There's no doubt that the sex education provided to American students fails entirely. Unfortunately, America's middle and high school students are given a lack of resources, in terms of sex education. Namely, it is drilled into their heads that abstinence is key. But what about the students who do become sexually intimate with others? How come our education system doesn't teach them safe sex?
To be brutally honest, not many teenagers in today's society are likely to remain abstinent. Eventually, they will find themselves in the position of become intimate with others, and therefore needed to be provided with the knowledge and resources, in order to fully protect themselves. But yet, the American education system fails us by giving students a lack of means to be fully educated on safe sex.
Instead, fear about sex is pushed upon teenagers, in the hopes of preventing all sexual contact from occurring. But this fear, ironically, only leads to higher rates of STDs and teen pregnancies, rather than preventing them, because they are not fully aware of the advantages of protection. We're taught that it's not okay to succumb to sexual urges, when it's only natural and apart of our biology. But yet, if it's so natural, why do we keep regarding it as dirty?
In reference to increased problems due to abstinence-only sex ed, these courses should teach students about the pros and cons of various contraception, such as condoms, birth control pills, and IUDs, as well as allowing students to know where they can obtain such items and have them easily accessible. There should no be a fear of promoting sex by teaching students about their sex protection options. In fact, it does more good than harm.
There's not even a section that includes homosexuality, in order to educate gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, as well. In this day in age, we have accepted that there is a good percentage of the population that is attracted to the same sex, but yet, we provide no information on same-sex relations that would help to educate them on safety. How do we cater to one group, but not the other? It's quite biased, if you ask me.
Sex education in America is completely outdated with it's talk of abstinence-only sex protection and elimination of same-sex romantic involvement. We are know longer living in a generation when such topics are relevant, and the United States' education system needs to modernize these classes, in order to address all sexual matters entirely.
