Importance of Sex Education for Teenagers

Most teenagers that are having sex have this belief that nothing bad could ever happen to them. There are many sexually active teenagers that have never been educated on the risks of unprotected sex because schools do not teach them. A very popular controversial topic in the education system is if sex education should be allowed in public schools.

“Sex education is the teaching of sexuality, prevent sexually transmitted diseases, protection, and the principles about sex” (EduZaurus.com). Students lack knowledge about sex because they have not been taught about it.

Young people are having prematurely sex because they are curious. If students knew the consequences behind their curious actions, it would decrease sexual activity. Sex education needs to be taught because it prevents teenage pregnancy and sexual diseases, it is a good source if parents are absent in teaching, and teaches about sexual abuse.

Unprotected sex can result into many casualties. One major consequence from unprotected sex is contracting a sexual transmitted disease. “Sexually transmitted diseases are caused by infections that are passed from one person to another during sexual contact” (CSePUB). These type of disease often do not cause any symptoms. “1 in 4 teens get some type of sexual transmitted disease every year” (Dosomething.org). Also, “1 out of 3 people will say they don’t have an infection when they do, just to have sex” (Dosomething.org). Teenagers need to know that people will lie about the truth just to have sex and it will impact you.

Sex education would teach these teenagers the right thing to do about a situation like this. Perhaps getting tested or waiting till marriage. There are many teenagers living with Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, or Human Immunodeficiency (HIV). Some diseases are curable with antibiotics and other diseases have no treatment and it is something a person has to live with forever. If students are not being taught the health risk of sex through education, how can we expect them to know better. Teenagers do not think about the consequences of sex. They just like to live in the moment and deal with problems later. Teenagers think they are immune to bad actions. Sex education would teach them differently. It would allow them to actually understand that STDS can happen to anyone having sex. It does not only have to be sexually intercourse, oral sex leads to these diseases as well.

“It is known that two in five sexually active girls have an STD that can cause infertility and even death” (CSePUB). Females have a higher risk of getting infected than males. Sexual diseases not only effect the person who has them but it can also effect the person you are intimate with. Another result to unprotected sex is teenage pregnancy. As mentioned, teenagers do not think of consequences. There is so much to consider when a teenager is pregnant. A teenager is not fully mature enough for a child of their own. Adolescences are still learning about who they are. Adolescences are not finically stable. Babies are a lot of money and they have many needs.

Teenagers need to worry about finishing high school or college. Also, teen pregnancy can cause relationship problems between family or your partner. If sex education was taught in school, the teen pregnancy would decrease. Teens would be able to learn about the different types of contraceptives. The most popular contraceptive is the birth control pill. It is 99% effective. Teenagers that are not being exposed to these type of options think they don’t have options. There are teenagers have do not even know birth control exists. School education is the perfect opportunity to let that be known to all students. It is bet to have information on contraceptives and get access to them immediately. This is a problem and sex education would address this problem.

My second point on why sex education should be placed in school is so all students have the perfect opportunity to learn. Sex needs to be taught as soon as possible to the child. It is understood that sex can be a sensitive topic to talk about with parents. Parents are fearful talking about sex because they do not see their child having sex. Because of these thoughts and feelings, the talk about sex never happens or happens too late. Researchers have found about 40 percent of adolescents have already had sexual intercourse before their parents talk to them. Sex scenes are heavily portrayed in movies and TV shows today. Adolescences are addicted to the internet and social media. If these adolescences were never taught about sex from the right source, they have nothing else to go by. All they see is what happening on social media and they think that is acceptable and they think that is how it should be. These teenagers are being fooled by what movies and TV shows portray.

Movies and TV shows show sex as harmless and have no consequences to it. This becomes an issue because they can easily misinterpret the message of sexual nature. It should be noted to teenagers that sex is not how it is portrayed in movies. Sex is dangerous and does have negative consequences if unprotected. When parents refuse to discuss sex with their children because of discomfort, it drives them to the internet to learn. The internet is a unreliable source compared to school. School education would teach the truth on sex and not promote it for teens. Learning about sex in school would be less uncomfortable for the student, because they would feel it is a mandatory class to take. Also, it would take the pressure off the parents and would not struggle to talk to their child about sex. The student then would learn about sex regardless and from a reliable source. This is why it is important that sex education be put in schools. Sex education would open doors to sex victims.

Young people are extremely vulnerable to sexual violence. “50 percent of female victims and 60% of male victims are being involved in sexual violence or rape before the age of 18” (EduZaurus.com). Sexual violence effects each victim differently. There can physical effects on the victim that can heal fast. The psychological and emotional effect can take a huge toll on the individual. Victims of sexual violence will most likely experience shock, anxiety, guilt, or depression. Victims have the tendency to blame themselves rather than the attacker. This should not be the case. Sex education would teach students the effects of sexual violence. In order to decrease the rate of child sexual abuse, the implementation sex education in school could teach children and teenagers about child abusers. Students learning about child abuse would have the knowledge to be aware of the right and wrong. Sex education could help out with decreasing the sexual violence. Critics will argue that sex education does not belong in a school. That sex education should not be the place for teachers to teach children about sex. They would argue that sex should be taught by the parents of that child. In an ideal world, parents would teach their kids everything they need to know about sex. Sadly, we don’t live in an ideal world and that is not the case. I understand why the opposing view would say that a sex class should not belong in school but not every parent is the same. Every parents has different relationships with their kids and comfort levels are differentiated. There are different parenting styles and not every parent has the same parenting style and mindset about sex education. When you shake it down, having sex education in school can not create harm for the child. There is more harm being done to the child when they are clueless and do not have the right idea of sex. Sex education would allow these children to have the right understanding of something major. Parents should want their child to learn thing correctly and not be a teenage parent or living with a disease the rest of their lives.

In conclusion, I believe sex education should be part of the school education system. Children and teenagers need correct information from the right sources about sex and the risk that come with it. Sex education will help them prepare properly for the future and guide them in making right choices for themselves. There are more benefits weighing out the bad in having sex education in school systems.

“However, research has proven that sex education does indeed provide the much needed information and reduces sexual activity as teenagers received correct information for the classes” According to Punzo, society is suffering because we have cheapen sex. I agree with this because society has made sex seem like it is not a big deal when in reality, it is a huge deal. This children are learning from parents, school, and other influences around them. Sex can easily interrupted. Sex education can prevent teenage pregnancies and the spread of sexual diseases, release pressure off parents, and prevent sexual violence. Sex education is the best prevention strategy.

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