Sex Education: Sweden vs. United States Essay Example
Sex Education: Sweden vs. United States
Federal Law in the United States mandates that “Abstinence-only-until-marriage education” teach that any sexual activity among unmarried individuals is detrimental and wrong. Along with this, it specifically prohibits instruction regarding any contraceptive unless to emphasize their failure rates. Regardless of these multimillion-dollar efforts within the United States to stress abstinence, teen pregnancy and STD rates continue to substantially exceed those within the developed countries, such as Sweden, where comprehensive sex education is deemed imperative. Sweden’s inclusive sex education programs throughout compulsory schools serves as an exemplary model for what should be the modern scientific and intellectual view on effective sexual education for today’s youth. The politicians within the United States remain blind to the realities of their nations sexually active youth and ignore actions regarding this issue that have been internationally successful. The United States’ policy is flawed in its governmental funding of abstinence – only sex education, and should instead mimic a policy that demonstrates actual results, that is, the United States should mimic Sweden’s comprehensive sex education policy. Though sex education does exist in the United States, that which teaches anything other than the “abstinence – only – until – marriage” program deems zero government funding. The government funding for this program actually has grown exponentially since 1996 despite the insufficient scientific evidence that these programs work. The government has spent over an estimated $1.5 billion dollars of tax-payers money on these “abstinence-only” programs without any proven results. There are numerous flaws in the program including whom it involves, the way the information is taught and the validity of the facts. Not only does this program exclude the gay ad lesbian youth, but it also discounts those who have been sexually
Federal Law in the United States mandates that “Abstinence-only-until-marriage education” teach that any sexual activity among unmarried individuals is detrimental and wrong. Along with this, it specifically prohibits instruction regarding any contraceptive unless to emphasize their failure rates. Regardless of these multimillion-dollar efforts within the United States to stress abstinence, teen pregnancy and STD rates continue to substantially exceed those within the developed countries, such as Sweden, where comprehensive sex education is deemed imperative. Sweden’s inclusive sex education programs throughout compulsory schools serves as an exemplary model for what should be the modern scientific and intellectual view on effective sexual education for today’s youth. The politicians within the United States remain blind to the realities of their nations sexually active youth and ignore actions regarding this issue that have been internationally successful. The United States’ policy is flawed in its governmental funding of abstinence – only sex education, and should instead mimic a policy that demonstrates actual results, that is, the United States should mimic Sweden’s comprehensive sex education policy. Though sex education does exist in the United States, that which teaches anything other than the “abstinence – only – until – marriage” program deems zero government funding. The government funding for this program actually has grown exponentially since 1996 despite the insufficient scientific evidence that these programs work. The government has spent over an estimated $1.5 billion dollars of tax-payers money on these “abstinence-only” programs without any proven results. There are numerous flaws in the program including whom it involves, the way the information is taught and the validity of the facts. Not only does this program exclude the gay ad lesbian youth, but it also discounts those who have been sexually