Sex Education in Schools

Sex Education in Schools is becoming a hot topic as teen pregnancy rates increase so do the rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI's).

History

Sex Education in schools has been prevalent since the conversation began around the 1940's. Sex education in schools came about due to "increased sexual activity among young people and the accompanying increase in unplanned pregnancies." Originally the sex education that was taught focused on the idea of avoiding temptation and not the idea of practicing safe sex that is more commonly taught today. Although, this is not to say that in some places abstinence as the only form of sex education is not taught, in fact in some places in the United States it is still taught today. Interestingly enough, only 22 states in the US require sex education to be taught in schools , which means that a lot of school aged students are not being taught any form of sex education, regardless of the type.

Sex Education in Canada

Sex education in Canada is slightly different province to province as it is not a federally enforced law which requires public schools to teach sex education. However, almost all provinces do have a similar sex education guide with the differences being at which age certain concepts and ideas are introduced. Quebec is an outlier when it comes to sex education because they do not have a set out curriculum like the other provinces, but they instead choose to teach it through other subjects in their schools. For more information on each provinces break down of their sex education curriculum visit https://globalnews.ca/news/1847912/sexual-education-compared-across-canada/.

What Does Sex Education Teach?

Sex education encapsulates many different aspects in Canada including:

• Naming all body parts
• Understanding sexual orientation
• Concept of Gender Identity
• What is an STI and how to prevent it?
• Internet Safety and Sexting
• Taught about Birth Control
• Understanding Clear Consent
• What constitutes Sexual Abuse?

As we see by the list above, Canadian Provinces have strived to try and cover many different aspects of sex education, now although this is the goal, it is not always possible for every student to be exposed to these ideas and fully understand them. In some cases students miss their class on sex education because they are sick or on a holiday, and in others students miss out on these learning opportunities due to parental intervention in the teaching of sex education. Parents who do not support sex education in the public school system will often ensure their child is not present when the teaching of these topics is taking place.

It is important to note that one thing missing from this list and this education curriculum is what are the options if a female wound up pregnant. This curriculum doesn't discuss the options and it doesn't tell a young individual where to go if they need help. There is no reference made to go see a counselor or to tell a parent. This is leaving out a particularly large portion of the individuals receiving this education, it neglects the differences between a male student and a female student in assuming that both groups of people do not need to know so why tell everyone.

What Does Abstinence Only Sex Education Leave Out?

Abstinence only sex education is still prevalent today in the United States, as well as amongst religiously affiliated schools in Canada. This form of sex education focuses solely on not having sex as the only form of protection from getting pregnant or getting an STI. This form of sex education neglects to mention birth control or consent because it assumes that people will simply not have sex. This is an issue due to the commonality of sex amongst high schoolers, as well as the temptation or opportunity that may arise in any given situation. This form of sex eduction is not as strong it could be, because a good sex education should emphasize that the only way to guarantee not getting pregnant or an STI are by not having sex, but if you choose to do so use preventative measures to protect yourself and your partner. Abstinence only sex education is used in one-third of all the United States school districts that offer ex education.

Sex Education, Another Perspective

Although this article focuses most on Canada and a little on the United States, it is important to consider what other countries have in place for their sex education practices. United States Sex Education: Only 22 states and the District of Columbia (DC) mandate sex education, only 27 states and DC mandate that when sex education is officially taught it must meet certain requirements, of these 27 states only 13 require the information being taught is medically accurate, only 18 states and DC require that information on contraception be taught, and 25 states require that abstinence be stressed as the key point of their sex education. Sex education is not available globally and every country around the world experiences it and teaches it in a different way. Many countries fail to teach it and others fail to teach it well. If the goal at the end of the say is to try and scare people out of engaging in sex, more harm will be done than good because in todays society this is an unrealistic ideology. Sex education needs to be taught from the perspective that most individuals engage in sexual acts in their lives and if they do not learn safe and healthy practices when in school, when will they learn them.

What Would an Ideal Sex Education Look Like?

It is important to consider what not teaching sex education leaves out, it allows these young individuals to go into adulthood without proper information on sexuality and sexual health in general, which can lead to greater issues in individuals personal and professional lives. An ideal sex education would be one where all aspects of sex are understood in a way that no one feels embarrassed or excluded from what is being taught. A good sex education should educate young individuals on puberty and the changes that occur when this happens. It is one where it includes perspectives from more than a heteronormative point of view. One that includes understanding gender identity and sexual orientation is very important. A good informative sex education should include different forms of contraception, it should stress how important consent is, focusing on how it is okay to change your mind and ask your partner to stop. A good sex education should teach about safe sex and how to prevent STI's and unwanted pregnancy. However, it should also mention what to do if you ended up getting an STI or getting pregnant. It should include all of the options available if something like this was to happens, which includes having an abortion. A good sex education should provide a wealth of knowledge and resources including who to turn to in any given situation. A good sex education should include sexual abuse. Sex education should include internet safety, and sexting and the potential repercussions that go along with partaking in these things. Sex education should also include what to do if something risky from a personal conversation or a intimate message gets out throughout the school, who can a person turn to and how can they get help. A good sex education should provide clear information on how to have a safe and healthy sex life. Sex education should discount how it wants young children to act for example not having sex, and assume that the act is going to happen regardless, this way those who do engage will have a more complete understanding and those who engage in sexual activities later in life will have the knowledge they need on the situation to prevent themselves from any harm.