Kelly Nguyen
Mrs. Heyer
Pre-IB/Honors English Language Arts II
18 October 2016
Improvement of Sex Education in the U.S.
Sex education is a rather new concept within the U.S. education system. This educational policy was originally proposed in attempts of reducing the risk of non-consensual sex or sexual behavior, STDs, teen pregnancies, incest, and molestations. The basic foundation of sex education includes contraceptive usage, what is considered consensual and non-consensual, sexual reproduction, etc. Unfortunately, the lack of these teachings have rapidly increased over the years, leading to sexual education ignorance, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancy rates to skyrocket. The United States should currently focus on improving sex education by abolishing abstinence-only education, promoting overall safe sex, and teaching the youth about healthy relationships.
The United States should continue to improve their sex education among the youth by
mitigating the abstinence-only philosophy. Researchers at the University of Washington in
Seattle completed a study revolving around the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only sex education
within the U.S. They found that “teenagers who received some type of comprehensive sex
education were 60 percent less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. In 2007, a
federal report showed that abstinence-only programs had ‘no impacts on rates of sexual
abstinence’” (Think Process). With the continuous funding of these organizations in America,
these abstinence-only policies are deemed a failure. Despite being originally implemented in
efforts of reducing STD and teen pregnancy rates, the results seem to be the exact opposite. As a
matter of fact, Patrick Malone, a director of communications for Sexuality Information and
Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), conducted a similar study that explains the
consequences of enforcing abstinence-only education. Because abstinence-based education only
teaches abstinence, it leaves teens with no knowledge of how to have safe, consensual sex and
the outcomes they may be faced with. As a result, “10% of young people are not aware of HIV
or AIDS, and others think that STDs are an “inevitable result of premarital sexual behavior”
(Malone). With more teens becoming sexually active and this abstinence-based education being
enforced among them, the youth is left without proper education on sex. Not surprisingly, this
has led to skyrocketing STD and teen pregnancy rates. Some argue that “Despite claims to the
contrary, there are 10 scientific evaluations showing that real abstinence programs can be highly
effective in reducing early sexual activity” (Heritage). Unfortunately, this has been shown
numerous times to be false. Advocates for Youth, an organization that helps young people make
informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health, states that
“Evaluations of the effectiveness of state-funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs found
no delay in first sex. In fact, of six evaluations that assessed short-term changes in behavior,
three found no changes, two found increased sexual activity from pre- to post-test, and one
showed mixed results. Five evaluations looked for but found no long-term impact in reducing
teens’ sexual activities” (Advocates for Youth). Overall, it can be concluded that this abstinence-
only policy which happens to still be implemented among our youth is detrimental in regards to
increasing STD and teen pregnancy rates. As an alternative, the United States should continue to
abolish this policy and instead replace it with proper sex education.
The United States should promote overall safe sex. A study done by Guttmacher, a
leading research and policy organization committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health
and rights in the United States and globally, found that “Between 2006-2010 and 2011-2013,
there were significant declines in adolescent females’ reports of receiving formal instruction
about birth control, saying no to sex, STDs and HIV/AIDS. There also was a significant decline
in males’ reports of receiving formal instruction about birth control."(Guttmacher). Based off
of this study, it can be concluded that schools requiring proper sex education and the promotion
of contraceptives have significantly declined over the years. There has been a rise in adolescents
being essentially ignorant in regards to sex education because they simply are not provided with
this important information. Another study done by Advocates for Youth, an organization that
helps young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual
health, has identified “highly effective sex education and HIV prevention programs that affect
multiple behaviors and/or achieve positive health impacts. Behavioral outcomes have included
delaying the initiation of sex as well as reducing the frequency of sex, the number of new
partners, and the incidence of unprotected sex, and/or increasing the use of condoms and
contraception among sexually active participants. Long-term impacts have included lower STI
and/or pregnancy rates” (Advocates for Youth). With the implementation of proper sex
education, it has shown to be significantly effective in reducing STD and teen pregnancy rates.
Although, many argue that "The majority of U.S. schools (66%) provide information
about contraception, such as condoms and birth control pills, as well as about other practices that
fall in the safer-sex category"(WebMD). In reality, a study conducted by Guttmacher, the
sexuality information and education council of the United States, revealed that
"Many sexually experienced teens (43% of males and 57% of females) do not receive formal
instruction about contraception before they first have sex; fewer received instruction about where
to get birth control (31% males, 46% females)"(Guttmacher). This is distinctly a result of
improper or lack of sex education within the youth, which correlates with the rising number of
STDs among the 14-19 age group. With the increasing number of STDs and teen pregnancy and
decreasing number of sexually educated individuals, the United States should take this concern
into consideration and continue to combat this rising issue.
The United States should teach the youth about healthy relationships. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leading national public health institute of the
United States, “1 in 4 adolescents experiences verbal, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse from
a dating partner each year” (Violence Prevention Works). With the lack of acknowledgement on
healthy and unhealthy relationships, this has led to young adults being victims of abuse, whether
it is physical, emotional, or sexual. Being able to distinguish signs of abusive relationships
from wholesome relationships is critical to either partner in regards to physical and emotional
health. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention has also concluded that “A 2011 CDC
nationwide survey found that 23% of females and 14% of males who ever experienced rape,
physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of partner
violence between 11 and 17 years of age. The 2013 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey found
approximately 10% of high school students reported physical victimization and 10% reported
sexual victimization from a dating partner in the 12 months* before they were surveyed”
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Manipulation is an unfortunate and toxic presence
that may lurk behind many relationships. Therefore, it is significant that the education system
concentrates on addressing this issue in order to prevent it from growing any further. The youth
have the right to be informed on what is and isn’t normal in a relationship and how they can
handle any concerns that pose a threat to their mental or physical well-being. Some may argue
that there has been a “decline in the rate of sexual assault is part of a widely observed decline in violent crime more generally, which is down about 60 percent over the past 15 to 20 years” (Reason). Contrary to this belief, Love is Respect, an organization that provides comprehensive education on healthy, unhealthy and abusive dating relationships and behaviors, reveals that “one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner, a figure that far exceeds rates of other types of youth violence” (Love is Respect). It is distinctly shown that victims of abuse have grown at a rapid pace within the United States. Educating the youth on recognizing signs of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and methods of properly handling it before it develops into more serious forms of violence should be further prioritized. The overall welfare of these adolescents is extremely fundamental, and so the United States education system needs to continue to foster and educate them to assure that they grow into a healthy adulthood.
It is vital that abolishing the abstinence-only philosophy, promotion of safe sex, and teaching of healthy relationships will soon be taken into consideration. Sex is part of human nature, and many people within their lives engage in sexual activity or behavior as time progresses. In fact, “71% of American 19-year-olds have had intercourse. 99% of Americans will have sex in their lifetime” (The National Campaign). Because of this, it is crucial that individuals, especially regarding adolescents, receive proper sex education as early in their lives as possible. Unfortunately, this is an area the United States seems to lack in, which has led to detrimental consequences. As a result, teen pregnancies, non-consensual sex, and STDs have begun to rise rapidly over the years. It can be concluded that promoting healthy sexual behavior through proper sex education is extremely beneficial and further mitigates the risks our youth may face as they grow into adulthood. Disregarding the reality that the youth of our country is and eventually will engage in sexual activity is toxic and leads to many dire consequences. With the implementation of sex education, our children will be able to be acknowledged with the risks and facts about sex. It is essential that the United States sex education system takes action in leading our youth to a healthy future for themselves, as they will handle inevitable choices they may face as they begin to further mature and develop. The adolescents within America are the future of this country and so it would only be moral to continue to nourish, enlighten, and protect them.