FREE ESSAY ON SEX EDUCATION

SEX EDUCATION

Kali Thompson 
Audience Analysis: I am writing to the seven chairmen of the Manatee County School Board.
They are a made up of a group of five men and two women. They are most likely all parents
who have a common concern on the material being taught on the issue of Sex Education in
schools. Fellow parents vote on them to insure that they make the correct decisions on
what their kids are learning in school. They are all from some form of the Christian
religion. They are from ages 30 and older. They represent all races. They all have a
college degree and the majority of them have doctorate degree in education. They are
mainly from the upper economic levels in society. The chairmen are very dedicated to
their jobs and take a great deal of consideration when voting on school board
codes/regulations. Therefore, they are willing to hear both sides of an issue that is to
be voted on due to its' importance. 
Sex Education In Schools: The Argument Continues
Sex education in schools has been a long debated subject among parents, teachers,
government officials and students. The need for sex education has increased due the
higher numbers of teen pregnancy and STD cases among school age kids. The pregnancy rate
has more than double and teens have the highest rate of STD cases among all of the age
groups (DeCarlo 1). The major questions are the type of material that should be discussed
and whether the programs are actually helping the problem or adding to it. There are a
lot of other questions that branch off from the major ones also. Since sex education has
already been around for decades, it is very necessary for us to determine the effects of
the educational programs over the years. This will help us to verify the quality of
lessons being taught in the classes.
The need for sex education is very questionable in today's society. An article by Pamela
DeCarlo, from the Centre for AIDS Prevention Studies, discusses why sex education is
needed in schools. She asks why education on this subject is needed and if will help or
hurt today's children. Her view of the issue is that kids do need to have education to
help to protect them but that it isn't enough to prevent them from receiving STD's and
becoming pregnant. "Knowledge alone is not enough to change behaviors." DeCarlo also says
that, "Programs that rely mainly on conveying information about sex or moral precepts-how
the body's sexual system functions, what teens should and shouldn't do-have failed.
However, programs that focus on helping teenagers to change their behavior-using role
playing, games, and exercises that strengthen social skills-have shown signs of success."
On the other hand some believe that sex education is necessary but that it should be
taught using only terms and definitions (Hedgepeth 1). Some fear that it means teaching
them how to have sex if it is not taught using on vocabulary (Hedgepeth 7). I think that
because of the importance of sex education people are more likely to stress over the
issues about it. Parents want to be sure that what is being taught is appropriate and
meaningful to the students. 
That brings me to the next major question asked about sex education: what type of
material should be covered and who decides what is right and what is wrong. It is very
obvious that 30 or even 40 years ago, there was a different opinion on what should be
taught to the children of that age and of generations to come (Pruit, Song 1). With the
ever changing statistics in teen pregnancy and higher rates of STD's among children, the
topic is brought up that more should be taught on prevention rather than on what is right
or wrong, more or less the values being taught. The most crucial part of sex education is
good and effective communication. We all know that when it comes to talking about sex
education teachers and students become very anxious and embarrassed (Whitehead 13). In
today's schools some of the subjects discussed are reproduction, abuse, gender identity,
anatomy, relationship skills, building social skills, STD's, teen pregnancy, prevention
and of course the obvious puberty. The problem comes in when schools, teachers, and
parents are asked to decide what is to be taught. It is a hard question and the answers
are even harder when it comes to deciding which ones are right (Rogers 67). Who decides?

A similar topic among these same individuals is whether condom distribution in schools is
good. Due to the growing numbers of teens having sex, it seems almost necessary for there
to be some type of prevention out there for today's youth (Veltz). Condom availability
programs are said to be crucial because they rest on the assumption that they are a vital
factor in safer sex practices among students (Irvine 129). Others would argue that having
condoms available in schools would only promote the ideas of sex (Young). That it would
simply say that sex is right and give the curious teens a chance to come over there
curiosity just because condoms where provided in their schools. Condom distribution is a
long and on going problem for schools. It probably will never be resolved due to the
immaturity of students (Irvine 136).
The next issue brought up is what is the appropriate age to start teaching it. Some would
say that anyone younger than high school is too immature to really understand it and to
really learn it. Alan Harris has made a break down of at what age teachers think sex
education should start. He said that seventy-five percent of the teachers questioned
believed that preschool should have no form of sex education. Over half of the teachers
thought that middle schools is where sex education should start. And almost all the
teachers thought that there should be some form of sex education in high schools. Some do
believe though that students shouldn't learn these serious topics until things that would
be discussed start happening to them (Kilander 57). The problem with that theory is that
once they have started it will be harder to coax them away from it later (Moran 115).
The issue of sex education in schools is going to be there for many years to come. The
problem is that people want answers that can't be talked about until more research is
done on the effects of sex education. Parents, teachers, schools and students all have on
common goal and that is to find a way to accurately discuss sex education in schools.
There are problems with that because of all of the arguments surrounding the issue and
all the problems with trying to come to a conclusion about it. Since the teen pregnancy
rates have more than double and STD cases are the highest among teens we obviously see a
need for it, but don't know how to go about it. Once we research the long term effects of
sex education and then come to agreement on what should be taught in schools the sex
education problem in America will diminish. We need to break down the educational borders
and try to look at all the perspectives to reach the common goal.