHOOL SEX EDUCATION.” Catholic Parents OnLine, 22 May 2016, www.catholicparents.org/ten-good-reasons-oppose-public-school-sex-education/.
10. Herout, Cullen. “Obviously, Sex Education Should Not Be Taught In Schools.” TheBlaze, TheBlaze, 8 Jan. 2016, www.theblaze.com/contributions/obviously-sex-education-should-not-be-taught-in-schools.