Question

advocate for better sex education. Zhao et al. demonstrate how young people engage in risky sexual behaviors which can result in negative consequences, for example. teen pregnancy and STDs and HIV infections. Tolman, investigating young women, argues that young women are being silenced in terms of their own bodies and their desires, instead of being educated about their bodies.

John Oliver discusses in his video that there are no standards across states/districts/schools in terms of sex education. Keeping John Olivers' arguments in mind, please discuss these two questions.

What should NOT be included in sex education? What should be left to parents?

Should schools promote "abstinence only?" Why or why not?

Answer 1

Sex education is one of the most important aspects of high school education, especially in individualistic and materialistic societies that consider pleasure as the only aim in their lives. This would mean that they have more freedom and individual rights to engage in sexual acts not only from a young age but also with many people in their life time. Thus, sex education should include all the risks that unprotected sex would cause and the physical and psychological changes they would undergo but it need not include how to engage in sexual acts or who they could engage in sexual acts.

Parents, as the primary stakeholders should also educate their children in terms of sex, although many parents feel uncomfortable talking about sex, body parts etc. to their children. However, parents could support the schools by initiating the talk about the physical and psychological changes that the children would undergo and the infatuation that would lead them to make wrong decisions.

Schools should not only engage in educating their students with abstinence only strategy but their primary objective should be to educate them on the safe sex practices and things that they should be aware about whenever they are sexually aroused by making them understand that it’s a normal thing that would happen during the adolescent age. Schools should also explain the financial and social implications that would affect the adolescence if they engage in unsafe sex.

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