Peter DeWitt's
Finding common ground.
A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. He can be found at www.petermdewitt.com . Read more from this blog .
Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?
- Share article
Thinking about sex education conjures up all of those uncomfortable moments as an adolescent when we had to sit at our desks and listen to our health teachers talk about things that we joked about with friends but never wanted to have a conversation about with adults. But things have changed a lot since then.
There has been an increase in the number of LGBT students who have come out while in high school, or sometimes, even middle school. We are surrounded images that inspire conversations about sex education and other images created by fashion that offer so much skin that there is nothing left to the imagination.
AVERT defines Sex Education as
the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex education is also about developing young people's skills so that they make informed choices about their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting on these choices."
First and foremost, there is a debate between the use of sexual education programs, where they openly teach about sex and prevention, and abstinence-only programs, which Advocates for Youth say,
- “has as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
- teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children;
- teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
- teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity;
- teaches that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical side effects;
- teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society;
- teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances, and
- teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.”
Advocates for Youth also believe,
Accurate, balanced sex education - including information about contraception and condoms - is a basic human right of youth. Such education helps young people to reduce their risk of potentially negative outcomes, such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Such education can also help youth to enhance the quality of their relationships and to develop decision-making skills that will prove invaluable over life. This basic human right is also a core public health principle that receives strong endorsement from mainstream medical associations, public health and educational organizations, and - most important - parents."
But is it the job of teachers in schools to educate students about sex or is it the job of the parents? According to the National Conference of State Legislatures ,
All states are somehow involved in sex education for public schoolchildren. As of Jan. 1, 2015: 22 states and the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education (20 of which mandate sex education and HIV education). 33 states and the District of Columbia require students receive instruction about HIV/AIDS. 19 states require that if provided, sex education must be medically, factually or technically accurate. State definitions of "medically accurate" vary, from requiring that the department of health review curriculum for accuracy, to mandating that curriculum be based on information from "published authorities upon which medical professionals rely." Many states define parents' rights concerning sexual education: 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to allow parental involvement in sexual education programs. Three states require parental consent before a child can receive instruction. 35 states and the District of Columbia allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children.
Of course, if it’s taught in schools, how properly are the students being educated? This debate between whether it’s the school’s job or a parent’s job will last for a very long time, and quite frankly it is an area that many parents and teachers may agree. There are parents who do not want their children to be taught sex education in schools, just as there are some teachers who don’t think it is their job to teach it.
On the other side are parents and teachers who agree it should be taught in schools and at home because it is a topic that we all cannot escape. And I’m sure there are a bunch of people in the middle who do not even want to discuss the topic at all and just hope for the best.
The NPR story, called Beyond The Birds And The Bees: Surviving Sex Ed Today ( which can be heard here ) inspired me to think about all of the places that the topic of sex comes up in conversation. Sometimes it’s through jokes on television or social media, other times it’s in stories on the news, and most times it’s the center of the conversation on the back of a school bus. Whether it makes us uncomfortable or not, we can’t seem to escape the topic.
In the NPR story, Lena Solow, a teacher of ten years,
Covers the topics you'd expect: how to prevent STDs, pregnancy. But Solow talks about way more than going all the way. "One of my biggest goals as a sex educator is to be sex-positive," she explains, "to talk about pleasure and to talk about sex not just as something that just makes babies."
Listening to the story made me blush a little as I drove alone in my car through Massachusetts, and made me laugh a bit when Solow said that when she was a student her sex education class was taught by the physical education teacher and revolved around spelling tests.
Yes, spelling tests. She said,
I definitely had spelling tests as a big part of my sex-ed when I was in middle school: 'Spell gonorrhea. Spell gonococcus. Now you pass or don't pass health.' Literally, that was what was prioritized."
She wants her students to have a much more knowledgeable experience, and she also explores topics that are unfortunately still controversial in today’s schools, which is the topic of LGBT students. In the NPR story, Garsd writes,
Beyond the basics, Solow is delving into topics that many teachers would skirt. Things like tolerance. Solow recently asked her students if they thought LGBT people would feel comfortable at the school. A lot of the kids say they didn't think so."
It’s definitely a complicated debate, which will last for a very long time. What are your thoughts?
Connect with Peter on Twitter
The opinions expressed in Peter DeWitt’s Finding Common Ground are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.
Sign Up for EdWeek Update
Power to Decide
Why sex education matters.
Maggi LeDuc
Share this /
In 2014, a study found that 93% of parents supported having sex education in middle school and 96% supported teaching sex ed in high school. A 2017 study again found that 93% of parents favored sexuality education in schools. These are not isolated results; decades of research support the benefits of comprehensive, inclusive sex education.
Comprehensive sexuality education is also supported by professional organizations such as the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, and the 184 organizations—including Power to Decide—who joined in coalition in May 2020 to support the Sex Ed for All movement.
At the moment, 28 states (and DC) require some kind of sex education and HIV education and seven states only require HIV education. However, only 17 require that education to be medically accurate and 29 states require schools to stress abstinence . Because sex education in schools is legislated on the state (or individual school district) level, not the federal, the quality of what is taught varies widely across the country. The CDC’s 2018 School Health Profiles found that only 43% of high schools and 18% of middle schools taught ‘key’ topics in sex education. Some of the topics the CDC labels as ‘key’ include information on how to prevent STIs and unplanned pregnancy, maintaining healthy relationships, avoiding peer pressure, and using appropriate health services.
The World Health Organization notes that the focus of sexuality education in Europe has shifted from preventing pregnancy in the 1960’s to preventing HIV in the ‘80’s to today covering these topics alongside such issues as sexism, homophobia, and online bullying gender norms, the sexuality spectrum, and emotional development. In contrast, a 2018 study reported that students in the US were less likely to receive sex education on key topics in 2015-2019 than they were in 1995. The same study found that only 43% of females and 47% of males who had penis-in-vagina sex covered safe sex in school before they engaged in sex for the first time.
Truly comprehensive sex education includes, but isn't limited to:
- Taught by trained sex educators.
- Begun early and progresses at an age-appropriate pace.
- Evidence-based.
- Inclusive of LGBTQ young people.
- Explicitly anti-racist.
- Learner-centered.
- Community-specific.
Sex ed that is for everyone includes (but isn't limited to) information about:
- Healthy relationships.
- Anatomy and physiology.
- Adolescent sexual development.
- Gender identity and expression.
- Sexual orientation and identity.
- The full range of birth control methods and pregnancy options.
All young people have a right to this kind of high-quality, evidence-based information and care to ensure their lifelong sexual and reproductive health. Again , and again , and again both national and international research has found that young people who have experienced comprehensive sexuality education delay having sex for the first time, are less likely to engage in risky behavior, and are more likely to use birth control.
Plus, beyond giving young people facts, inclusive sex ed provides skills such as effective communication, active listening, and the ability to make informed decisions that will help them to grow and live safe, healthy, and fulfilling lives.
View the discussion thread.
- birth control
- Talking Is Power
- Birth Control Access
- sexual health
- ThxBirthControl
- let's talk
- data breakdown
- Power Updates
- Reproductive Well-Being
Latest Posts
- US Syphilis Cases At Their Highest Since 1950
- POWER TO DECIDE APPLAUDS ROLLOUT OF COST ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR FIRST OVER-THE-COUNTER BIRTH CONTROL PILL
- An Opill Primer: Everything You Need to Know About the First Over the Counter Pill
- The Period Diaries: A Guide to Menstrual Cycles
Related Posts
US Syphilis Cases Highest Since 1950
An Opill Primer
Understanding 6 Sexual Health Principles
Sex Education that Goes Beyond Sex
- Posted November 28, 2018
- By Grace Tatter
Historically, the measure of a good sex education program has been in the numbers: marked decreases in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies, and pregnancy-related drop-outs. But, increasingly, researchers, educators, and advocates are emphasizing that sex ed should focus on more than physical health. Sex education, they say, should also be about relationships.
Giving students a foundation in relationship-building and centering the notion of care for others can enhance wellbeing and pave the way for healthy intimacy in the future, experts say. It can prevent or counter gender stereotyping and bias. And it could minimize instances of sexual harassment and assault in middle and high school — instances that may range from cyberbullying and stalking to unwanted touching and nonconsensual sex. A recent study from Columbia University's Sexual Health Initative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) project suggests that comprehensive sex education protects students from sexual assault even after high school.
If students become more well-practiced in thinking about caring for one another, they’ll be less likely to commit — and be less vulnerable to — sexual violence, according to this new approach to sex ed. And they’ll be better prepared to engage in and support one another in relationships, romantic and otherwise, going forward.
Giving students a foundation in relationship-building can enhance wellbeing and pave the way for healthy intimacy in the future, experts say. It can also prevent or counter gender stereotyping, and it could minimize instances of sexual harassment and assault in middle and high school.
Introducing Ethics Into Sex Ed
Diving into a conversation even tangentially related to sex with a group of 20 or so high school students isn’t easy. Renee Randazzo helped researcher Sharon Lamb pilot the Sexual Ethics and Caring Curriculum while a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She recalls boys snickering during discussions about pornography and objectification. At first, it was hard for students to be vulnerable.
But the idea behind the curriculum is that tough conversations are worth having. Simply teaching students how to ask for consent isn’t enough, says Lamb, a professor of counseling psychology at UMass Boston, who has been researching the intersection between caring relationships, sex, and education for decades. Students also to have understand why consent is important and think about consent in a variety of contexts. At the heart of that understanding are questions about human morality, how we relate to one another, and what we owe to one another. In other words, ethics.
“When I looked at what sex ed was doing, it wasn’t only a problem that kids weren’t getting the right facts,” Lamb says. “It was a problem that they weren’t getting the sex education that would make them treat others in a caring and just way.”
She became aware that when schools were talking about consent — if they were at all — it was in terms of self-protection. The message was: Get consent so you don’t get in trouble.
But there’s more at play, Lamb insists. Students should also understand the concept of mutuality — making decisions with a partner and understanding and addressing other people’s concerns or wishes — and spend time developing their own sense of right and wrong.
“If a young person is not in a healthy relationship, they can’t negotiate sex in a meaningful way. Even if they’re not having sex yet, they’re grappling with the idea of what a healthy relationship is.”
The curriculum she developed invites students to engage in frank discussions about topics like objectification in the media and sexting. If a woman is shamed for being in a sexy video, but she consented to it, does she deserve the criticism? Regardless of what you think, can you justify your position?
“How do they want to treat people, what kind of partner do they want to be? That takes discussion,” Lamb says. “It’s not a skill-training thing.”
The idea behind the curriculum isn’t that anything goes, so long as students can discuss their reasoning. Instead, the goal is that students develop the critical-reasoning skills to do the right thing in tricky situations.
After Randazzo’s students got over their cases of the giggles, the conversations were eye-opening, she says. “You give them the opportunity unpack their ideas and form their own opinions,” she says.
Healthy Relationships — and Prevention
Most sexual assault and violence in schools is committed by people who know their victims — they’re either dating, friends, or classmates. Regardless, they have a relationship of some sort, which is why a focus on relationships and empathy is crucial to reducing violence and preparing students for more meaningful lives.
And while it might seem uncomfortable to move beyond the cut-and-dried facts of contraception into the murkier waters of relationships, students are hungry for it. A survey by researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Making Caring Common initiative found that 65 percent of young-adult respondents wished they had talked about relationships at school.
“It’s so critical that kids are able to undertake this work of learning to love somebody else,” says developmental psychologist Richard Weissbourd , the director of Making Caring Common and lead author of a groundbreaking report called The Talk: How Adults Can Promote Young People’s Healthy Relationships and Prevent Misogyny and Sexual Harassment . “They’re not going to be able to do it unless we get them on the road and are willing to engage in thoughtful conversations.”
Nicole Daley works with OneLove , a nonprofit focused on teen violence prevention. She previously worked extensively with Boston Public Schools on violence prevention. She echoes Lamb and Weissbourd: A focus on relationships is key to keeping students safe.
“If a young person is not in a healthy relationship, they can’t negotiate sex in a meaningful way,” she says. “Really discussing healthy relationships and building that foundation is important. Even if they’re not having sex yet, they’re grappling with the idea of what healthy relationship is.”
And it’s critical to start that work before college.
Shael Norris spent the first two decades of her career focusing on college campuses, but now is focused on younger students with her work through Safe BAE . By college, many people’s ideas about how to act when it comes to sex or romance are entrenched, she says. The earlier young people can start interrogating what they know about sex and relationships, the better.
Safe BAE is led by Norris and young survivors of sexual assault. The organization works to educate students about healthy relationships, sexual violence, students’ rights under Title IX, and other related topics.
Movement to change middle and high school curricula to include a focus on healthy relationships and consent has been slow, Norris notes. In 2015, Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) introduced the Teach Safe Relationships Act, which would have mandated secondary schools teach about safe relationships, including asking for consent, in health education courses. It didn’t go anywhere. And while eight states now mandate some sort of sexual consent education , there’s no consensus about what that should entail.
Instead, the momentum for a more comprehensive sexual education that considers relationships and violence prevention is coming from individual teachers, students and parents.
“We don’t have to wait for politicians to start having conversations about this,” Norris says.
A New Approach to Sex Ed
- Develop an ethical approach to sex ed. Place emphasis on helping students learn how to care for and support one another. This will reduce the chance they’ll commit, or be vulnerable to, sexual violence.
- Don’t just tell students how to ask for consent; prompt them to consider why concepts like consent are important. It’s not just about staying out of legal trouble — it’s also about respecting and caring for others.
- Respect students’ intelligence and engage them in discussions about who they want to be as people. Serious dialogue about complicated topics will hone their critical-thinking skills and help them be prepared to do the right thing.
- Even without access to a curriculum, students, parents and educators can work together to facilitate conversations around sexual violence prevention through clubs, with help from organizations like Safe BAE.
Additional Resource
- National Sexuality Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K–12
Part of a special series about preventing sexual harassment at school. Read the whole series .
Illustration by Wilhelmina Peragine
Usable Knowledge
Connecting education research to practice — with timely insights for educators, families, and communities
Related Articles
The State of Sex Education
Dr. Ruth Talks Sex and Ed
What to Do About Title IX
- Skip to Nav
- Skip to Main
- Skip to Footer
Sex Education in America: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly
Please try again
The debate over the best way to teach sexual health in the U.S. continues to rage on, but student voice is often left out of the conversation when schools are deciding on what to teach. So Myles and PBS NewsHour Student Reporters from Oakland Military Institute investigate the pros and cons of the various approaches to sex ed and talk to students to find out how they feel about their sexual health education.
TEACHERS: Guide your students to practice civil discourse about current topics and get practice writing CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) responses. Explore lesson supports.
What is comprehensive sex education?
Comprehensive sex education teaches that not having sex is the best way to avoid STIs and unintended pregnancies, but it also includes medically accurate information about STI prevention, reproductive health, as well as discussions about healthy relationships, consent, gender identity, LGBTQ issues and more. What is sexual risk avoidance education? Sexual risk avoidance education is also known as abstinence only or abstinence-leaning education. It generally teaches that not having sex is the only morally acceptable, safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy and STIs — some programs don’t talk about birth control or condoms– unless it is to emphasize failure rates.
What are the main arguments for comprehensive sex education?
“Comprehensive sex ed” is based on the idea that public health improves when students have a right to learn about their sexuality and to make responsible decisions about it. Research shows it works to reduce teen pregnancies, delay when teens become sexually active and reduce the number of sexual partners teens have.
What are the main arguments against comprehensive sex education?
Some people, particularly parents and religious groups, take issue with comprehensive sex ed because they believe it goes against their cultural or religious values, and think that it can have a corrupting influence on kids. They say that by providing teens with this kind of information you are endorsing and encouraging sex and risk taking. Some opponents also argue that this type of information should be left up to parents to teach their kids about and shouldn’t be taught in schools.
State Laws and Policies Across the US (SIECUS)
STDs Adolescents and Young Adults (CDC)
Myths and Facts about Comprehensive Sex Education (Advocates for Youth)
Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy (Journal of Adolescent Health)
Abstinence-Only-Until Marriage: An Updated Review of US Policies and Programs and Their Impact (Journal of Adolescent Health)
Sexual Risk Avoidance Education: What you need to know (ASCEND)
We partnered with PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs for this episode. Check out their journalism resources for students: https://studentreportinglabs.org/
To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy.
Why education about gender and sexuality does belong in the classroom
Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University
Disclosure statement
Nothing to disclose.
Edith Cowan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.
View all partners
There is currently no consistent standard of sex, sexuality, gender and respectful relationships education across Australian schools. Each state and territory makes decisions about what they teach in schools. Additionally, religious schools have exemptions under anti-discrimination laws to decide how they approach these issues, and whether they include them at all.
Despite the gains made in the marriage equality debate, Australia has been unable to translate this into inclusive sex and sexuality education for young people. While countries such as England and Canada are adopting progressive, consistent sex education programs at a national level, Australia has not.
Read more: Australian sex education isn't diverse enough. Here's why we should follow England's lead
The federal Department of Education is spending A$5 million to develop resources to teach respectful relationships in Australian schools. According to one news report , these resources will not include topics on toxic masculinity, gender theory or case studies about young people’s sexual activity. This project is a part of the women’s safety package announced in 2015 by the Turnbull government, which seeks to educate young people about violence against women.
The federal government is quietly trying to distance these resources from Victoria’s Respectful Relationships program, which has been criticised by some conservative commentators. Politics aside, there is an urgent need for these resources. Gendered violence against women and LGBTIQ people is too common in Australia.
No more federal funding for Safe Schools
Only a few years ago, Australia was very close to having a standard national resource for sex, sexuality and relationships education – the Safe Schools program. Its creators aspired to consistency across all state and territory educational jurisdictions in Australia, in line with the nationally consistent Australian Curriculum .
Safe Schools was designed as an evidence-based , educational anti-bullying program. The program had LGBTIQ inclusion at its core, and sought to create safe and inclusive environments for LGBTIQ students. Resources used to help deliver the program were developed by experts and carefully selected to ensure they were age-appropriate for the students using them.
The federal government stopped funding the program in mid-2017, following an extended public pillorying by conservative politicians and media commentators . This ranged from concern students were encouraged to cross-dress and role-play as gay teenages to false claims the program showed children how to masturbate and strap on dildos.
Read more: FactCheck: does the Safe Schools program contain 'highly explicit material'?
An inconsistent approach
Safe Schools has been replaced by an eclectic mix of programs, which vary from state to state. As a result, Australia has an inconsistent approach across state education systems.
In Victoria, the Building Respectful Relationships program was trialled in 2015 in response to recommendations Royal Commission into Family Violence and rolled out more broadly since 2016.
The program contains strong messages of healthy relationships, violence prevention and control, which young people can relate to, regardless of their situation. The program has received criticism claiming it’s simply a repackaged version of the Safe Schools program. It runs concurrently with Safe Schools, which is now implemented in nearly all government secondary schools in Victoria.
Safe Schools programs are also run in one government school in the NT, 21 government schools in Tasmania and 24 government schools, 3 independent schools and 3 other educational settings in WA.
At the federal level, funding has been confirmed to make the John Howard-inspired school chaplain program permanent. The School Chaplaincy program is intended to support the social, emotional and spiritual well-being of school communities across Australia. This may include support and guidance about ethics, values, relationships and spiritual issues.
Federal discomfort with sex, sexuality and gender discussions
Scott Morrison has made a number of comments about LGBTIQ issues in his short time as Prime Minister. Morrison said schools don’t need “gender whisperers”, referring to an article which stated teachers were being taught how to spot potentially transgender students.
It has since been clarified teachers were being trained on how to support students if they identify as transgender, not to identify potentially transgender students.
Morrison has also brushed aside concerns about gay conversion therapy , and publicly stated he sends his children to a religious schools to avoid “ skin curling ” discussions about gender diversity and sexuality.
Other members of the Coalition have publicly echoed similar beliefs, including Tony Abbott and Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz who actively spoke out against voting “yes” in the same-sex marriage plebiscite for fear it would lead to a “ radical sex education program for schools ”.
A strong case for sexuality, gender and sex education
Gender and sexual diversity are part of the rich multicultural landscape of contemporary Australian society. But research indicates there’s significant cause for concern about gender-based violence and family violence. Education about respectful relationships was identified as a key way to combat this in the Royal Commission into Family Violence .
Likewise, current research about young people and sex, sexuality and gender diversity is alarming. There are still high levels of mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide) among LGBTIQ young people as a result of bullying, discrimination, and harassment at school and in the wider community.
The data indicate increasingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people are also a significant concern. Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses in Australia are highest amongst people aged 15-24 years .
Regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, research indicates young people need to be reliably informed about safe sex. The ramifications of not doing so are far too significant. Research shows school-based sexuality education improves sexual health outcomes for young people.
Likewise, Australia has unacceptably high rates of family, domestic and sexual violence, while gender inequality permeates most aspects of society. This can be mitigated through reliable education about healthy relationships. Family, domestic and sexual violence is not a sign of a healthy society .
Read more: Young people want sex education and religion shouldn't get in the way
Sex, sexuality, respectful relationships, and gender all need to be discussed in schools as a component of a whole-school approach. This should not only include in-class education, but it should also be addressed in school cultures, policies and procedures, and in gender equity among the staff.
This is important because we need safe, inclusive schools that celebrate diversity. It’s also important to raise awareness among young people to mitigate family, domestic and sexual violence.
This article has been updated since publication to clarify that there are government schools in Victoria which run Safe Schools programs, and that the Building Respectful Relationships program is run concurrently, not as a replacement.
- Sex education
- Gender diversity
- Culture wars
- Respectful relationships
- Toxic masculinity
- Safe Schools
- Gender studies
Audience Development Coordinator (fixed-term maternity cover)
Data and Reporting Analyst
Lecturer (Hindi-Urdu)
Director, Defence and Security
Opportunities with the new CIEHF
- Skip to main content
- Keyboard shortcuts for audio player
The case for starting sex ed in kindergarten (hula hoops recommended)
Lee V. Gaines
Elizabeth Miller
A class of fifth-graders are sitting through an hour-long sex-ed lesson at Louis B. Russell Jr. School 48 in Indianapolis. Some fidget, others giggle. And they have a lot of questions.
How old do you have to be to start using tampons?
What's acne?
It's April, and sex ed teacher Haileigh Huggins does her best to answer them all.
One boy asks, "Can boys have babies?"
"No, they cannot get pregnant," she tells him.
"Because they both would have sperm cells right? There wouldn't be an egg cell."
Huggins is trained to teach age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education. But she only has an hour with these students — and that's just enough time to cover the basics, like puberty and reproduction.
When most people think of sex ed, those are the lessons that often come to mind. But comprehensive sex ed goes beyond that. It's defined by sex ed advocates as a science-based, culturally and age-appropriate set of lessons that start in early grades and go through the end of high school. It covers sexuality, human development, sexual orientation and gender, bodily autonomy and consent, as well as relationship skills and media literacy.
With abortion access changing in many states, advocates for comprehensive sex ed say it's more important than ever. But, like so many things related to schools, sex education is highly politicized.
Only three states require schools to teach age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education: Washington, California and Oregon. That's according to SEICUS, a group that advocates for progressive sex education policies. In other states, what students learn about sex ed depends on what school leaders choose to teach.
Shots - Health News
How one author is aspiring to make sex education more relatable for today's kids.
And yet, research shows these lessons can lead to better health outcomes for students.
"The major finding of the research is that comprehensive sex education scaffolded across grades, embedded in supportive school environments and across subject areas, can improve sexual, social and emotional health, as well as academic outcomes for young people," says Eva Goldfarb, a researcher at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She is co-author of a 2020 paper on the topic.
"Even though it may seem like sex education is controversial, it absolutely is not," says Nora Gelperin, director of sex education and training at Advocates for Youth — an organization that promotes access to comprehensive sex education.
She says comprehensive sex ed is "always in the best interest of young people."
Here's what it looks like, for different age levels from grades K-12:
Elementary school: Consent, personal boundaries and healthy relationships
Age-appropriate sex ed for kindergartners introduces topics like consent, identifying who is in your family and the correct names for body parts.
"When we're talking about consent with kindergartners, that means getting permission before you touch someone else; asking if it's OK if you borrow somebody's toy or pencil or game, so that kids start to learn about personal boundaries and consent in really age- and developmentally appropriate ways," says Gelperin, who was part of a team that released the first national sex education standards in 2012.
Gelperin loves to use hula hoops to teach young kids about bodily autonomy: Each student gets one, and is instructed to ask for permission to go inside someone else's hula hoop. The hoops are an analogy for boundaries.
"If someone is touching you inside your boundary in a way that makes you uncomfortable, it's OK to say no and talk to a trusted adult," Gelperin tells students.
Another good lesson for younger children is how to identify those trusted adults. Mariotta Gary-Smith, a sex ed instructor based in Oregon, asks students to write a list of people they trust in their communities: "People that you know care about you, people who are accessible to you, people who could support you."
The list can include peers, immediate and extended family members or chosen family members. Then Gary-Smith, who co-founded the Women of Color Sexual Health Network, asks students to think about how they would talk to the people on their list about safety, respect and boundaries.
The Birds And The Bees — How To Talk To Children About Sex
"When they knew that they had trust and safety in their circle, they felt like they could express themselves without judgment," she explains.
As students head into third grade, Gelperin says they should start learning the characteristics of healthy relationships with friends and family.
"Sometimes there's teasing and bullying that's going on in those grade levels. So you want to talk about how to interrupt teasing and bullying and how to stand up for others that may be getting teased or bullied," she explains.
There should also be a focus on respecting others' differences, including different family makeups, cultural backgrounds and faith traditions.
Gelperin says lessons on consent should continue throughout elementary school. And she recommends lessons on puberty begin in fourth grade, because that's when some students begin to see and experience changes in their bodies.
Middle school: Real talk about puberty
As students transition from elementary school to middle school, they should learn about the details of reproduction, including biological terms and why some people menstruate while others create sperm.
"That for me is a real hallmark of middle school sex education, is kind of really starting to understand how those parts and systems work together for reproduction," Gelperin says.
A new puberty guide for kids aims to replace anxiety with self-confidence
It's also a good time to connect the physical effects of puberty and hormones with the feelings of attraction that come along with them.
"Who gives you butterflies in your stomach? Who makes your palm sweaty?" Gelperin says. "Because we know with puberty, one of the changes is experiencing new hormones that make us feel feelings of attraction often for other people in a new and different way."
Students should also learn about sexually transmitted infections, like HIV, and how they're transmitted.
Sex education often leaves out queer people. Here's what to know
And middle school is a good time to start learning about gender expression and sexual orientation, as well as gender stereotypes. One Advocates for Youth lesson includes a scavenger hunt homework assignment where students look for gender stereotypes in the world around them, like a sports ad that only features men or an ad for cleaning supplies that only features women.
High school: When conversations about healthy relationships get deeper
Healthy relationships are a "hallmark" of comprehensive sex education, Gelperin says. As students move into high school, the conversation should expand from family and friends to partners and intimate relationships.
"What makes a relationship healthy? How do you know if a relationship is not healthy?" Gelperirn says.
Those conversations should also cover sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual assault.
At Mountainside High School in Beaverton, Ore., school health teacher Jenn Hicks shares statistics with students about the disproportionate rates of sexual violence for women, women of color and members of the LGBTQ communiity.
"Sexual violence can happen to anyone," she tells her class, "but it doesn't happen equally to everyone."
That leads to a conversation about consent.
"We have to talk about how we treat each other better, why consent is so important and why we need to listen to each other and protect each other," Hicks says. "Again, violence is used as a form of control to keep groups of people disempowered and fearful."
What Your Teen Wishes You Knew About Sex Education
And then, of course, come the classic lessons of high school sex ed, about pregnancy, how to prevent sexually transmitted infections and how to use contraception – a lesson Gelperin says is especially important.
"We can't expect young people to know how to use condoms correctly unless we help them learn how to do that."
One classic method: bananas. Specifically, having students practice placing a condom on a banana, as one Advocates for Youth lesson recommends.
Finally, there are lessons that don't have anything to do with sex (or fruit) — like how to find credible sources of information.
Think about all the rumors about sex that can circulate in a high school – those rumors are also all over the internet. And for a kid looking for information, it can be hard to know what to believe.
"We're allowing children to learn what's out there, and they are," says sex ed researcher Lisa Lieberman, who co-authored that Montclair State University paper. "They are accessing pornography; they are accessing the internet. They are learning in ways that are not the message that most parents and schools want children to have."
Advocates for Youth recommends asking students to evaluate different sexual health websites, and identify the ones that are trustworthy.
For Hicks, the goal of all this is to give every student the tools they need to stay safe.
"It's recognizing everybody that's in the room and giving them the knowledge and skills to make the best possible decisions for themselves and to lead a happy, fulfilled life."
Sex ed recommendations are always evolving
Mariotta Gary-Smith, with the Women of Color Sexual Health Network, says 10 years ago sex education wasn't culturally reflective or respectful to everyone, including to communities of color.
"The images that are used, that have been used historically ... you don't see bodies that are not white, able-bodied, cis, slender, slim," she explains. "You don't see or hear about young people who choose to parent if they become pregnant. You hear about teen pregnancy as this thing to be stopped, but not honoring that there are cultures and communities where young people who choose to parent are celebrated."
Texas got a sex ed update, but students and educators say there's still a lot missing
Gary-Smith has helped create more inclusive lessons through the Women of Color Sexual Health Network, and the sex ed standards Gelperin helped create in 2012 were updated in 2020 to include racism, inequality and their impact on sexual health. An Advocates for Youth lesson points students to examples of how racism has impacted the health and reproductive rights of low-income women of color, among other groups.
The national sex ed standards were also updated to touch on gender identity, sexual orientation, reproductive justice and sexually explicit media.
"It really allowed us to reflect the times in 2020 and what young people were saying was their lived experiences that they were so hungry to learn and talk about," Gelperin says.
Keeping sex ed inclusive and culturally reflective means teaching about systemic oppression, discrimination and the history and impacts of racism on certain communities, Gary-Smith explains. For example, a lesson on reproductive health might discuss historical examples of forced sterilization of Indigenous women or Black women, or the criminal justice system as it connects to family relationships.
These lessons may seem a far cry from those on consent or gender, and Gary-Smith understands that.
"Everything I'm talking about now, 10 years ago, we weren't talking about it," she explains.
That highlights one of the most important characteristics of sex ed for Gary-Smith: It should always be evolving.
"It needs to shift and change because things shift and change."
Lee Gaines is from member station WFYI, and Elizabeth Miller is from member station OPB. Nicole Cohen edited this story for broadcast and digital.
Sex Ed in Schools: What Parents Need to Know
Comprehensive sex education can help reduce rates of sexually transmitted infections and promote healthy relationships.
What to Know About Sex Ed in K-12 Schools
Getty Images
Sex education in schools can be taught by a classroom teacher, school nurse or an outside speaker, and often begins in fifth grade.
For some parents, the term "sex ed" conjures memories of dated videos and cringe-inducing lessons on puberty or how babies are made.
But a good school-based sex education curriculum should be much more than that, encompassing multiple issues related to human growth and development, experts say. In addition to basic facts about puberty, sex and contraception, lessons can cover topics like healthy relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, sexual orientation and gender identity.
"Just because you teach a young person about how to stay safe and what sex and sexuality is, you're not encouraging them to become sexually active," says Michelle Slaybaugh, director of social impact and strategic communications at SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change , a national group that advocates for inclusive sex education. "You're giving them the tools to make decisions about their bodies and their lives that best suit them as individuals."
Why Sex Education Matters
Research shows that comprehensive, culturally responsive and inclusive sex education programs help prevent intimate partner violence and help young people develop healthy relationships. These programs have also been shown to reduce rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Sex ed "promotes healthy behaviors," says Laurie Dils, associate director of content, health and sexual health education at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. "That's really what we are aiming for as educators, equipping young people with education and skills so that they can make healthy decisions that fit with their own values and their family's values."
But in public school, the quality of sex education your child will receive – or whether they will receive any at all – depends largely on the state and district you live in. There are no federal guidelines for sex education, and currently only 18 states require program content to be medically accurate, according to recent data from the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual health and reproductive rights.
"Most young people have access to the internet," Slaybaugh says. "So if we are not providing them instruction that is medically accurate and age-appropriate, we are leaving it to chance for them to find something on the internet, i.e., porn, and then they think that's what sex and sexuality is."
Sex Education Requirements by State
Sex education standards vary by state – with some not having any curriculum requirements in schools. As of June 2022, 39 states plus Washington, D.C., mandate sex education, HIV education or both, according to Guttmacher Institute data.
Unlike sex education, HIV and STI instruction only focus on concepts like pregnancy prevention and risk reduction. "But sexuality touches our lives in so many other ways, especially when it comes to being inclusive to diverse people, families and experiences," Slaybaugh says.
Thirty-nine states and D.C. either stress or require abstinence to be covered when sex education is taught. Meanwhile, only 20 states require provision of information on contraception, Guttmacher Institute research found.
Slaybaugh says that abstinence-only teachings, sometimes referred to as sexual risk avoidance, are often "rooted in shame." For example, she points to one common lesson in which youth are asked to chew up gum and spit it out, then told the chewed up gum is a representation of a person who had sex before marriage.
"Abstinence-only programs do not teach communication and negotiation for consent," she adds. "It does not teach about what healthy relationships should look like and what they don't look like. They do not include affirming lessons around LGBTQIA+ individuals. They're ostracizing a large part of the youth population."
Health experts including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend that sex education include information about gender and sexual orientation. But only a small handful of states – 10 plus D.C. – require inclusive content with regard to sexual orientation.
Meanwhile, five states – Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas – allow only negative information to be shared about homosexuality and place a positive emphasis on heterosexuality, according to Guttmacher Institute data. And recently, some states have banned or are seeking to ban the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in school, especially in the younger grades.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, for example, signed a bill in March 2022 prohibiting instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3 classrooms. Chris Sprowls, speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, said in a press release that such instruction "does not belong in the classroom where 5- and 6-year-old children are learning. It should be up to the parent to decide if and when to introduce these sensitive topics."
But "not seeing yourself reflected at any time is always detrimental to young people. Certainly seeing yourself negatively portrayed would be devastating," says Stephanie Hull, president and CEO of Girls Inc., a nonprofit youth development organization. "When we don't have an LGBTQ inclusive health curriculum, then we don't reduce homophobic attitudes, we don't reduce the bullying and we don't reduce harassment. Those students are already unsafe, so it increases their lack of safety."
Curriculum by Age
Sex education in schools can be taught by a classroom teacher, school nurse or an outside speaker, and often begins in fifth grade, according to Dils.
But some experts say age-appropriate instruction should begin earlier. For instance, the National Sex Education Standards developed by SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, Answer and Advocates for Youth, a group that works to advance sex education, say that sex education should begin in kindergarten . Based on those standards, early conversations are not about the act of sex, but cover basic information about male and female anatomy and concepts like consent and personal boundaries.
From kindergarten to third grade, curricula may also include lessons to help children understand their own emotions and develop good communication skills, boundaries and respect for others, Dils says.
Then, in third to fifth grade, curriculum can shift to discussing what healthy friendships look like. "If a young person doesn't know how to identify an unhealthy friendship, how can we assume that they will be able to identify and find a healthy romantic relationship later on?" says Slaybaugh.
Additionally, schools should start preparing students for puberty, to help them understand what's going to happen as they get older. The first questions that typically arise from children are: Am I normal? Are these changes that are happening to me normal?
"A big part of sex education, if it's done well, is just helping to normalize what they're going through and to give them enough understanding and tools so that they can manage whatever they're going through," Dils says. "It's different for every young person."
As students enter middle school and high school, discussions should dive deeper into puberty, romantic relationships, partner violence, STIs, gender orientation and sexual identity, experts advise.
Parent Involvement in Sex Education
Currently 40 states plus D.C. require school districts to involve parents in sex education and/or HIV education. Thirty-six states and D.C. give parents the option to remove their child from instruction, while five states require parental consent for students to participate in a program, according to recent data from the Guttmacher Institute.
Critics claim that comprehensive sex education oversexualizes children and is not age-appropriate. American Life League, a Catholic pro-life organization, states on its website that "because of sex education programs, schools have been taking away the parents’ responsibilities of teaching their child about human sexuality."
But proponents of comprehensive sex say parents should be involved. "Parents are the most influential people in an adolescent's decisions about sexuality, and we encourage family discussions about their values related to sexuality," Tazmine Weisgerber, training and technical assistance manager at Answer, a national nonprofit housed within Rutgers University that aims to promote access to comprehensive sex education for youth, wrote in an email.
Experts advise parents to find out what's being taught in the classroom and express any concerns about their child's program to administrators at the school or within the district. Issues can also be brought up during their local school board meetings.
Additionally, start having conversations around sex education with your children at home at an early age. Familiarize yourself with the subject by reading the National Sex Ed Standards, Slaybaugh says. There are many other resources parents can refer to, including:
- Planned Parenthood
- SEICUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
- Talk With Your Kids
"At the end of the day, I think all sex educators want parents to be involved," Slaybaugh says. "We want to help parents understand that this is not a scary subject and it's just as important as math, science or reading. It takes all of us to participate in the process to be successful at seeing sex ed as an important lesson."
See the 2022 Best Public High Schools
Tags: K-12 education , sex education , students , teachers , sexual health
2024 Best Colleges
Search for your perfect fit with the U.S. News rankings of colleges and universities.
Popular Stories
Best Colleges
College Admissions Playbook
You May Also Like
Ways students can spend spring break.
Anayat Durrani March 6, 2024
Attending an Online High School
Cole Claybourn Feb. 20, 2024
How to Perform Well on SAT, ACT Test Day
Cole Claybourn Feb. 13, 2024
High School Graduation Rates By State
Sarah Wood Dec. 1, 2023
Charter Schools vs. Public Schools
Jacob Fischler and Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023
Understanding Media Literacy
Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023
504 Plan Versus IEP: A Guide for Parents
Sally Kassab and Cole Claybourn Nov. 14, 2023
Nontraditional Student Admissions
Linda Lee Baird Oct. 31, 2023
Pros, Cons of Working in High School
Lilly Roser Sept. 29, 2023
What to Know About STEM High Schools
Sarah Wood Aug. 29, 2023
Internet Explorer Alert
It appears you are using Internet Explorer as your web browser. Please note, Internet Explorer is no longer up-to-date and can cause problems in how this website functions This site functions best using the latest versions of any of the following browsers: Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or Safari . You can find the latest versions of these browsers at https://browsehappy.com
- Publications
- HealthyChildren.org
Shopping cart
Order Subtotal
Your cart is empty.
Looks like you haven't added anything to your cart.
- Career Resources
- Philanthropy
- About the AAP
- The Role of the Pediatrician in the Promotion of Healthy, Active Living
- How Can You Support Patients in Healthy, Active Living? Check Out Updated Report
- Helping Kids Build Healthy Active Lives: AAP Policy Explained
- Climate Change & Children’s Health: AAP Policy Explained
- News Releases
- Policy Collections
- The State of Children in 2020
- Healthy Children
- Secure Families
- Strong Communities
- A Leading Nation for Youth
- Transition Plan: Advancing Child Health in the Biden-Harris Administration
- Health Care Access & Coverage
- Immigrant Child Health
- Gun Violence Prevention
- Tobacco & E-Cigarettes
- Child Nutrition
- Assault Weapons Bans
- Childhood Immunizations
- E-Cigarette and Tobacco Products
- Children’s Health Care Coverage Fact Sheets
- Opioid Fact Sheets
- Advocacy Training Modules
- Subspecialty Advocacy Report
- AAP Washington Office Internship
- Online Courses
- Live and Virtual Activities
- National Conference and Exhibition
- Prep®- Pediatric Review and Education Programs
- Journals and Publications
- NRP LMS Login
- Patient Care
- Practice Management
- AAP Committees
- AAP Councils
- AAP Sections
- Volunteer Network
- Join a Chapter
- Chapter Websites
- Chapter Executive Directors
- District Map
- Create Account
- Early Relational Health
- Early Childhood Health & Development
- Safe Storage of Firearms
- Promoting Firearm Injury Prevention
- Mental Health Education & Training
- Practice Tools & Resources
- Policies on Mental Health
- Mental Health Resources for Families
The Importance of Access to Comprehensive Sex Education
Comprehensive sex education is a critical component of sexual and reproductive health care.
Developing a healthy sexuality is a core developmental milestone for child and adolescent health.
Youth need developmentally appropriate information about their sexuality and how it relates to their bodies, community, culture, society, mental health, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners.
AAP supports broad access to comprehensive sex education, wherein all children and adolescents have access to developmentally appropriate, evidence-based education that provides the knowledge they need to:
- Develop a safe and positive view of sexuality.
- Build healthy relationships.
- Make informed, safe, positive choices about their sexuality and sexual health.
Comprehensive sex education involves teaching about all aspects of human sexuality, including:
- Cyber solicitation/bullying.
- Healthy sexual development.
- Body image.
- Sexual orientation.
- Gender identity.
- Pleasure from sex.
- Sexual abuse.
- Sexual behavior.
- Sexual reproduction.
- Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
- Abstinence.
- Contraception.
- Interpersonal relationships.
- Reproductive coercion.
- Reproductive rights.
- Reproductive responsibilities.
Comprehensive sex education programs have several common elements:
- Utilize evidence-based, medically accurate curriculum that can be adapted for youth with disabilities.
- Employ developmentally appropriate information, learning strategies, teaching methods, and materials.
- Human development , including anatomy, puberty, body image, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
- Relationships , including families, peers, dating, marriage, and raising children.
- Personal skills , including values, decision making, communication, assertiveness, negotiation, and help-seeking.
- Sexual behavior , including abstinence, masturbation, shared sexual behavior, pleasure from esx, and sexual dysfunction across the lifespan.
- Sexual health , including contraception, pregnancy, prenatal care, abortion, STIs, HIV and AIDS, sexual abuse, assault, and violence.
- Society and culture , including gender roles, diversity, and the intersection of sexuality and the law, religion, media, and the arts.
- Create an opportunity for youth to question, explore, and assess both personal and societal attitudes around gender and sexuality.
- Focus on personal practices, skills, and behaviors for healthy relationships, including an explicit focus on communication, consent, refusal skills/accepting rejection, violence prevention, personal safety, decision making, and bystander intervention.
- Help youth exercise responsibility in sexual relationships.
- Include information on how to come forward if a student is being sexually abused.
- Address education from a trauma-informed, culturally responsive approach that bridges mental, emotional, and relational health.
Comprehensive sex education should occur across the developmental spectrum, beginning at early ages and continuing throughout childhood and adolescence :
- Sex education is most effective when it begins before the initiation of sexual activity.
- Young children can understand concepts related to bodies, gender, and relationships.
- Sex education programs should build an early foundation and scaffold learning with developmentally appropriate content across grade levels.
- AAP Policy outlines considerations for providing developmentally appropriate sex education throughout early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood.
Most adolescents report receiving some type of formal sex education before age 18. While sex education is typically associated with schools, comprehensive sex education can be delivered in several complementary settings:
- Schools can implement comprehensive sex education curriculum across all grade levels
- The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) provides guidelines for providing developmentally appropriate comprehensive sex education across grades K-12.
- Pediatric health clinicians and other health care providers are uniquely positioned to provide longitudinal sex education to children, adolescents, and young adults.
- Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents outlines clinical considerations for providing comprehensive sex education at all developmental stages, as a part of preventive health care.
- Research suggests that community-based organizations should be included as a source for comprehensive sexual health promotion.
- Faith-based communities have developed sex education curricula for their congregations or local chapters that emphasize the moral and ethical aspects of sexuality and decision-making.
- Parents and caregivers can serve as the primary sex educators for their children, by teaching fundamental lessons about bodies, development, gender, and relationships.
- Many factors impact the sex education that youth receive at home, including parent/caregiver knowledge, skills, comfort, culture, beliefs, and social norms.
- Virtual sex education can take away feelings of embarrassment or stigma and can allow for more youth to access high quality sex education.
Comprehensive sex education provides children and adolescents with the information that they need to:
- Understand their body, gender identity, and sexuality.
- Build and maintain healthy and safe relationships.
- Engage in healthy communication and decision-making around sex.
- Practice healthy sexual behavior.
- Understand and access care to support their sexual and reproductive health.
Comprehensive sex education programs have demonstrated success in reducing rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, STIs, and adolescent pregnancy and delaying sexual activity. Many systematic reviews of the literature have indicated that comprehensive sex education promotes healthy sexual behaviors:
- Reduced sexual activity.
- Reduced number of sexual partners.
- Reduced frequency of unprotected sex.
- Increased condom use.
- Increased contraceptive use.
However, comprehensive sex education curriculum goes beyond risk-reduction, by covering a broader range of content that has been shown to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.
A 2021 review of the literature found that comprehensive sex education programs that use a positive, affirming, and inclusive approach to human sexuality are associated with concrete benefits across 5 key domains:
Benefits of comprehensive sex education programs
When children and adolescents lack access to comprehensive sex education, they do not get the information they need to make informed, healthy decisions about their lives, relationships, and behaviors.
Several trends in sexual health in the US highlight the need for comprehensive sex education for all youth.
Education about condom and contraceptive use is needed:
- 55% of US high school students report having sexual intercourse by age 18 .
- Self-reported condom use has decreased significantly among high school students.
- Only 9% of sexually active high school students report using both a condom for STI-prevention and a more effective form of birth control to prevent pregnancy .
STI prevention is needed:
- Adolescents and young adults are disproportionately impacted by STIs.
- Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are rising rapidly among young people.
- When left untreated , these infections can lead to infertility, adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, and increased risk of acquiring new STIs.
- Youth need comprehensive, unbiased information about STI prevention, including human papillomavirus (HPV) .
Continued prevention of unintended pregnancy is needed:
- Overall US birth rates among adolescent mothers have declined over the last 3 decades.
- There are significant geographic disparities in adolescent pregnancy rates, with higher rates of pregnancy in rural counties and in southern and southwestern states.
- Social drivers of health and systemic inequities have caused racial and ethnic disparities in adolescent pregnancy rates.
- Eliminating disparities in adolescent pregnancy and birth rates can increase health equity, improve health and life outcomes, and reduce the economic impact of adolescent parenting.
Misinformation about sexual health is easily available online:
- Internet use is nearly universal among US children and adolescents.
- Adolescents report seeking sexual health information online .
- Sexual health websites that adolescents visit can contain inaccurate information .
Prevention of sex abuse, dating violence, and unhealthy relationships is needed:
- Child sexual abuse is common: 25% of girls and 8% of boys experience sexual abuse during childhood .
- Youth who experience sexual abuse have long-term impacts on their physical, mental, and behavioral health.
- 1 in 11 female and 1 in 14 male students report physical DV in the last year .
- 1 in 8 female and 1 in 26 male students report sexual DV in the last year .
- Youth who experience DV have higher rates of anxiety, depression, substance use, antisocial behaviors, and suicide risk.
The quality and content of sex education in US schools varies widely.
There is significant variation in the quality of sex education taught in US schools, leading to disparities in attitudes, health information, and outcomes. The majority of sex education programs in the US tend to focus on public health goals of decreasing unintended pregnancies and preventing STIs, via individual behavior change.
There are three primary categories of sex educational programs taught in the US :
- Abstinence-only education , which teaches that abstinence is expected until marriage and typically excludes information around the utility of contraception or condoms to prevent pregnancy and STIs.
- Abstinence-plus education , which promotes abstinence but includes information on contraception and condoms.
- Comprehensive sex education , which provides medically accurate, age-appropriate information around development, sexual behavior (including abstinence), healthy relationships, life and communication skills, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
State laws impact the curriculum covered in sex education programs. According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute :
- 26 US states and Washington DC mandate sex education and HIV education.
- 18 states require that sex education content be medically accurate.
- 39 states require that sex education programs provide information on abstinence.
- 20 states require that sex education programs provide information on contraception.
US states have varying requirements on sex education content related to sexual orientation :
- 10 states require sex education curriculum to include affirming content on LGBTQ2S+ identities or discussion of sexual health for youth who are LGBTQ2S+.
- 7 states have sex education curricular requirements that discriminate against individuals who are LGBTQ2S+.Youth who live in these states may face additional barriers to accessing sexual health information.
Abstinence-only sex education programs do not meet the needs of children and adolescents.
While abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STIs, research has conclusively shown that abstinence-only sex education programs do not support healthy sexual development in youth.
Abstinence-only programs are ineffective in reaching their stated goals, as evidenced by the data below:
- Abstinence-only programs are unsuccessful in delaying sex until marriage .
- Abstinence-only sex education programs do not impact the rates of pregnancy, STIs, or HIV in adolescents .
- Youth who take a “virginity pledge” as part of abstinence-only education programs have the same rates of premarital sex as their peers who do not take pledges, but are less likely to use contraceptives .
- US states that emphasize abstinence-only education have higher rates of adolescent pregnancy and birth .
Abstinence-only programs can harm the healthy sexual and mental development of youth by:
- Withholding information or providing inaccurate information about sexuality and sexual behavior .
- Contributing to fear, shame, and stigma around sexual behaviors .
- Not sharing information on contraception and barrier protection or overstating the risks of contraception .
- Utilizing heteronormative framing and stigma or discrimination against students who are LGBTQ2S+ .
- Reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes .
- Ignoring the needs of youth who are already sexually active by withholding education around contraception and STI prevention.
Abstinence-plus sex education programs focus solely on decreasing unintended pregnancy and STIs.
Abstinence-plus sex education programs promote abstinence until marriage. However, these programs also provide information on contraception and condom use to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs.
Research has demonstrated that abstinence-plus programs have an impact on sexual behavior and safety, including:
- HIV prevention.
- Increase in condom use .
- Reduction in number of sexual partners .
- Delay in initiation of sexual behavior .
While these programs add another layer of education, they do not address the broader spectrum of sexuality, gender identity, and relationship skills, thus withholding critical information and skill-building that can impact healthy sexual development.
AAP and other national medical and public health associations support comprehensive sex education for youth.
Given the evidence outlined above, AAP and other national medical organizations oppose abstinence-only education and endorse comprehensive sex education that includes both abstinence promotion and provision of accurate information about contraception, STIs, and sexuality.
National medical and public health organizations supporting comprehensive sex education include:
- American Academy of Pediatrics .
- American Academy of Family Physicians.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists .
- American Medical Association .
- American Public Health Association .
- Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine .
Pediatric clinics provide a unique opportunity for comprehensive sex education.
Pediatric health clinicians typically have longitudinal care relationships with their patients and families, and thus have unique opportunities to address comprehensive sex education across all stages of development.
The clinical visit can serve as a useful adjunct to support comprehensive sex education provided in schools, or to fill gaps in knowledge for youth who are exposed to abstinence-only or abstinence-plus curricula.
AAP policy and Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents provide recommendations for comprehensive sex education in clinical settings, including:
- Encouraging parent-child discussions on sexuality, contraception, and internet/media use.
- Understanding diverse experiences and beliefs related to sexuality and sex education and meeting the unique needs of individual patients and families.
- Including discussions around healthy relationships, dating violence, and intimate partner violence in clinical care.
- Discussing methods of contraception and STI/HPV prevention prior to onset of sexual intercourse.
- Providing proactive and developmentally appropriate sex education to all youth, including children and adolescents with special health care needs.
Perspective
Karen Torres, Youth activist
There were two cardboard bears, and a person explained that one bear wears a bikini to the beach and the other bear wears shorts – that is the closest thing I ever got to sex ed throughout my entire K-12 education. I often think about that bear lesson because it was the day our institutions failed to teach me anything about my body, relationships, consent, and self-advocacy, which became even more evident after I was sexually assaulted at 16 years old. My story is not unique, I know that many young people have been through similar traumas, but many of us were also subjected to days, months, and years of silence and embarrassment because we were never given the knowledge to know how to spot abuse or the language to ask for help. Comprehensive sex ed is so much more than people make it out to be, it teaches about sex but also about different types of experiences, how to respect one another, how to communicate in uncomfortable situations, how to ask for help and an insurmountable amount of other valuable lessons.
From these lessons, people become well-rounded, people become more empathetic to other experiences, and people become better. I believe comprehensive sex ed is vital to all people and would eventually work as a part to build more compassionate communities.
Many US children and adolescents do not receive comprehensive sex education; and rates of formal sex education have declined significantly in recent decades.
Barriers to accessing comprehensive sex education include:
Misinformation, stigma, and fear of negative reactions:
- Misinformation and stigma about the content of sex education curriculum has been the primary barrier to equitable access to comprehensive sex education in schools for decades .
- Despite widespread parental support for sex education in schools, fears of negative public/parent reactions have led school administrators to limit youth access to the information they need to make healthy decisions about their sexuality for nearly a half-century.
- In recent years, misinformation campaigns have spread false information about the framing and content of comprehensive sex education programs, causing debates and polarization at school board meetings .
- Nearly half of sex education teachers report that concerns about parent, student, or administrator responses are a barrier to provision of comprehensive sex education.
- Opponents of comprehensive sex education often express concern that this education will lead youth to have sex; however, research has demonstrated that this is not the case . Instead, comprehensive sex ed is associated with delays in initiation of sexual behavior, reduced frequency of sexual intercourse, a reduction in number of partners, and an increase in condom use.
- Some populations of youth lack access to comprehensive sex education due to a societal belief that they are asexual, in need of protection, or don’t need to learn about sex. This barrier particularly impacts youth with disabilities or special health care needs .
- Sex ed curricula in some schools perpetuate gender/sex stereotypes, which could contribute to negative gender stereotypes and negative attitudes towards sex .
Inconsistencies in school-based sex education:
- There is significant variation in the content of sex education taught in schools in the US, and many programs that carry the same label (eg, “abstinence-plus”) vary widely in curriculum.
- While decisions about sex education curriculum are made at the state level, the federal government has provided funding to support abstinence-only education for decades , which incentivizes schools to use these programs.
- Since 1996, more than $2 billion in federal funds have been spent to support abstinence-only sex education in schools.
- 34 US states require schools to use abstinence-only curriculum or emphasize abstinence as the main way to avoid pregnancy and STIs.
- Only 16 US states require instruction on condoms or contraception.
- It is not standard to include information on how to come forward if a student is being sexually abused, and many schools do not have a process for disclosures made.
- Because of this, abstinence-only programs are commonly used in US schools, despite overwhelming evidence that they are ineffective in delaying sexual behavior until marriage, and withhold critical information that youth need for healthy sexual and relationship development.
Need for resources and training:
- Integration of comprehensive sex education into school curriculum requires financial resources to strengthen and expand evidence-based programs.
- Successful implementation of comprehensive sex education requires a trained workforce of teachers who can address the curriculum in age-appropriate ways for students in all grade-levels.
- Education, training, and technical assistance are needed to support pediatric health clinicians in addressing comprehensive sex education in clinical settings, as a complement to school-based education.
Lack of diversity and cultural awareness in curricula:
- A history of systemic racism, discrimination, and long-standing health, social and systemic inequities have created racial and ethnic disparities in access to sexual health services and representation in sex education materials. The legacy of intergenerational trauma in the medical system should be acknowledged in sex education curricula.
- Sex education curriculum is often centered on a white audience, and does not address or reflect the role of systemic racism in sexuality and development .
- Traditional abstinence-focused sex education programs have a heteronormative focus and do not address the unique needs of youth who are LGBTQ2S+ .
- Sex education programs often do not address reproductive body diversity, the needs of those with differences in sex development, and those who identify as intersex .
- Sex education programs often do not reflect the unique needs of youth with disabilities or special health care needs .
- Sex education programs are often not tailored to meet the religious considerations of faith communities.
- There is a need for sex education programs designed to help youth navigate sexual health and development in the context of their own culture and community .
Disparities in access to comprehensive sex education.
The barriers listed above limit access to comprehensive sex education in schools and communities. While these barriers impact youth across the US, there are some populations who are less likely to have access to comprehensive to sex education.
Youth who are LGBTQ2S+:
- Only 8% of students who are LGBTQ2S+ report having received sexual education that was inclusive .
- Students who are LGBTQ2S+ are 50% more likely than their peers who are heterosexual to report that sex education in their schools was not useful to them .
- Only 13% of youth who are bisexual+ and 10% of youth who are transgender and gender expansive report receiving sex education in schools that felt personally relevant.
- Only 20% of youth who are Black and LGBTQ2S+ and 13% of youth who are Latinx and LGBTQ2S+ report receiving sex education in schools that felt personally relevant.
- Only 10 US states require affirming content on LGBTQ2S+ relationships in sex education curriculum.
Youth with disabilities or special health care needs:
- Youth with disabilities or special health care needs have a particular need for comprehensive sex education, as these youth are less likely to learn about sex or sexuality form their parents , healthcare providers , or peer groups .
- In a national survey, only half of youth with disabilities report that they have participated in sex education .
- Typical sex education may not be sufficient for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and special methods and curricula are necessary to match their needs .
- Lack the desire or maturity for romantic or sexual relationships.
- Are not subject to sexual abuse.
- Do not need sex education.
- Only 3 states explicitly include youth with disabilities within their sex education requirements.
Youth from historically underserved communities:
- Students who are Black in the US are more likely than students who are white to receive abstinence-only sex education , despite significant support from parents and students who are Black for comprehensive sex education.
- Youth who are Black and female are less likely than peers who are white to receive education about where to obtain birth control prior to initiating sexual activity.
- Youth who are Black and male and Hispanic are less likely than their peers who are white to receive formal education on STI prevention or contraception prior to initiating sexual activity.
- Youth who are Hispanic and female are less likely to receive instruction about waiting to have sex than youth of other ethnicities.
- Tribal health educators report challenges in identifying culturally relevant sex education curriculum for youth who are American Indian/Alaska Native.
- In a 2019 study, youth who were LGBTQ2S+ and Black, Latinx, or Asian reported receiving inadequate sex education due to feeling unrepresented, unsupported, stigmatized, or bullied.
- In survey research, many young adults who are Asian American report that they received inadequate sex education in school.
Youth from rural communities:
- Adolescents who live in rural communities have faced disproportionate declines in formal sex education over the past two decades, compared with peers in urban/suburban areas.
- Students who live in rural communities report that the sex education curriculum in their schools does not serve their needs .
Youth from communities and schools that are low-income:
- Data has shown an association between schools that are low-resource and lower adolescent sexual health knowledge, due to a combination of fewer school resources and higher poverty rates/associated unmet health needs in the student body.
- Youth with family incomes above 200% of the federal poverty line are more likely to receive education about STI prevention, contraception, and “saying no to sex,” than their peers below 200% of the poverty line.
Youth who receive sex education in some religious settings:
- Most adolescents who identify as female and who attended church-based sex education programs report instructions on waiting until marriage for sex, while few report receiving education about birth control.
- Young people who received sex education in religious schools report that education focused on the risks of sexual behavior (STIs, pregnancy) and religious guilt; leading to them feeling under-equipped to make informed decisions about sex and sexuality later in life.
- Youth and teachers from religious schools have identified a need for comprehensive sex education curriculum that is tailored to the needs of faith communities .
Youth who live in states that limit the topics that can be covered in sex education:
- Students who live in the 34 states that require sex education programs to stress abstinence are less likely to have access to critical information on STI prevention and contraception.
- Prohibitions on addressing abortion in sex education or mandates that sex education curricula include medically inaccurate information on abortion designed to dissuade youth from terminating a pregnancy.
- Limitations on the types of contraception that can be covered in sex education curricula.
- Requirements that sex education teachers promote heterosexual, monogamous marriage in sex education.
- Lack of requirements to address healthy relationships and communication skills.
- Lack of requirements for teacher training or certification.
Comprehensive sex education has significant benefits for children and adolescents.
Youth who are exposed to comprehensive sex education programs in school demonstrate healthier sexual behaviors:
- Increased rates of contraception and condom use.
- Fewer unplanned pregnancies.
- Lower rates of STIs and HIV.
- Delayed initiation of sexual behavior.
More broadly, comprehensive sexual education impacts overall social-emotional health , including:
- Enhanced understanding of gender and sexuality.
- Lower rates of homophobia and related bullying.
- Lower rates of dating violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child sexual abuse.
- Healthier relationships and communication skills.
- Understanding of reproductive rights and responsibilities.
- Improved social-emotional learning, media literacy, and academic achievement.
Comprehensive sex education curriculum goes beyond risk reduction, to ensure that youth are supported in understanding their identity and sexuality and making informed decisions about their relationships, behaviors, and future. These benefits are critical to healthy sexual development.
Impacts of a lack of access to comprehensive sex education.
When youth are denied access to comprehensive sex education, they do not get the information and skill-building required for healthy sexual development. As such, they face unnecessary barriers to understanding their gender and sexuality, building positive interpersonal relationships, and making informed decisions about their sexual behavior and sexual health.
Impacts of a lack of comprehensive sex education for all youth can include :
- Less use of condoms, leading to higher risk of STIs, including HIV.
- Less use of contraception, leading to higher risk of unplanned pregnancy.
- Less understanding and increased stigma and shame around the spectrum of gender and sexual identity.
- Perpetuated stigma and embarrassment related to sex and sexual identity.
- Perpetuated gender stereotypes and traditional gender roles.
- Higher rates of youth turning to unreliable sources for information about sex, including the internet, the media, and informal learning from peer networks.
- Challenges in interpersonal communication.
- Challenges in building, maintaining, and recognizing safe, healthy peer and romantic relationships.
- Lower understanding of the importance of obtaining and giving enthusiastic consent prior to sexual activity.
- Less awareness of appropriate/inappropriate touch and lower reporting of child sexual abuse.
- Higher rates of dating violence and intimate partner violence, and less intervention from bystanders.
- Higher rates of homophobia and homophobic bullying.
- Unsafe school environments.
- Lower rates of media literacy.
- Lower rates of social-emotional learning.
- Lower recognition of gender equity, rights, and social justice.
In addition, the lack of access to comprehensive sex education can exacerbate existing health disparities, with disproportionate impacts on specific populations of youth.
Youth who identify as women, youth from communities of color, youth with disabilities, and youth who are LGBTQ2S+ are particularly impacted by inequitable access to comprehensive sex education, as this lack of education can impact their health, safety, and self-identity. Examples of these impacts are outlined below.
A lack of comprehensive sex education can harm young women.
- Female bodies are more prone to STI infection and more likely to experience complications of STI infection than male bodies.
- Female bodies are disproportionately impacted by long-term health consequences of STIs , including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.
- Female bodies are less likely to have or recognize symptoms of certain STI infections .
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in young women , and can cause long-term health consequences such as genital warts and cervical cancer.
- Women bear the health and economic effects of unplanned pregnancy.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by providing medically-accurate, evidence based information on effective strategies to prevent STI infections and unplanned pregnancy.
- Students who identify as female are more likely to experience sexual or physical dating violence than their peers who identify as male. Some of this may be attributed to underreporting by males due to stigma.
- Students who identify as female are bullied on school property more often than students who identify as male.
- Young women ages 16-19 are at higher risk of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault than the general population.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by guiding the development of healthy self-identities, challenging harmful gender norms, and building the skills required for respectful, equitable relationships.
A lack of comprehensive sex education can harm youth from communities of color.
- Youth of color benefit from seeing themselves represented in sex education curriculum.
- Sex education programs that use a framing of diversity, equity, rights, and social justice , informed by an understanding of systemic racism and discrimination, have been found to increase positive attitudes around reproductive rights in all students.
- There is a critical need for sex education programs that reflect youth’s cultural values and community .
- Comprehensive sex education can address these needs by developing curriculum that is inclusive of diverse communities, relationships, and cultures, so that youth see themselves represented in their education.
- Racial and ethnic disparities in STI and HIV infection.
- Racial and ethnic disparities in unplanned pregnancy and births among adolescents.
- Nearly half of youth who are Black ages 13-21 report having been pressured into sexual activity .
- Adolescent experience with dating violence is most prevalent among youth who are American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial.
- Adolescents who are Latinx are more likely than their peers who are non-Latinx to report physical dating violence .
- Youth who are Black and Latinx and who experience bullying are more likely to suffer negative impacts on academic performance than their white peers.
- Students who are Asian American and Pacific Islander report bullying and harassment due to race, ethnicity, and language.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by guiding the development of healthy self-identities, challenging harmful stereotypes, and building the skills required for respectful, equitable relationships.
- Young people of color—specifically those from Black , Asian-American , and Latinx communities– are often hyper-sexualized in popular media, leading to societal perceptions that youth are “older” or more sexually experienced than their white peers.
- Young men of color—specifically those from Black and Latinx communities—are often portrayed as aggressive or criminal in popular media, leading to societal perceptions that youth are dangerous or more sexually aggressive or experienced than white peers.
- These media portrayals can lead to disparities in public perceptions of youth behavior , which can impact school discipline, lost mentorship and leadership opportunities, less access to educational opportunities afforded to white peers, and greater involvement in the juvenile justice system.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by including positive representations of diverse youth in curriculum, challenging harmful stereotypes, and building the skills required for respectful relationships.
A lack of comprehensive sex education can harm youth with disabilities or special health care needs.
- Youth with disabilities need inclusive, developmentally-appropriate, representative sex education to support their health, identity, and development .
- Youth with special health care needs often initiate romantic relationships and sexual behavior during adolescence, similar to their peers.
- Youth with disabilities and special health care needs benefit from seeing themselves represented in sex education to access the information and skills to build healthy identities and relationships.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses this need by including positive representation of youth with disabilities and special health care needs in curriculum and providing developmentally-appropriate sex education to all youth.
- When youth with disabilities and special health care needs do not get access to the comprehensive sex education that they need, they are at increased risk of sexual abuse or being viewed as a sexual offender.
- Youth with disabilities and special health care needs are more likely than peers without disabilities to report coercive sex, exploitation, and sexual abuse.
- Youth with disabilities and special health care needs report more sexualized behavior and victimization online than their peers without disabilities.
- Youth with disabilities are at greater risk of bullying and have fewer friend relationships than their peers.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by providing education on healthy relationships, consent, communication, and bodily autonomy.
A lack of comprehensive sex education can harm youth who are LGBTQ2S+.
- Most sex education curriculum is not inclusive or representative of LGBTQ2S+ identities and experiences.
- Because school-based sex education often does not meet their needs, youth who are LGBTQ2S+ are more likely to seek sexual health information online , and thus are more likely to come across misinformation.
- The majority of parents support discussion of sexual orientation in sex education classes.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by including positive representation of LGBTQ2S+ individuals, romantic relationships, and families.
- Sex education curriculum that overlooks or stigmatizes youth who are LGBTQ2S+ contributes to hostile school environments and harms the healthy sexual and mental development .
- Youth who are LGBTQ2S+ face high levels of discrimination at school and are more likely to miss school because of bullying or victimization .
- Ongoing experiences with stigma, exclusion, and harassment negatively impact the mental health of youth who are LGBTQ2S+.
- Comprehensive sex education provides inclusive curriculum and has been shown to improve understanding of gender diversity, lower rates of homophobia, and reduce homophobic bullying in schools.
- Youth who are LGBTQ2S+ are more likely than their heterosexual peers to report not learning about HIV/STIs in school .
- Lack of education on STI prevention leaves LGBTQ2S+ youth without the information they need to make informed decisions, leading to discrepancies in condom use between LGBTQ2S+ and heterosexual youth.
- Some LGBTQ2S+ populations carry a disproportionate burden of HIV and other STIs: these disparities begin in adolescence , when youth who are LGBTQ2S+ do not receive sex education that is relevant to them.
- Comprehensive sex education provides the knowledge and skills needed to make safe decisions about sexual behavior , including condom use and other forms of STI and HIV prevention.
- Youth who are LBGTQ2S+ or are questioning their sexual identity report higher rates of dating violence than their heterosexual peers.
- Youth who are LGBTQ2S+ or are questioning their sexual identity face higher prevalence of bullying than their heterosexual peers.
- Comprehensive sex education teaches youth healthy relationship and communication skills and is associated with decreases in dating violence and increases in bystander interventions .
A lack of comprehensive sex education can harm youth who are in foster care.
- More than 70% of children in foster care have a documented history of child abuse and or neglect.
- More than 80% of children in foster care have been exposed to significant levels of violence, including domestic violence.
- Youth in foster care are racially diverse, with 23% of youth identifying as Black and 21% of identifying as Latinx, who will have similar experiences as those highlighted in earlier sections of this report.
- Removal is emotionally traumatizing for almost all children. Lack of consistent/stable placement with a responsive, nurturing caregiver can result in poor emotional regulation, impulsivity, and attachment problems.
- Comprehensive sex education addresses these issues by providing evidence-based, culturally appropriate information on healthy relationships, consent, communication, and bodily autonomy.
Sex education is often the first experience that youth have with understanding and discussing their gender and sexual health.
Youth deserve to a strong foundation of developmentally appropriate information about gender and sexuality, and how these things relate to their bodies, community, culture, society, mental health, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners.
Decades of data have demonstrated that comprehensive sex education programs are effective in reducing risk of STIs and unplanned pregnancy. These benefits are critical to public health. However, comprehensive sex education goes even further, by instilling youth with a broad range of knowledge and skills that are proven to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.
Last Updated
American Academy of Pediatrics
An official website of the United States government
The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.
The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
- Publications
- Account settings
Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .
- Advanced Search
- Journal List
- HHS Author Manuscripts
‘It is our duty:’ Understanding Parents’ Perspectives on Reproductive and Sexual Health Education
Amanda cameron.
a South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
Ellie Smith
b College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, St. Corvallis, OR, USA
Nicholas Mercer
c Department of Political Science, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
Beth Sundstrom
d Department of Communication, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA
South Carolina ranks 16 th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy. The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) does not require medically accurate, unbiased, culturally appropriate materials, and varies greatly in compliance and implementation. This study aimed to better understand parents’ perspectives in one county in South Carolina regarding reproductive and sexual health education. A total of 484 parents responded to a qualitative questionnaire, collectively representing 798 students. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis to organise data. Main themes identified include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a duty; dispelling the myth of abstinence-only education; and the value of comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Parents described teaching reproductive sexual health education in public schools as a ‘duty.’ Furthermore, parents rejected the idea that abstinence-only education is effective and believed reproductive and sexual health education should be taught without the influence of religion. Parents valued inclusive reproductive and sexual health education, covering a robust set of topics. Findings from the study provide evidence for the need to update current reproductive and sexual health education materials and legislation to meet parental demands and reduce youth sexual and reproductive health disparities.
Teenage pregnancy often results in negative outcomes for women, infants and communities including poorer educational, behavioural and health outcomes compared to children born to older parents ( Hoffman and Maynard 2008 ). Despite recent declines in teenage pregnancy, including an eight percent decrease from 2014 to 2015, the USA faces higher rates of teenage pregnancy than other high-income nations ( CDC 2016 ; Finer and Zolna 2016 ). Lower socioeconomic status and education levels for teenagers and parents may contribute to increased incidence of teenage pregnancies ( Penman-Aguilar et al. 2013 ). In 2015, teenage pregnancy cost US taxpayers 3.7 billion dollars, including costs for publicly funded nutrition, health care, and childcare assistance programmes ( Frost et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, teenage pregnancy contributes to increased rates of incarceration, a cycle of lower educational attainment, and unemployment for teenage parents and their children ( CDC 2016 ; Hoffman and Maynard 2008 ).
South Carolina, USA
In South Carolina, the teenage birth rate decreased by nine percent from 2015 to 2016. However, South Carolina ranks 16 th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy ( Martin et al. 2018 ). The public burden of teenage pregnancy costs South Carolina taxpayers an estimated $166 million annually ( SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2018 ). Further, South Carolina reports high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), ranking 7 th in the nation for rates of Chlamydia and 9 th for gonorrhoea, and over half of all South Carolina high school students (aged 14-18 years) reported having sex in 2017 ( CDC 2017 ; South Carolina Department of Education 2017 ).
South Carolina, along with 36 other states, mandates HIV or reproductive health education ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA), Title 59 Chapter 32, requires comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education be taught in public schools. The CHEA mandates that grades Kindergarten to 5 (i.e children aged 5-10 years) receive comprehensive health education; grades 6-8 (aged 11-13 years) receive comprehensive health education, including instruction on STIs; and at least seven hundred and fifty minutes of reproductive health and pregnancy prevention education be taught at least one time during the four years of high school. According to CHEA, ‘reproductive health education’ is defined as ‘instruction in human physiology, conception, prenatal care and development, childbirth, and postnatal care, but does not include instruction concerning sexual practices outside marriage or practices unrelated to reproduction except within the context of the risk of disease’ ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). Furthermore, abstinence must be ‘strongly emphasized.’ ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ).
However, CHEA remains outdated by not requiring medically accurate, culturally appropriate and unbiased health information, the exclusion of information on gender and sexual minorities (i.e., non-heterosexual), and previously purposed amendments fail sufficiently to incorporate these requirements ( Orekoya et al. 2016 ; South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). For example, proposed amendments advocate for the inclusion of defining ‘medically accurate’ health information, but not ‘culturally appropriate’ or ‘unbiased’ health information (e.g., without the influence of religion). Furthermore, large variations persist in materials and implementation of education curricula across the state and school districts ( Orekoya et al. 2016 ).
The most recent state-wide survey on reproductive and sexual health education, conducted in 2005 among registered voters of South Carolina, found over three quarters of participants believed reproductive and sexual health education should emphasise abstinence-only education. Nearly all (88.4%) of the participants indicated the responsibility to teach reproductive and sexual health education falls on parents ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). However, half of all participants indicated the number of reproductive and sexual health education should increase, and 70% believed the number of teenage pregnancy prevention programmes should increase in South Carolina ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). A more recent focus-group study involving parents found parents desire a collaborative process, including a larger role from schools, to implement teenage pregnancy prevention programmes in South Carolina public schools ( Rose et al. 2014 ).
Despite these previous findings, no changes have been made to CHEA since its introduction in 1988. CHEA’s outdated and limited standards, coupled with a conservative culture, may contribute to higher rates of poor health outcomes for South Carolina’s youth ( Guttmacher Institute 2018 ; Orekoya et al. 2016 ). Research indicates parents may not be equipped with accurate, comprehensive knowledge to teach reproductive and sexual health education solely in the home ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ), therefore implementing medically accurate, unbiased school-based sexual education curricula may improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Comprehensive School-Based Reproductive and Sexual Health Education
Parents of adolescents indicate a need for comprehensive school-based sexual education in order to reduce teenage pregnancies and empower youth ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Howard et al. 2017 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ). Previous studies describe the benefits of comprehensive sexual education policies, including decreased incidence of teenage pregnancy, ( Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty 2008 ) delay of sex initiation, ( Kirby 2008 ) increased condom and contraceptive use, ( de Castro et al. 2018 ; Kirby 2008 ) and more accurate sexual health knowledge ( Grose, Grabe, and Kohfeldt 2014 ). Current school-based sexual education policies are often outdated ( Greslé-Favier 2010 ), vary largely by state ( Santelli et al. 2017 ), and emphasise abstinence-only sex education, which does not decrease incidence of teenage pregnancy ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). Moreover, studies suggest abstinence-only reproductive and sexual health education does not delay initiation of sexual debut, ( Kirby 2008 ; Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty 2008 ) and may contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy due to lack of contraceptive counseling ( Stanger-Hall and Hall 2011 ). This necessitates a comprehensive, inclusive understanding of stakeholders’ (i.e., parents of students) perspectives and opinions regarding school-based reproductive and sexual health education.
Survey data from previous studies indicate parents of children and young people overwhelmingly value school-based comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education that includes information on contraception, ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ; M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Grose, Grabe, and Kohfeldt 2014 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ) relationships and gender identity ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Simovska and Peter 2015 ). Focus group studies, including those with parents, teachers and school stakeholders, found reproductive and sexual health education curricula and teenage pregnancy prevention programmes should detail the ‘real life,’ honest consequences associated with sexual activity, include age appropriate materials, and should be standardised in delivery ( M. Eisenberg et al. 2012 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Murray et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, parents detail how their own lack of sexual health knowledge creates an impetus for schools to teach these subjects ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ). Not only should reproductive and sexual health education address the needs and wants of parents, but also diverse groups of individuals, including gender non-conforming, lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) community members who otherwise remain marginalised from heteronormative reproductive and sexual health education materials ( Hobaica and Kwon 2017 ).
Purpose of the Study
This study was conducted in Charleston County on behalf of the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council (CCTPPC). CCTPPC is a nonprofit organisation aiming to reduce teenage pregnancy and improve the quality of life in the Charleston community. To achieve its mission, the council provides teen age pregnancy data, community resources, contraceptive access, and effective teenage pregnancy prevention programmes ( CCTPPC 2019 ). Community events held by CCTPPC found a common theme that parents felt their voices were not heard and frustration regarding the lengthy and late timing school board meetings, making it difficult to even attend.
In 2015, despite unanimous approval from the health advisory committee, the Charleston County school board rejected a new Making Proud Choices! comprehensive sex education curriculum. In 2016, the Charleston County School Board rejected a curriculum that would have allowed seventh and eighth graders to learn about pregnancy prevention techniques, including birth control methods and effective condom use, with their parents’ permission ( Pan 2016 ). Most recently, parents were upset to find out that the health advisory committee (mandated by CHEA) is required to have three clergy members, as compared to only two health professionals, two parents, two teachers, two students and two other persons not employed by the local school district ( Schiferl 2019 ).
Few existing studies exploring views on school-based reproductive and sexual health education offer qualitative or open-ended data from parents alone, thus limiting the representation and understanding of parents’ perspectives, opinions and values regarding school-based reproductive and sexual health education ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Murray et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, updated findings are needed in order to address the modern desires of South Carolina parents that may not be properly represented in older studies. Qualitative research provides in-depth insight into participants’ understandings. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to better understand the parental opinions related to sexual health education in Charleston County, South Carolina public schools. We expect findings to identify practical opportunities to meet the needs of parents and ultimately improve adolescent and teenage sexual health outcomes.
This qualitative study was part of a larger research project investigating the opinions of parents in Charleston County about preferred reproductive health education topics. A qualitative questionnaire was developed with open-ended questions designed to elicit in-depth and rich responses. Through the strategic use of open-ended questions, researchers elicited robust responses and stories from participants suitable for qualitative analysis ( O’Cathain and Thomas 2004 ). Further, scholars suggest that web-based surveys offer the potential to increase participation from diverse, hard-to-access, and marginalised populations, who are often understudied ( McInroy 2016 ; Wright 2005 ). Open-ended text responses were analysed using thematic analysis ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). The University of South Florida institutional review board (IRB) approved this study.
Data collection
Eligible participants included parents and caregivers with at least one child attending a Charleston County public school. Potential respondents were recruited through email, web-based listservs, social media (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) and word of mouth. Examples of the different social media pages and listservs included local churches, the Ryan White Program, the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the YWCA, Communities in Schools, multiple Charleston Mom Facebook groups and many other social media pages parents might frequent (posted by individual accounts as well as those of relevant organisations).
Recruitment materials included unbiased language to encourage participation: ‘Do you have a child attending Charleston County Public Schools? We want to hear from you! Please take 3 minutes to complete this survey on parental opinions related to reproductive health education in public schools.’ There was no compensation provided to participants. Researchers encouraged participants to share the survey with other parents in Charleston County, creating a ‘snowball’ sampling approach, meaning current study participants recruit additional participants to ‘keep the ball rolling’ and facilitate ongoing recruitment ( Berg and Lune 2012 ). Participants completed an anonymous, self-administered, online questionnaire through REDCap, a secure web application. espondents provided brief demographic details to ensure responses represented a diverse segment of the population. Computer IP addresses were limited to one submission to minimise multiple attempts from the same participant during the data collection period. Participants provided informed consent to proceed to the questionnaire, which respondents completed in approximately 5-15 minutes.
Exploratory open-ended questions were developed in collaboration with the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council and a review of the literature to facilitate inductive qualitative data analysis. . Sample questions included “The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act requires that reproductive health in public schools emphasise abstinence as the first and best option for youth. Do you think that public schools should also teach youth about contraception and condoms as methods to prevent unwanted pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (including how to use these methods correctly)? Why or why not?”, and “Which of these topics (e.g., male and female reproductive anatomy, abstinence, parenting responsibilities, physical changes associated with puberty, STIs, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse/rape, negotiation skills, contraception, condoms, pregnancy and childbirth, sexual orientation/gender identity) do you believe should be part of school-based sex education programmes, and what do you think is the earliest grade level at which it should be taught?”
In addition, participants were reminded that researchers were interested in parental opinions related to reproductive health education in public school and were encouraged to use as much space as they needed to share relevant details.
Data analysis
Thematic analysis methodology was used to offer a robust, thick description of these data, meaning a detailed and complex description of participants’ subjective experiences with appropriate context ( Braun and Clarke 2006 ). Thematic analysis offered a recursive process to identify, analyse and report themes. Qualitative data analysis software HyperRESEARCH 3.7.3 was used to assist the analysis. Researchers followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of analysis, including (1) familiarisation with the data, (2) generating initial codes, (3) searching for themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) producing the report. This process involved seeking repeated patterns of meaning across the open-ended textual responses ( Braun and Clarke 2006 ). Initially, the analytic process included description and organisation to reveal patterns in the data. Similar to a codebook, researchers defined and refined a thematic map, which provides a visual conceptualisation of patterns in the data, including the relationships between codes ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). Figure 1 shows the final three main themes and subthemes.
Design based on Braun & Wilkinson, 2003
A total of 484 participants responded to the survey. Participants reported an average age of 41.25 ± 15.97 and overwhelmingly self-identified as female (n = 438, 90.5%) and white (n = 412, 85.1%), which is considerably larger than the 48% of white students represented in Charleston County School District. A smaller portion of the respondents self-identified as Black/African American (n = 43, 8.9%), much lower than the 38% of black students in Charleston County School District ( Charleston County School District 2019 ).
Most participants self-reported an Associate’s Degree or higher for level of education obtained (n = 450, 93%), while the remaining participants reported an education level of a GED or lower (n = 29, 6%), reflective of Charleston County where 91% of adults report their education level as higher than a high school diploma ( US Census Bureau 2018 ). The majority of participants indicated they had one child (n = 236, 48.8%) enrolled in a Charleston County public school, followed by two children (n = 194, 40.1%), three children (n = 44, 9.1%), four children (n = 8, 1.7%), and five children (n = 2, 0.4%). Participants represented 496 (62.1%) elementary school students, 163 (20.5%) middle school students, and 112 (14%) high school students. Overall, the sample represented a total of 798 students enrolled in Charleston County School District, which serves 49,820 students. See Table 1 for all participant demographic characteristics.
Demographic Characteristic
Note. Frequencies that do not sum due to “prefer not to answer” response.
Three themes, with related subthemes were identified regarding parental attitudes toward sex education in Charleston County public schools: 1) Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty: Right, Obligation, Duty; Effective, Evidence-Based, Age-Appropriate Education; and Not Always Taught at Home; 2) Dispelling the Myth of Abstinence-only Education: Religion; ‘Real World;’ and Stigma; and 3) The Value of Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education: Male and Female Reproductive Anatomy; Bodily Autonomy, Consent, and Health Relationships; and Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation. Results include representative quotes chosen to best reflect patterns and themes in the data as well as to honor the unique voices of participants, therefore each comment is from a different participant.
Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty
Right, obligation, and duty.
Participants viewed teaching comprehensive sex education as a public school’s obligation to students. One 38-year-old mother with a graduate degree said, ‘we have an obligation to inform youth of the options available.’ Many participants indicated that students had the right to knowledge about their bodies and withholding education was not only a disservice, but also harmful. According to another 63-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘not telling [students] about contraception and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention is pure negligence.’ Most participants believed that providing knowledge about sexual health-related topics can empower students to take control of their health.
Participants also invoked duty as a reason to provide comprehensive sex education. According to one participant, a 45-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘South Carolina ranks in the top #5 out of 50 states with the highest incidence of Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. We need to educate our youth.’ Another 43-year-old mom with a graduate degree noted the correlation that ‘the states with abstinence-only sex education have the highest rates of pregnancy.’ Participants understood comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a student’s right, which could reduce rates of STIs and teen pregnancy.
Effective, Evidence-based, Age-appropriate Education
In addition to the right to education, parents suggested comprehensive sex education should comprise effective, scientific, evidence-based and age-appropriate material. According to one 32-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘data show that comprehensive sex education is more effective than an abstinence-only approach at reducing the rates of teen pregnancy and STIs.’ Parents regularly reaffirmed that comprehensive sex education is proven effective in reducing rates of STIs and teenage pregnancy.
Overall, participants favoured comprehensive sex education, but some had concerns about its implementation. For example, one 39-year-old mother with a graduate degree, although comfortable with comprehensive sex education, warned ‘all of these topics should be approached in a developmentally appropriate way.’ In addition to concerns about age-appropriateness, some participants were concerned about the qualifications of instructors teaching sex education. According to one 34-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘anything related to medicine (like contraception) should not be taught in schools by teachers that have NO medical background to be able to discuss the risk factors associated with different types of medicine.’ Although participants expressed concerns, parents also recognised the benefits of comprehensive sex education as effective when appropriately implemented.
Not always taught at home
Many participants expressed the importance of teaching evidence-based, comprehensive sex education because it is not always taught at home. One 41-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree stated, ‘I would guess that a lot of children might not have the benefit of a responsible adult helping them become properly educated in this area.’ According to one 39-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘although I think abstinence is best, there are some who will be sexually active, and parents may not be teaching proper methods at home.’ Regardless of personal views on abstinence, participants felt an obligation to implement comprehensive sex education as part of the public-school curriculum because students may not receive this education at home.
Dispelling the Myth of Abstinence-Only Education
Participants viewed the religious beliefs of others as a barrier to comprehensive sex education in schools. Some participants were frustrated by what they viewed as an encroachment of religion concerning the inclusion of sex education in schools. One 42-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘keep religion out of our public institutions and teach children about the human body, biology, reproduction and STDs.’ According to a 54-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘our kids and teens deserve better than religious lies that are not based on evidence or facts.’ For these participants, religion played a disproportionate role in the conversation around sex education in schools.
On the other hand, many participants cited their personal religious views as the basis for their support of comprehensive sex education. One 43-year-old mother with a graduate degree said:
As a Christian parent, I hold the view that the tension of ‘freedom and responsibility’ is the best way to raise children, but the natural consequence of sex is likely conceiving a baby, so in my view prevention and education is in order for a healthy society.
Many participants recognised the tension between religious teachings of abstinence, and the practical responsibility of creating a ‘healthy society,’ which requires comprehensive sex education.
In addition to religion, participants described the impact of media and popular culture as a reason for comprehensive sex education in schools. One 35-year-old mother with a graduate degree said, ‘the reality is that teens have sex, and I prefer my son understand how to protect himself and his partner from pregnancy and diseases.’ Many participants viewed sex as an inevitability for teenagers, and abstinence-only education depended on the myth that teenagers do not engage in sexual activity. Another 47-year-old mother with a graduate degree cited the media as a reason for comprehensive sex education in schools, stating ‘teens are sexually active. Promiscuity is all over mainstream television, magazines and the internet.’ Most participants recognised abstinence as unrealistic for students, and abstinence-only education as ineffective.
Participants described the need to diminish the stigma surrounding sex education. According to one 40-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘we have to stop making sex a taboo topic. Kids are full of false ideas because no one is providing them with accurate information.’ Many participants advocated for comprehensive sex education in schools to correct misinformation and address the stigma around sexual health-related topics. Other participants discussed stigma and the need for education in the context of their own histories. One 36-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree described how they, ‘grew up in an upper-class religious household, as did my friends. I started having sex at 14. My friends were all having sex around me.’ Despite an upbringing in a conservative environment, this same participant engaged in sexual activity as a young person and advocated for comprehensive sex education in schools in order to teach safe practices and help young people make better decisions.
The Value of Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education
Male and female reproductive anatomy.
Several participants noted the importance of teaching anatomy, including the use of scientifically accurate language, as a key component of comprehensive sex education curricula. One 38-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘I think that it is super important for kids to know their anatomy and what happens with it. The correct terms are so important.’ Another 42-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘I think it is important to also teach children that what they are feeling and how their body is changing is normal [emphasis by participant].’
Bodily Autonomy, Consent, and Healthy Relationships
Participants expressed support for a variety of topics in comprehensive sex education curricula regarding individual bodily autonomy. According to one 36-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘I believe sexual abuse prevention should be taught to all ages in a developmentally appropriate way.’ Participants also supported teaching about healthy relationships, ‘I believe sex ed should also include a HUGE [emphasis by participant] component about consent.’ Participants who expressed concerns over comprehensive sex education in schools were also in favour of topics related to bodily autonomy, according to a 45-year-old mother with a graduate degree: ‘abstinence should be promoted in a way that does not reinforce gender norms but rather emphasises respect between individuals.’ Despite different viewpoints about comprehensive sex education, participants believed that students should be taught about their right to control their own body.
Contraception and STIs
Another topic addressed by participants included contraception and STIs. Participants expressed interest in comprehensive sex education including discussions about birth control. According to one 51-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘we must…educate our children on the proper birth control methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.’ This sentiment was echoed by another 51-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree saying, ‘I wish all girls could receive free birth control implants at age 13! They should at least be given as much information as possible about sex and birth control.’
Support for contraceptive information was stressed regardless of gender, ‘I have a teenager and stress the importance of using condoms to him…It would be nice to have this advice reinforced at school.’
STIs were also noted as an important topic to be included in comprehensive sex education in order to address misinformation. According to one 46-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘I’ve heard friends of my kids say they didn’t know they could get oral herpes from just kissing or other STIs from just “touching.”‘ One 39-year-old father with a bachelor’s degree explicitly outlined the need for this information stating, ‘knowledge is power, and a formalised curriculum including effectiveness and application of various birth control and STI prevention methods empowers our children.’
Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation
Participants varied in their opinions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in schools. Despite differing viewpoints, participants discussed reducing stigma as a reason for discussing these topics. According to one 31-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree:
Teaching about sexual orientation and gender [identity] at a young age can help destigmatise and de-mystify it all, making it easier for children…to speak to their peers and transition when they’re ready.
Some participants had mixed feelings about gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in school. According to one 35-year-old mother with an associate degree:
Not sure how I feel about school addressing sexual orientation or gender identity, but I realise it is a conversation one must have. My kids are still very young, so I am still grappling with how to handle this on the most basic level for such discussions.
For most participants, there was a tension between recognising that students should learn about gender identity and sexual orientation and the need for the conversation to be developmentally appropriate.
Even participants who were uncomfortable with schools teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation expressed support and inclusion for LGBTQ students. According to one 52-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘sexual orientation should not be a school topic, it should be taught by parents…That being said, sexual orientation should not be a putdown in any school setting, nor should such bullying be tolerated.’ This same participant was opposed to gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in schools while wanting to ensure students with non-normative identities were included and not subjected to bullying.
Four hundred and eighty-four parents, representing a total of 798 students, responded to a questionnaire aimed at understanding parental attitudes toward sex education in local public schools. Participants believed public schools have a duty to teach comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Findings show that reproductive and sexual health education curricula should be effective, evidence-based, science-based, age-appropriate and taught by trained teachers or instructors. Many participants perceived a lack of reproductive and sexual health education being taught at home, resulting in an obligation to include reproductive and sexual health education in a school setting. Participants rejected the idea of abstinence-only as an effective approach to reproductive and sexual health education. Many participants cited the impact of religious beliefs, the reality of adolescent sexual activity, sexual content in media, and stigma on discussions of sexual and reproductive health topics. Finally, most parents agreed that reproductive and sexual health education should include a robust set of topics including reproductive anatomy, bodily autonomy and consent, contraception and gender identity and sexual orientation.
Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty
Parents believed schools are obligated to provide effective, evidence-based, and age-appropriate reproductive and sexual health education. This reinforces previous research suggesting parents believe schools need to ‘do more,’ including teaching about STI prevention, condom use and contraceptive methods ( Tortolero et al. 2011 ). This finding also supports research suggesting parents lack the necessary, in-depth knowledge to effectively teach myriad sexual health topics to their children at varying ages within the home ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ).
This assertion by parents for trained sexual health education instructors in schools coupled by lack of adequate in-home instruction from parents establishes an imperative, or ‘duty,’ for school-based sexual health educators to deliver effective, age-appropriate sexual health education. It offers an updated perspective on findings from a 2005 survey of South Carolina residents, of a similar demographic composition (72% white, and 59% female), that indicated parents and/or legal guardians should hold the responsibility to teach reproductive and sexual health education ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). Mandating the comprehensive coverage of sexual health topics in public schools through policy may close the knowledge gap created by limited or absent in-home instruction, protect students and reduce sexual health disparities experienced by youth across age groups. This finding also supports the updating of CHEA to create a more standardised administration of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to ensure students receive adequate information regardless of parents’ teaching.
Effective Abstinence-Only is a Myth
Parents perceived effective abstinence-only reproductive and sexual health education as a myth. This finding supports research that indicates abstinence-only education does not reduce teenage pregnancy rates ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). Curricula should be comprehensive, developed without the influence of religious beliefs, recognise the reality of media influence on adolescent sexual behaviour, and attempt to normalise sexual and reproductive health discussions. This finding extends previous research indicating parents believe school-based reproductive and sexual health education should cover the ‘realities’ and the potential consequences of risky sexual behaviours among adolescents ( Murray et al. 2014 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ). Research suggests equipping adolescents with the necessary skills to navigate and communicate sexual health decision making and sexual encounters contributes to healthier relationships ( Decker, Berglas, and Brindis 2015 ; Elliott 2010 ; Orekoya et al. 2016 ). Incorporating ‘real world’ influences and consequences into reproductive and sexual health education may normalise sexual health discussions and empower youth to make positive sexual and reproductive health decisions.
Parents’ stated need for unbiased reproductive and sexual health education (i.e., without the influence of religion) demonstrates that South Carolina’s reproductive and sexual health education legislation (CHEA) requires further reform in order to meet the modern desires of South Carolina parents. Stimulating policy change by improving CHEA via standardising and mandating the provision of unbiased school-based reproductive and sexual health education holds the potential to optimise educational materials and instructor time and efforts in order to ameliorate adolescent sexual health disparities. It is imperative, however, that updated amendments to CHEA not only define ‘unbiased’ health information, but also include training for reproductive and sexual health educators to ensure unbiased, culturally appropriate delivery of education materials.
Reproductive and Sexual Health Education is Inclusive
Parents value inclusive, comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Reproductive and sexual health education curricula should include age-appropriate discussions of male and female reproductive anatomy, bodily autonomy, consent, healthy relationships, contraception, and gender identity and sexual orientation. This finding mirrors previous research showing that parents value comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education beyond abstinence-only, including information on contraception, relationships and gender identity ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Simovska and Peter 2015 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ).
Beyond this, these qualitative findings provide novel insight to specific topics parents value in reproductive and sexual health education materials that may not be covered in previous survey studies, including gender identity and sexual orientation, bodily autonomy and consent. Parents believed including information on gender identity and sexual orientation can destigmatise these topics, challenging previous survey data that indicate over half of South Carolina residents surveyed do not want information on ‘homosexuality’ included in school-based reproductive and sexual health education ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). This further revidences the evolving views of South Carolina. CHEA should be updated to not exclude information on ‘alternative sexual lifestyles’ in order to address materials that parents of children within the public-school system desire to be taught.
Parents expressed concern that they lack comprehensive understanding of issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation, emphasising that these topics should be covered in school-based reproductive and sexual health education. Participants suggested addressing these topics may reduce misunderstandings and bullying and contribute to creating a safe space in public schools. This parental perspective contributes to previous research among sexually diverse youth who believed inclusive reproductive and sexual health education may contribute to a better sense of community and potentially safer sex practices ( Hobaica and Kwon 2017 ; Snapp et al. 2015 ). In-depth understanding of parents’ values and reasoning for the inclusion of specific topics demands reproductive and sexual health education materials be complete, including sexual orientation and gender identity, to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all students.
Limitations
Several limitations exist in the present study. Survey data obtained includes insights from South Carolina parents from within one county, therefore generalisability to other regions of South Carolina and the USA i limited. Although the study surveyed a select group of Charleston County residents (i.e., parents with children in public schools), participant demographics (e.g., race and gender) may not fully represent or reflect those of all Charleston County residents. Future research should seek to include more diverse participants, including men and parents of colour. In addition, qualitative data obtained via surveys may not address parents’ thoughts and opinions as comprehensively as other qualitative methodologies. Future studies should employ other qualitative methodologies including in-depth interviews or focus groups to add more in-depth understanding of parental perspectives of reproductive and sexual health education.
Future Implications
Study findings offer novel and updated insights to the perspectives, opinions, and values among parents for school-based reproductive and sexual health education materials, topics and implementation. In particular, they evidence the critical need to increase oversight and documentation of the reproductive and sexual health taught to youth in schools to ensure realisation of current and future policies. Abstinence-only and other outdated sexual and reproductive health policies and curricula do not contribute to lower rates of teenage pregnancy ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). The 1988 CHEA policy is 31 years old and, as indicated in previous studies and the current study, the perspectives and needs of parents and students evolve over time, therefore CHEA must be updated. For example, CHEA currently requires information that is ‘age-appropriate,’ but allows the school board to determine what is deemed age-appropriate, without consideration of parental perspectives. This study provides insight to parental views of ‘age-appropriate’ sexual and reproductive health topics and explicit information parents wish to be included in updated school-based reproductive and sexual health education policies.
Future research should also examine the qualifications and training of reproductive and sexual health education teachers and instructors to ensure effective presentation of updated curricula. These results should guide the Charleston County School Board, and potentially South Carolina legislation, to ensure the needs of parents and students are met to reduce sexual and reproductive health disparities faced by South Carolina youth.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank members of the Women’s Health Research Team at the College of Charleston and the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council for their support and collaboration on the project.
This project was supported, in part, by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the US National Institutes of Health under Grant Number UL1 TR001450. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health
Declaration of Interests
The authors have no conflicts of interests to report.
- Alton Forrest, Oldendick Robert, and Draughon Katherine. 2005. “ The Sex Education Curriculum in South Carolina’s Public Schools: The Public’s View .” Public Policy & Practice 4 ( 1 ): 1–14. http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/ejournal/ejmay05/sexrev3.htm [ Google Scholar ]
- Berg Bruce L, and Lune Howard. 2012. Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences . Boston: Pearson. [ Google Scholar ]
- Braun Virginia, and Clarke Victoria. 2006. “ Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology .” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 ( 2 ): 77–101. [ Google Scholar ]
- Braun Virginia, and Wilkinson Sue. 2003. “ Liability or Asset? Women Talk about the Vagina .” Psychology of Women Section Review 5 ( 2 ): 28–42. [ Google Scholar ]
- Carr Jillian B., and Packham Analisa. 2017. “ The Effects of State-Mandated Abstinence-Based Sex Education on Teen Health Outcomes .” Health Economics 26 ( 4 ): 403–20. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Castro Filipa de, Rojas-Martínez Rosalba, Villalobos-Hernández Aremis, Allen-Leigh Betania, Breverman-Bronstein Ariela, Billings Deborah Lynn, and Uribe-Zúñiga Patricia. 2018. “ Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes Are Positively Associated with Comprehensive Sexual Education Exposure in Mexican High-School Students .” Edited by Dalby Andrew R.. PLOS ONE 13 ( 3 ). 10.1371/journal.pone.0193780. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
- CCTPPC. 2019. “ Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevetion Council: About Us .” Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council; November 2019. https://www.cctppc.com . [ Google Scholar ]
- CDC. 2016. “ About Teen Pregnancy | Teen Pregnancy | Reproductive Health | CDC .” April 26, 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
- ———. 2017. “ Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2016 .” Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services; https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats16/CDC_2016_STDS_Report-for508WebSep21_2017_1644.pdf [ Google Scholar ]
- Charleston County School District. 2019. “ Fast Facts .” Charleston County School District Schools; 2019. https://www.ccsdschools.com . [ Google Scholar ]
- Decker Martha J., Berglas Nancy F., and Brindis Claire D.. 2015. “ A Call to Action: Developing and Strengthening New Strategies to Promote Adolescent Sexual Health .” Societies (2075-4698) 5 ( 4 ): 686. [ Google Scholar ]
- Eisenberg Marla E., Bernat Debra H., Bearinger Linda H., and Resnick Michael D.. 2008. “ Support for Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Perspectives from Parents of School-Age Youth .” Journal of Adolescent Health 42 ( 4 ): 352–59. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Eisenberg Marla, Madsen Nikki, Oliphant Jennifer A., and Resnick Michael. 2012. “ Policies, Principals and Parents: Multilevel Challenges and Supports in Teaching Sexuality Education .” Sex Education 12 ( 3 ): 317–29. [ Google Scholar ]
- Elliott Sinikka. 2010. “ ‘If I Could Really Say That and Get Away with It!’ Accountability and Ambivalence in American Parents’ Sexuality Lessons in the Age of Abstinence .” Sex Education 10 ( 3 ): 239–50. [ Google Scholar ]
- Finer Lawrence B., and Zolna Mia R.. 2016. “ Declines in Unintended Pregnancy in the United States, 2008-2011 .” The New England Journal of Medicine , no. 9 : 843. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Frost Jennifer J., Sonfield Adam, Zolna Mia R., and Finer Lawrence B.. 2014. “ Return on Investment: A Fuller Assessment of the Benefits and Cost Savings of the US Publicly Funded Family Planning Program: US Publicly Funded Family Planning Program .” Milbank Quarterly 92 ( 4 ): 696–749. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Greslé-Favier Claire. 2010. “ The Legacy of Abstinence-Only Discourses and the Place of Pleasure in US Discourses on Teenage Sexuality .” Sex Education 10 ( 4 ): 413–22. [ Google Scholar ]
- Grose Rose Grace, Grabe Shelly, and Kohfeldt Danielle. 2014. “ Sexual Education, Gender Ideology, and Youth Sexual Empowerment .” Journal Of Sex Research 51 ( 7 ): 742–53. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Guttmacher Institute. 2018. “ Sex and HIV Education .” Guttmacher Institute; 01 2018. https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explore/sex-and-hiv-education . [ Google Scholar ]
- Heller Janet R., and Johnson Helen L.. 2010. “ What Are Parents Really Saying When They Talk With Their Children About Sexuality? ” American Journal of Sexuality Education 5 ( 2 ): 144–70. [ Google Scholar ]
- Hobaica Steven, and Kwon Paul. 2017. “ ‘This Is How You Hetero:’ Sexual Minorities in Heteronormative Sex Education .” American Journal of Sexuality Education 12 ( 4 ): 423–50. [ Google Scholar ]
- Hoffman Saul D., and Maynard Rebecca A.. 2008. Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy . Second edition Washington, D.C: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. [ Google Scholar ]
- Howard Tiffany R., Larkin Lauri J., Ballard Michael D., McKinney Molly A., and Gore Jonathan S.. 2017. “ Parental Views on Sexual Education in Public Schools in a Rural Kentucky County Eastern Kentucky University .” KAHPERD Journal 54 ( 2 ): 32–43. [ Google Scholar ]
- Johnson-Motoyama Michelle, Moses Mindi, Kann Tiffany, Mariscal E, Levy Michelle, Navarro Carolina, Fite Paula, Koloroutis Kann Tiffany, Mariscal E Susana, and Fite Paula J. 2016. “ Parent, Teacher, and School Stakeholder Perspectives on Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programming for Latino Youth .” Journal of Primary Prevention 37 ( 6 ): 513–25. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Kirby Douglas B. 2008. “ The Impact of Abstinence and Comprehensive Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs on Adolescent Sexual Behavior .” Sexuality Research & Social Policy 5 ( 3 ): 18. [ Google Scholar ]
- Kohler Pamela K., Manhart Lisa E., and Lafferty William E.. 2008. “ Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy .” Journal of Adolescent Health 42 ( 4 ): 344–51. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Martin Joyce A., Hamilton Brady E., Osterman Michelle J.K., Driscoll Anne K., and Patrick Drake. 2018. “ Births: Final Data for 2017 .” National Vital Statistics Reports 67 ( 8 ): 50. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- McInroy Lauren B. 2016. “ Pitfalls, Potentials, and Ethics of Online Survey Research: LGBTQ and Other Marginalized and Hard-to-Access Youths .” Social Work Research 40 ( 2 ): 83–94. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Murray Ashley, Ellis Monica U., Castellanos Ted, Gaul Zaneta, Sutton Madeline Y., and Sneed Carl D.. 2014. “ Sexual Health Discussions between African-American Mothers and Mothers of Latino Descent and Their Children .” Sex Education 14 ( 5 ): 597–608. [ Google Scholar ]
- O’Cathain Alicia, and Thomas Kate J.. 2004. “ ‘Any Other Comments?’ Open Questions on Questionnaires – a Bane or a Bonus to Research? ” BMC Medical Research Methodology 4 ( 1 ): 25. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Orekoya Olubunmi, White Kellee, Samson Marsha, and Robillard Alyssa G.. 2016. “ The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act Needs to Be Amended .” American Journal of Public Health 106 ( 11 ): 1950–52. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Pan Deanna. 2016. “ Charleston County School Board Nixes Part of Sex Education Curriculum .” Post and Courier , October 24, 2016, Online edition. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-county-school-board-nixes-part-of-sex-education-curriculum/article_7e6f1846-9a09-11e6-b4df-e32fc56b9b8d.html .
- Penman-Aguilar Ana, Carter Marion, Snead M. Christine, and Kourtis Athena P.. 2013. “ Socioeconomic Disadvantage as a Social Determinant of Teen Childbearing in the U.S .” Public Health Reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974) 128 Suppl 1 (April): 5–22. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Rose India, Prince Mary, Flynn Shannon, Kershner Sarah, and Taylor Doug. 2014. “ Parental Support for Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Programmes in South Carolina Public Middle Schools .” Sex Education 14 ( 5 ): 510–24. [ Google Scholar ]
- Santelli John S., Kantor Leslie M., Grilo Stephanie A., Speizer Ilene S., Lindberg Laura D., Heitel Jennifer, Schalet Amy T., et al. 2017. “ Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage: An Updated Review of U.S. Policies and Programs and Their Impact .” Journal of Adolescent Health 61 ( 3 ): 273–80. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 2018. “ On Taxpayers | SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy .” 2018. https://www.teenpregnancysc.org/issue/taxpayers
- Schiferl Jenna Schiferl. 2019. “ Charleston Parents Slam SC Sex Ed Law Giving Clergy Members More Say than Health Experts .” Post and Courier , July 19, 2019, Online edition. https://www.postandcourier.com/news/charleston-parents-slam-sc-sex-ed-law-giving-clergy-members/article_1cbf7396-92a6-11e9-acbd-dbb5b801180f.html
- Simovska Venka, and Peter Christina R.. 2015. “ Parents’ Attitudes toward Comprehensive and Inclusive Sexuality Education : Beliefs about Sexual Health Topics and Forms of Curricula .” Health Education , no. 1 : 71. [ Google Scholar ]
- Snapp Shannon D., McGuire Jenifer K., Sinclair Katarina O., Gabrion Karlee, and Russell Stephen T.. 2015. “ LGBTQ-Inclusive Curricula: Why Supportive Curricula Matter .” Sex Education 15 ( 6 ): 580–96. [ Google Scholar ]
- South Carolina Department of Education. 2017. “ SC Youth Risk Behaviors Survey (YRBS) - South Carolina Department of Education .” 2017. https://ed.sc.gov/districts-schools/school-safety/health-safety-surveys/sc-youth-risk-behaviors-survey-yrbs/
- South Carolina Legislature. 1988. Title 59: Comprehensive Health Education Program. Act Vol. 437 . [ Google Scholar ]
- Stanger-Hall Kathrin F., and Hall David W.. 2011. “ Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S .” PLOS ONE 6 ( 10 ). [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
- Tortolero Susan R., Johnson Kimberly, Cuccaro Paula M., Markham Christine, Hernandez Belinda F., Addy Robert C., Shegog Ross, Li Dennis H., and Peskin Melissa. 2011. “ Dispelling the Myth: What Parents Really Think about Sex Education in Schools .” Journal of Applied Research on Children 2 ( 2 ): 1. [ Google Scholar ]
- US Census Bureau. 2018. “ Charleston County, South Carolina .” United States Census Bureau; July 1, 2018. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/charlestoncountysouthcarolina/PST045217 [ Google Scholar ]
- Wright Kevin B. 2005. “ Researching Internet-Based Populations: Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Survey Research, Online Questionnaire Authoring Software Packages, and Web Survey Services .” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 10 ( 3 ). 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2005.tb00259.x [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
- How It Works
- United States
- View all categories
Why Sex Education Should Be Taught in School? - Argumentative Essay
Introduction.
A sex education topic is one of the most sensitive subjects that teachers have to teach their students in school as they equip and inform them with the right information about the human body and sexuality. It is hard because teachers are expected to educate students about sex depending on their age (Iyer & Aggleton, 2013). Further, in the modern day where technology and the internet are easily accessible to young children, as well as exposure to sex scenes in movies and television, teachers are daunted with the responsibility of dealing with students that are aware of sexuality, even though some of the information might be wrong.
Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!
Children also get information from their friends, and other unreliable sources, some of which is misleading (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). The justifications for teaching sex education in the classroom is to equip students with the right information so that they can make better choices in their lives, both in the short-term and in the long-term. Teaching sex education demystifies the hearsay information that students have heard or assumed about how their bodies function, allowing them to know what is right or wrong for them.
Students should be taught about sex as it equips them with the necessary biological information. Sex education is comprehensive and diverse, and it incorporates the right biological terms, describing the reproductive system of both men and women (Iyer & Aggleton, 2013). Students are aware of what to expect of their bodies in the future, and the care they should give to their bodies so that they can lead a healthy and meaningful life. Teachers use practical lessons to explain the theoretical concepts about the human body. For instance, a teacher might demonstrate how to insert a condom on a dummy erect penis for teenagers.
Sex education is essential for learners since it gives them a chance to understand and explore the concept of gender (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). Gender identities are an issue that young children need to know as it gives a person a sense of individualities, and is not limited to the normal heterosexuals. It informs learners of the rights they have over their sexualities as well as the power they have in relationships. For instance, some learners may feel trapped in the wrong body and may consider changing their gender, which is justifiable since every individual has a right over his or her sexuality.
Sex education is vital for learners since it gives them a chance to ask questions they would feel shy asking their parents. Iyer & Aggleton (2013) suggested that most children are uncomfortable discussing sex and changes taking place in the body with their parents, which forces young people to look for information from their peers. Some of the information they receive from their peers is wrong. In a classroom setting, teachers give the learners the chance to state what they know about sexuality, which then provides the tutors an opportunity to correct any wrong information (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). Some institutions may involve parents in the sex education programs in school where children meet with their guardians and tutors and expand the topic of sexuality with ease.
In conclusion, teaching sex education in school is essential. Learners are given information about their bodies, giving them a chance to make the right choices. Therefore, if learners choose to engage in sex at an early age, they can make the right decisions like using protection. Sex education informs learners about the dangers of engaging in unprotected sex with multiple partners. Telling the learners about their sexuality empowers them to choose what they desire.
Iyer, P., & Aggleton, P. (2013). 'Sex education should be taught, fine... but we make sure they control themselves': teachers' beliefs and attitudes towards young people's sexual and reproductive health in a Ugandan secondary school. Sex Education, 13(1), 40-53.
Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (2011). Abstinence-only education and teen pregnancy rates: why we need comprehensive sex education in the US. PloS one, 6(10), e24658.
Cite this page
Why Sex Education Should Be Taught in School? - Argumentative Essay. (2022, Oct 04). Retrieved from https://midtermguru.com/essays/why-sex-education-should-be-taught-in-school-argumentative-essay
so we do not vouch for their quality
If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the midtermguru.com website, please click below to request its removal:
- How to Motivate Reluctant Learners
- Essay on Disadvantages of Homework
- Research Paper on Child Separation From Primary Caregiver
- Research Paper on Youth Leadership Effects on Children Development
- Paper Example on Cultures of Sexuality
- Georgetown Summer Sessions - Essay Sample
- Government Intervenes to Support Healthy, Safe Community for Kids - Essay Sample
Liked this essay sample but need an original one?
Hire a professional with VAST experience!
24/7 online support
NO plagiarism
Submit your request
Sorry, but it's not possible to copy the text due to security reasons.
Would you like to get this essay by email?
Interested in this essay?
Get it now!
Unfortunately, you can’t copy samples. Solve your problem differently! Provide your email for sample delivery
By clicking “I want to recieve an essay” you agree to be contacted via email
Sample is in your inbox
Avoid editing or writing from scratch! Order original essay online with 25% off. Delivery in 6+ hours!
Home — Essay Samples — Education — Sex Education — Pros And Cons Of Sexual Education Being Taught In Schools
Pros and Cons of Sexual Education Being Taught in Schools
- Categories: Public School Sex Education
About this sample
Words: 655 |
Published: Dec 16, 2021
Words: 655 | Page: 1 | 4 min read
Works Cited
- Chin, H. B., Sipe, T. A., Elder, R., Mercer, S. L., Chattopadhyay, S. K., Jacob, V., ... & Community Preventive Services Task Force. (2012). The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive risk-reduction and abstinence education interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections: Two systematic reviews for the Guide to Community Preventive Services. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 42(3), 272-294.
- Kohler, P. K., Manhart, L. E., & Lafferty, W. E. (2008). Abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education and the initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy. Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4), 344-351.
- Lindberg, L. D., Maddow-Zimet, I., & Boonstra, H. (2016). Changes in adolescents’ receipt of sex education, 2006–2013. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(6), 621-627.
- Morgan, M., Gibbs, S., Maxwell, K., & Britten, N. (2015). Hearing children’s voices? Including children’s perspectives on their experiences of living with parental alcohol problems in assessments and reviews. Child Abuse Review, 24(2), 92-104.
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America. (2021). Sex education: Get real. Retrieved from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/sex-education
- Santelli, J. S., Kaiser Family Foundation, & American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. (2017). Sex education in America: A view from inside the nation’s classrooms. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(3), 297-304.
- Schalet, A. T. (2011). Not under my roof: Parents, teens, and the culture of sex. University of Chicago Press.
- SIECUS: Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. (2021). Comprehensive sexuality education. Retrieved from https://siecus.org/what-we-do/sexuality-education/
- UNESCO. (2018). International technical guidance on sexuality education: An evidence-informed approach. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000263037
- World Health Organization. (2010). Developing sexual health programmes: A framework for action.
Cite this Essay
Let us write you an essay from scratch
- 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
- Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Get high-quality help
Verified writer
- Expert in: Education
+ 120 experts online
By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email
No need to pay just yet!
Related Essays
3 pages / 1532 words
1 pages / 586 words
4 pages / 1885 words
1 pages / 649 words
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.
121 writers online
Still can’t find what you need?
Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled
Related Essays on Sex Education
World Health Organization. (2021). Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). https://www.cdc.gov/std/default.htm
Sex education is a crucial component of personal development and overall well-being, yet it is often neglected beyond adolescence. While the focus tends to be on providing young people with the necessary knowledge and skills to [...]
Sex education in the United States has long been a contentious and polarizing issue. With varying beliefs, values, and ideologies shaping public discourse, the landscape of sex education programs across the country remains [...]
Sex education is a vital component of a well-rounded education that equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions about their sexual health and relationships. Comprehensive sex education goes [...]
Why does society treat sex as something that is unnatural and impure, when the general population doesn’t wait until marriage to have sex. In fact, most Americans will be sexually active before marriage. The negative connotation [...]
It’s something we all question in our teenage years: sex. Teenagers often feel uncomfortable talking to their parents about sex. For this reason, Sex Education is effective while being taught in school. Many believe this will [...]
Related Topics
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Where do you want us to send this sample?
By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.
Be careful. This essay is not unique
This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before
Download this Sample
Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts
Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.
Please check your inbox.
We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!
Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!
We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .
- Instructions Followed To The Letter
- Deadlines Met At Every Stage
- Unique And Plagiarism Free
IMAGES
COMMENTS
All states are somehow involved in sex education for public schoolchildren. As of Jan. 1, 2015: 22 states and the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education (20 of which ...
Most sex education provided to students is during physical education or health classes. This brief interlude is not enough to teach students serious materials [11]. Sexual education, in many cases, goes against an individual's morals and beliefs. Also, most schools do not teach 'abstinence'.
Why Sex Education Matters. In 2014, a study found that 93% of parents supported having sex education in middle school and 96% supported teaching sex ed in high school. A 2017 study again found that 93% of parents favored sexuality education in schools. These are not isolated results; decades of research support the benefits of comprehensive ...
Essay, Pages 10 (2310 words) Views. 14005. Sex Education Should be Taught in Schools. Introduction. Kids spend a better part of their childhood in school, and they learn a lot. After every academic year, they will have acquired so many skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic. At least those are the basics, but some schools go an extra mile ...
Sex education, they say, should also be about relationships. Giving students a foundation in relationship-building and centering the notion of care for others can enhance wellbeing and pave the way for healthy intimacy in the future, experts say. It can prevent or counter gender stereotyping and bias. And it could minimize instances of sexual ...
Only 24 states in the U.S. require sex education to be taught in schools, and of those only 13 require that it be medically accurate, according to a study released earlier this year by the ...
Sex Education in America: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly. The debate over the best way to teach sexual health in the U.S. continues to rage on, but student voice is often left out of the conversation when schools are deciding on what to teach. So Myles and PBS NewsHour Student Reporters from Oakland Military Institute investigate the pros and cons ...
Sex, sexuality, respectful relationships, and gender all need to be discussed in schools as a component of a whole-school approach. This should not only include in-class education, but it should ...
In academic literature that supports school-based sex education, adolescence is presented as the main stage of sexual development (Lesko, 2001).It is the time in which healthy habits in regards to sexuality are formed, and therefore, from a health education perspective, the time to deliver sexual health interventions (Schaalma et al., 2004).In this life stage, beginning to engage in sexual ...
School-based sex education plays a vital role in the sexual health and well-being of young people. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of efforts beyond pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of three decades of research on school-based programs to find evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education.
It's defined by sex ed advocates as a science-based, culturally and age-appropriate set of lessons that start in early grades and go through the end of high school. It covers sexuality, human ...
Comprehensive sex education instills skills of equal dialogue between adolescents and between adolescents and parents, and generally contributes to a healthier lifestyle. The question of the expediency and necessity of sex education in schools is discussed a dozen years. No one argues that education can be good and bad it is not depend on sex ...
What to Know About Sex Ed in K-12 Schools. Sex education in schools can be taught by a classroom teacher, school nurse or an outside speaker, and often begins in fifth grade. For some parents, the ...
Comprehensive sex education provides children and adolescents with the information that they need to: Understand their body, gender identity, and sexuality. Build and maintain healthy and safe relationships. Engage in healthy communication and decision-making around sex. Practice healthy sexual behavior.
I started having sex at 14. My friends were all having sex around me.' Despite an upbringing in a conservative environment, this same participant engaged in sexual activity as a young person and advocated for comprehensive sex education in schools in order to teach safe practices and help young people make better decisions.
In the early 90's, the main focus of sex education was inclined towards the concept revolving around marriage and role of family members. However, with time the definition behind sex education has changed to a great extent. The school nowadays are more focused towards educating teenagers about prevention of unwanted pregnancies and sexually ...
Published: May 31, 2018. Despite the prickly challenges it presents, sex education has always been an issue that many educators have championed, perhaps even more so now as the #MeToo movement has forced the nation to confront the pervasiveness of sexual assault in our society. Young people are also inundated with increasingly confusing messages.
Sex education at schools should begin as early as possible, starting in grade 3 or 4, introducing the primary concepts of sexual development. In this way, sex education can help children be more confident in their sexual development and apply safety measures to avoid risks and negative effects of early sexual activity. Works Cited.
Sex education, or "sex ed," has always been a hot-button issue among conservative parents, but a recent post on the Good Men Project challenges all parents to start "demanding" better sex-ed classes in schools and gives 8 reasons why it should happen. Those reasons include reducing the rate of teen pregnancy, delaying the age of first ...
Children also get information from their friends, and other unreliable sources, some of which is misleading (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011). The justifications for teaching sex education in the classroom is to equip students with the right information so that they can make better choices in their lives, both in the short-term and in the long-term.
Sex education in schools can lead to a much healthier behavior in life later on for students. They would be able to actually plan for children instead od having a child unexpectantly as a teen. "Sex education has positive effects, including increasing young people's knowledge and improving their attitudes related to sexual and reproductive ...
Sex education should be increased in schools. Nearly one million women under the age of 20 get pregnant each year. That means 2800 women get pregnant each day. If students are educated about the effects sex has on their lives, it lessens their chance of having children at an early age.
Thirdly, for teenage girls who took sex education, the risk of having sex before the age of 15 is reduced 59% while for boys' are 71%, compared to those who didn't take sex education. (Doheny, 2007). The evidences collected have pointed out that sex education indeed can reduce teen pregnancy. Therefore, in conclusion, again it is emphasized ...