Sex Education in Schools

Sex education refers to imparting knowledge to students with regards to the human sexual anatomy, reproduction, sexual health, responsibilities associated with sex and reproduction, the concept of abstinence, emotional relationships, birth control methods and various kinds of human sexual behavior including homosexuality.

Ever since sex education in public schools as well as some private schools has been introduced, there has been a constant debate whether it is advantageous for the students to have such a vast knowledge of sex at such an early age, with some people for and some totally against it. Let us discuss both the pros and cons to figure out which of the viewpoints carries more weight.

Lesser Teen Pregnancies and Abortions
According to statistics, more than a million young teen-aged girls become pregnant every year in America. The percentage of teenage pregnancies in America is many times more than any other westernized country. If sex education is introduced in schools, girls and boys will be aware of the various birth control methods and they will also understand the importance of abstinence. This can help in bringing down the rate of teen pregnancies as well as the resultant abortions.

Control Over STDs and HIV Infections
Another advantage of introducing sex education in schools is that it can reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases as well as HIV infections among the youth. According to statistics, one in every four new HIV infections is found in people who are under 22 years of age. By proper awareness, such new infections can be controlled.

Against Morals and Ethics
Those who are against sex education argue that in these classes students are taught safe ways of having intercourse. Some students might belong to such families who stress on abstinence before marriage. Thus, sex education classes in this case are against the morals and ethics of the communities students belong to.

Promotes Sex
People against this controversial issue in education say that telling children about intercourse in a way validates that it is all right to have sex at such a young age. So children who had earlier not thought about it, may actually start contemplating having sex.

Inappropriate Teaching Methods
Another drawback is that the teaching methods employed in most of the public schools are not up to the mark. Classrooms often present a sorry affair during these classes wherein teachers are ill equipped and feel embarrassed while adolescent students giggle away to glory, thus lessening the seriousness that this topic deserves.

If you look at the statistics, as many as ninety three percent people feel that it should be made part of the regular curriculum, with only seven percent against it! This in itself proves, that in the modern times today, where kids are exposed to many adult things in early childhood itself, sex education has become a necessity!

For the society and teens to enjoy the benefits of sex education, the classes should be planned and conducted in a very planned and professional way. Teachers, instead of feeling awkward, should be trained to take such classes in a much more open manner, with lots of emphasis on practical demonstrations by way of dummy human genitals. The main aim is to keep the children informed about the various aspects of sexuality and not to arouse them. If these things are kept in mind while sex education lesson planning, the teens and the society in general can benefit a lot from it!