Comprehensive Sex Education, Essay Example

The question of a physical relationship with another person is highly personal. The decision whether one should or should not enter a sexual relationship must be taken without compulsion or violence, as the consequences are far-reaching in every case. Forcing a person into a sexual intercourse is a criminal offence resulting in a considerable imprisonment term. Sexual traumas are hard to notice at times, but they are irreparable, destroying a person from the inside and changing their life beyond redemption. Pregnancy is a logical continuation of a sexual relationship; however, quite a number of people appear to be not ready for such an enormous responsibility. This comes as shock even for grown-up and shaped personalities, as their whole pattern of life must be altered. This may sound as a catastrophe for a teenager who is incapable of providing for themselves, let alone a baby.

Consequently, one’s attitude towards sex and sexual behavior are a crucial part of their development. There are two opposing perspectives on the issue. One claims that children should obtain a comprehensive education on the topic, so that they know what challenges they may face and what options they have. The other point of view, which I also share, maintains that children’s sexual education at school should be focused on restricting early sexual activity, and teaching them why abstinence is a sensible choice for a child or a teenager.

According to Magoon (2010), “sex education is the process of gaining knowledge about sexuality, sex, and intimate relationships” (p. 8). The author stressed, “it also involves forming opinions and beliefs about what sexual feelings and behaviors are right and appropriate” (ibid.). However, the term has various components giving freedom for interpretation, which gives rise to arguments on what is best to include into sexual education. Sources of knowledge about sex are parents, teachers, friends, and media (ibid.). It is important to understand that the task of teaching children about sex and sexual relationships does not rest on the family or school exclusively. One knows that children receive a major part of information from sources that neither parents nor teachers can control. They communicate with friends of approximately the same age, and get to know facts (often distorted) which they do not discuss with either of the sides. The same concerns media – the flow of information one has to face nowadays is so powerful that it is next to impossible for parents to filter it efficiently. What parents and teachers have to do is to give children and teenagers objective information without aberrations and myths, for children to develop healthy attitudes and values. This would, first of all, protect them from dangerous delusions connected with lack of knowledge on the topic. In the second place, this would ensure their normal physical and psychological development, without traumatic sexual experiences. The problem is – what approach is the best way to create the informational protection mentioned above?

The problematic nature of sexual education as such finds reflection in a variety of approaches to the distribution of roles in a child’s sexual education. One of them is to encourage everyone to practice abstinence. This approach operates the concept of morality. Another idea is to avoid restricting a person’s freedom of action. This includes everybody’s freedom to demonstrate the kind of sexual behavior which they feel the best for themselves. Proponents of this point of view think that youths, as well as children, should get all the possible information about safe sex and birth control if they decide to have an intimate relationship. This idea finds manifestations in the SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States) Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexual Education (2004). The Organization believes that:

“…Comprehensive school-based sexuality education should be part of the education program at every grade. Such programs should be appropriate to the age, developmental level, and cultural background of students and respect the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community. Comprehensive school-based sexuality education complements and augments the sexuality education children receive from their families, religious and community groups, and health care professionals” (p. 13).

However, the guidelines SIECUS suggests for discussions at school are quite controversial. For example, “masturbation, either alone or with a partner, is one way people can enjoy and express their sexuality without risking pregnancy or an STD/HIV” (ibid., p. 52). One should not forget that this kind of material is intended for children or teenagers. Their interpretation abilities are still developing. A substantial number of children feel awkward when they have to talk about their sexual attitudes, and completely fazed when such intimate issues as masturbation come up. There are psychologists and therapists who are always ready and willing to help children understand what they are and what they feel. They can always consult these specialists if they need help, suffering less embarrassment because their classmates are not present in the room where somebody speaks about masturbation or having sex. Another possible problem is a child’s cultural background. A child may find him/herself in a situation when what a teacher says is diametrically opposite to what is claimed by the religion or custom adopted in his/her family.

What makes sense in terms of school education is teaching children and teenagers about abstinence. It may concern not avoiding pre-marital sexual relationship, but choosing not to have sex until one is physically and morally ready. In other words, what I favor is not refusing the idea of an obligatory sexual education at a public school, but keeping to the abstinence-supporting course.

Rector stresses that “teenage sexual activity is a major problem confronting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), emotional and psychological injuries, and out-of-wedlock childbearing” (2005, p. 62). An immediate conclusion that I can make is that children misinterpret the information they get about safe sex. With the abundance of sexual content on TV screens and videos, as well as an easy access to it through the Internet, children fail to form a healthy set of values. Their concept of “safe sex” is restricted to the idea that having sex with a stranger is normal as long as they use a condom. However, this belief leads to the destruction of such fundamental values as family, relationship, love, devotion, loyalty, etc. I see these concepts as crucial factors in teaching children about sexuality. Page and Page (2011) claimed, “choosing to abstain from sexual activity gives youths the time and freedom to discover who they are and make long-range goals for future, rather than becoming caught up in defining themselves in terms of a dating game” (p. 314). As soon as teenagers understand that safety of a sexual relationship lies not only in the material, but also in the spiritual aspect, the situation will ameliorate.

To emphasize the necessity of further support of abstinence programs, Rector uses the following data: “sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including incurable viral infections, have reached epidemic proportions. Annually, 3 million teenagers contract STDs; STDs afflict roughly one in four teens who are sexually active” (2005, p.62). This impressive statistics shows that, despite the ubiquitous “safe sex” campaigns, children and youths remain spectacularly ignorant in the field of sexual education. Even if they are not ready for sexual relationships, they are taught how to carry them out. Damage to one’s physical health is only one side of the problem. According to Rector, “research shows that young people who become sexually active are not only vulnerable to STDs, but also likely to experience emotional and psychological injuries, subsequent marital difficulties, and involvement in other high-risk behaviors” (ibid.). Negative experiences of this kind may result in years of therapy. Teaching youths about abstinence may spare them unnecessary traumatic experiences, saving the stability of their nervous system.

Rector also indicates the following:

“Conventional “safe sex” programs (sometimes erroneously called “abstinence plus” programs) place little or no emphasis on encouraging young people to abstain from early sexual activity. Instead, such programs strongly promote condom use and implicitly condone sexual activity among teens. Nearly all such programs contain material and messages that would be alarming and offensive to the overwhelming majority of parents” (ibid.).

One knows, however, that there is no 100 %-effective method to prevent a STD. This confirms once again how children and youths can be misled, as they lack experience and analytical abilities that would help them draw correct conclusions from the messages of “safe sex” campaigns.

Another argument for abstinence programs in sexual education is that they have demonstrated considerable achievements. Virginity Pledge Programs unite people taking a formal virginity pledge. A study showed that youths who have taken the pledge and their peers with the same background, income, school record and other criteria had different levels of sexual activity. Participants in the program were four times less active. Not Me, Not Now is another intervention program targeted at 9- to 14-year-olds. This program mainly employed various print and broadcasting media to foster abstinence. The results were impressive: the sexual activity rates among 15-year-olds dropped by 15 per cent, whereas the number of pregnancies among 15- to 17-year-olds reduced from 63 to 50 per 1000. Operation Keepsake is another abstinence program for 12- to 13-year-olds. The assessment showed that the number of children becoming sexually active at this age reduced by two thirds in comparison with those school students which did not participate. Current sexual activity was reduced by approximately one fifth. Other abstinence programs showing efficiency of the chosen approach are Abstinence by Choice, Teen Aid and Respect, Family Accountability Communicating Teen Sexuality (FACTS), Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI), Project Taking Charge and Teen Aid Family Life Education Project (Rector, 2005).

Critics claimed that this approach “has created a discourse which associates sexuality with danger rather than pleasure” (Measor, Tiffin & Miller, 2000, p. 10). However, it is important that youths know all the risks they take when deciding to have sex. Sexual life is normally associated with an “adult” life, so this decision must be indeed an adult one, with all the responsibility in mind. Unless it is so, the “pleasure” constituent of a sexual relationship cannot be taken as an argument.

Educational programs promoting abstinence before marriage are adopted in many states, causing criticisms. Opponents of such programs claim that they are too conservative and do not correspond to the requirements of the modern society. However, there are developments that suggest that this kind of education is as relevant as never before: children become sexually active before they are physically ready for this, let alone their psychological readiness. These premature relationships are seldom successful, which results in lack of stability and trust for partners in future. This also causes failing marriages, as relationships lacking in trust can never be successful. Girls who start to have sex at an early age can get pregnant, which results either in having a child long before this girl can take care of it, or an abortion, which can become a tremendous trauma. One can see that the consequences of lack of the moral aspect in sexual education are hard to embrace. It affects society at large and separate individuals who will grow up to become the nation’s future. Certainly, everybody has the right to choose what they want, but they also have the right to know what they choose. This is what I believe to be the essence of a sexual education that should be mandatory in public schools.

References

Magoon, K. (2010). Sex Education in Schools. Edina: ABDO.

Measor, L., Tiffin, C., & Miller, K. (2000). Young People’s Views on Sex Education: Education, Attitudes and Behavior. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Page, R. M. & Page, T. S. (2011). Promoting Health and Emotional Well-Being in Your Classroom. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.

Rector, R. E. (2005). The Effectiveness of Abstinence Education Programs in Reducing Sexual Activity Among Youth in Evans, D. (ed.), Taking sides: Clashing Views in Teaching and Educational Practice. McGrawHill/Dushkin.

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2004). Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Kindergarten-12^th Grade, 3^rd ed. Elizabethtown, PA: Fulton Press.