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Sex Education: a Necessity

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Sex Education: a Necessity
Cori Martin
Professor Butts
ENGL 1101
24 November 2012
Sex Education: A Necessity
Sexual risk taking among young adults exemplifies a significant public health problem in our society. Without being educated properly about their natural desires, juveniles are unable to make mature decisions about their sexual activity. Comprehensive sex education in school systems would greatly help to prevent the spreading of diseases and pregnancies by informing students about the possible risks of having sex and ways to keep themselves and their partner safe. A curriculum involving sex education would help by promoting knowledge about normal human development and reproduction, as well as making students aware of the possible consequences of sexual activity and how to avoid these risks so that they can make more informed decisions about activities that can affect the rest of their lives.
Sex is a sensitive topic that often causes embarrassment and discomfort when discussed, especially to minors. While some parents are in denial about their children learning about sex at an early age, it is practically inevitable. Some people argue that introducing children to sex at an early age encourages them to partake in the activity. However, sex is not a recent idea to adolescences due to frequent exposure of glorified sexual imagery on a regular basis. Young children these days are being exposed to mixed and unrealistic messages everywhere they look. This carefree exposure can greatly distort perceptions of the reality of sex and the risk behavior behind it. From video games to movies to music, children are bombarded with promiscuous attitudes and crude imagery everywhere they look. By offering a sex education class, our youth would have the opportunity to receive knowledge and to openly communicate their concerns to receive accurate, realistic answers from someone who is trained.
Based on the soaring number of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, there is an obvious



Cited: Alford, Sue. “Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections.” Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2003. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/sciencesuccess.pdf>. Cates, J. R., Herndon, N. L., Schulz, S. L., & Darroch, J. E. “Our Voices, Our Lives, Our Futures: Youth and Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” Chapel Hill, NC: School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004. Web. 27 Nov 2012. <http://joancates.web.unc.edu/files/2010/11/Our-Voices-Our-Lives-Our-Futures-Youth-and-Sexually-Transmitted-Diseases.pdf>. Dotinga, Randy. "Comprehensive Sex Education Might Reduce Teen Pregnancies, Study Finds". Health Behavior News Service: Translating Evidence Into News. The Annenberg Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 19 March 2008. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.cfah.org/hbns/archives/getDocument.cfm?documentID=1676>. Huberman, Barbara. "Parents as Advocates for Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools." Advocates for Youth. Advocates for Youth, n.d. Web. 27 Nov 2012. <http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/storage/advfy/documents/advocate.pdf>. "Implementing Sex Education." Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc., n.d. Web. 27 Nov 2012. <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/resources/implementing-sex-education-23516.htm>. Martinez, Gladys, Ph.D. "Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing, 2006–2010 National Survey of Family Growth." The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics, October 2011. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_031.pdf>. "Teen Sexual Behavior and Contraceptive Use: Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 2011 ." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. N.p., July 2012. Web. 3 Oct 2012. <http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/FastFacts_YRBS2011.pdf>.

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