A Brief History
Sexual education has had a long and arduous history in the United States. Beginning in 1912, schools utilized handouts and pamphlets to educate students on reproduction and pregnancy. The information provided was vague and limited in its comprehensiveness. In the 1950s, the American Medical Association, in partnership with public health officials, established a five-part series called the “sex education series” which became the standard for schools. However, since the 1960s, sexual education has been made highly politicized, with each party pushing for their agendas.
Comprehensive and quality sexual education should be implemented in public schools, as it is necessary for youths to attain crucial information and life skills that will help keep them safe. Below are a few reasons why one would support this claim.
Why?
Firstly, a plethora of public health concerns stem from lack of information 0n the topic of sexual intercourse. In “The omission and minimisation of sexual decision-making skills in US sex education textbooks.” Fuller and others reaffirm the effects of teenage pregnancy, “Teenage pregnancy also has an impact on the children of teenage parents: children raised by teenage mothers are at an increased risk of future teenage pregnancy in daughters (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy [44]), prison time for sons, and persistent poverty (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy [43]). Risky sexual behaviour therefore not only impacts contemporary public health issues, it can shape public health, social and economic issues of the future.” (Fuller et al.) Fuller and others solidify the negative effects of not only teenage pregnancy, but the long lasting impact it can have on children raised by teenage parents. Furthermore, Fuller and others also denounce textbooks in “The omission and minimisation of sexual decision-making skills in US sex education textbooks.” stating, “By bringing up the potentially negative consequences with sex without providing context on rates of STIs, preventive measures to reduce contraction and pregnancy, or the treatability of infections, young people must rely on what they know about abstinence (i.e. it’s the only safe option) or face the unknown implications of sex.” (Fuller et al.) Not providing youths with context on STI rates forces abstinence, and restricting sexual activities without providing critical sexual knowledge will only lead to youths doing it in a secretive and dangerous way.
Secondly, a comprehensive and quality sexual education curriculum would introduce key concepts necessary for youths.
Finally, comprehensive and quality sexual education must be implemented in public schools to prevent public health concerns, introduce key concepts to youth, and is altogether imperative even if highly politicized. Having access to the aforementioned information can save lives by leading youths to make informed decisions on topics such as consent, assault, sexual orientation, and healthy relationships. Furthermore, it will allow for safer decisions concerning teen pregnancy and spread vital information on sexually transmitted infections. Overall, comprehensive sexual education is a fundamental obligation in public schools, thus sacrificing it would threaten and compromise students’ wellbeing and safety.