Comprehensive Sex Education
If you wanted to go scuba diving for the first time, would you hire an instructor to train you in safety procedures, or rely on luck to keep you protected? Would you want to learn how your equipment works before diving, or attempt to self-teach at 1,500 feet below sea level? Most would agree that taking lessons before one’s first scuba diving adventure would be the appropriate course of action. Plunging into such uncertain territory uneducated is not only irresponsible, but dangerous. As a matter of fact, laws prohibit such careless behavior. Ironically however, the US government encourages, and even more mandates ignorance on a matter significantly more important than scuba diving protocol; that subject is sex education in the classroom. According to the New York Times (2008), one out of every five teenagers admits to having sex before the age of 15. These young adults, not even juniors in high school yet are embarking down a path that requires an exceptional amount of knowledge, foresight, and understanding; yet government funded sex education programs demand that educators leave out the pertinent information in hopes that teens will refrain themselves. The truth is these abstinence-only (AO) programs provide a mere fraction of the necessary information teenagers need to make well informed, healthy choices for themselves; therefore schools need to be teaching comprehensive sex education curriculum. The magnitude of government support and funding for abstinence only education could easily lead people to believe the program is a raging success. After all, the government rose financial backing for these programs 166 million dollars since 1997 (Bruggink, 2007). Some would take that as a strong indication that the program is doing its job correctly. Consequently, the Title V abstinence-only program has received over 1.5 billion dollars from congress since 1996 (Song, 2008); yet this is only the second largest government funded abstinence only program available.
References: Advacates for Youth. (2007). Sex Education Programs: Definitions & Point-by-Point Comparison. Retrieved October 21, 2008 from advacatesforyouth.org: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/rrr/definitions.htm Advacates for Youth Bruggink, H. (2007, July/August). Abstinence-Only Funding (Finally) Set to Expire-But Don 't Applaud Quite Yet. The Huminist , 64 (4), pp. 7-8. Retreived October 8, 2008, from ProQuest database. Caplan, A Duberstein Lindberg, L., Jones, R., & Santelli, J. (2007). Non-coital sexual activities among adolescents. Retrieved July 30, 2008, from Guttmacher Institute: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/JAH_Lindberg.pdf Fox Searchlight Pictures Lindberg, L., Santelli, J., & Singh, S. (2006, December). Changes in formal sex education: 1995-2002. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health, 38(4), 182-189. Retrieved September 14, 2008, from EBSCOhost database. Sendziuk, P Song, K. M. (2008, March 20). UW researchers say comprehensive sex ed cuts teen pregnancies. Retrieved October 8, 2008, from The Seatle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2004293974_sexed20m.html