Ten Things You Should Know About Sex Education
by CLAIRE MORGENSTERN, Contributing Writer
It’s the talk that every parent dreads giving and every kid dreads receiving—the sex talk. Some parents count on schools to handle it for them. But now that the Obama administration expects to cut funding for abstinence-only education and increase funding to other types of sexual education programs, the information that kids receive in school about sex, contraception, HIV/AIDS, and STDs may be changing. Here are the facts:
1. About two-thirds of public schools in the U.S. offer sexual education programs. There are two general types of sex ed curricula—abstinence-only education, which teaches that abstinence is the single best option to prevent pregnancy and comprehensive sex education, which covers several methods of having safe sex and preventing pregnancy in addition to abstinence. Overall, 35% of public school programs teach that abstinence is the only safe way to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Most programs begin when students are around 12 years old.
2. 35 states have laws on the books requiring that sex education, including HIV/AIDS and STD prevention, be taught. However, the laws are very general and often left up to individual school districts or schools. Teachers are often restricted by their district’s curriculum and not allowed to include material on contraceptive methods in their lessons. 25% of teachers who would like to offer information about contraception in their classes are prohibited from doing so.
3. In a Fox News Poll, 53% of parents said they would like sex education to be taught in public schools.
4. Under the Bush administration, federal funding for sex education was only provided for programs that taught abstinence as the only form of contraception. In 2007, the federal government spent $176 million on abstinence-only sex education programs. Twenty-five states have refused federal funding for those programs.
5. A 2007 study authorized by Congress found that abstinence-only education does not make teenagers less likely to have sex, and has no effect on whether or not they use a condom if they do choose to have sex.
6. Sex ed is not just for young people. STD rates for adults are on the rise, showing that people of all ages need to learn how to practice safe sex.
7. Globally, sexual education programs in the United States are among the least progressive. Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Canada and Australia have the most comprehensive sexual education programs. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the U.S. has one of the highest pregnancy rates among developed countries—twice that of England and eight times as high as the Netherlands.
Many nations in Latin America have pledged to offer sexual education that includes information about contraception. Africa, because of its high rates of HIV and AIDS, has recognized the need for comprehensive sexual education with an emphasis on HIV and AIDS prevention.
8. Compared to a decade ago, HIV and AIDS prevention gets less face time in sex ed curricula. Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Disease Control unveiled Act Against AIDS, a joint campaign to reeducate the public on the AIDS epidemic and encourage more people to get tested for HIV, particularly women. The CDC recommends routine HIV testing for everyone between the ages of 13 and 64.
9. The Obama administration plans to eliminate funding for abstinence-only education programs and instead fund teen pregnancy prevention programs that offer a variety of approaches to sex. The administration intends to replicate sex ed programs that were evaluated to be most effective, which are comprehensive curricula that teach abstinence alongside contraceptive use. The money will also support independent teen-pregnancy prevention centers and other family planning organizations, many of whom are desperately in need of funding because they have previously been ineligible to receive federal aid.
10. While there are three government agencies that support abstinence-only education, there are currently no agencies to support comprehensive sex education that includes access to contraception and family planning services. However, organizations such as Advocates for Youth, AVERT, and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States are speaking out on behalf of students, parents and teachers about the need for comprehensive sex education. These organizations advocate for accurate information about sexuality, contraception, HIV/AIDS, and STDs to be taught to kids, who are currently receiving either no sex ed or abstinence-only curriculum.
Photo by mastermaq, Flickr.
- Posted by Causecast
Related Articles
-
Peace Advocates Call For Nationwide Phone-In November 23 Against War In Afghanistan
Monday, November 23, a coalition of peace groups will call on Americans to campaign against the e...
- 11.21.09
- |
- 12:34pm
-
My Ad Council: Share PSAs Through Social Networking To Make A Daily Difference
The Ad Council has launched a new site targeted at expanding the power of PSAs through social net...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 04:22pm
-
Universal Declaration On Animal Welfare Makes Headway In Canada
Animal activists around the world have been working to implement a Universal Declaration on Anima...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 02:19pm
-
The World's First Sustainable Sushi Restaurant (VIDEO)
In the mood for sushi, but want a sustainable option? Learn about one restaurant that's made the ...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 01:30pm
-
Idealist Launches Global Network
This week, Idealist.org brought their global community to a whole new level when they launched a ...
- 11.20.09
- |
- 01:07pm
Nice post!Regards from std prevention.
First of all, I would love to know where this photo came from. "Captain Condom and Hermie the Herpie" what age range is this targeted for?
There is a really great This American Life audio piece on how to talk to kids in which kids talk about how they learned about sex and how they wish they learned about sex. It is available at audible.com and is really eye opening from the other side of the aisle on this issue.
I never got sex ed. Or the sex talk. I had to learn it from friends. How scary is that?
i hear the guy who discovered the HIV virus is developing a vaccine for it... it's ready for human testing now and should be on the market within the next 5 years or so...
Question on #7 - it's stated that the U.S. has the highest pregnancy rates. Do these stats include just citizens or also take in considerate of those with greencards or are illegal? Do you possibly know the % of each category?
Question on #7 - it's stated that the U.S. has the highest pregnancy rates. Do these stats include just citizens or also take in considerate of those with greencards or are illegal? Do you possibly know the % of each category?
Why is sex ed not as progressive in U.S. than the other countries listed in #7? What are they doing differently?