RESEARCH PAPER

Research Paper

Research Paper

Sexuality Education Definition

Sexuality learning is a lifelong method of obtaining data and forming mind-set, convictions, and values. It embraces sexy development, sexy and reproductive wellbeing, interpersonal connections, fondness, familiarity, body likeness, and gender roles. (Steve 2002)

Abstinence-based Sex Education

The media, television, movies, video games, advertisements, books, magazines; all of these and more not only condone sexual promiscuity but glorify it. The children of America are subjected daily to these explicit thoughts and images. Yet one third of school districts in the U.S. teach abstinence-only-until-marriage which not only tell kids that they should just wait, but the program also limits the information about contraceptives. Many people argue that teaching kids about safe-sex is sending them mixed messages. They feel that the message being sent is telling kids it's okay to be sexually active, so long as one protects him/her self. But what about all the explicit imagery and actions that the media portrays as being normal and cool, is this not also sending kids a mixed message? (Steven 1998)

Unfortunately most of the media doesn't provide the information of safely protecting oneself from diseases or pregnancy. (Scott 2005) In the majority of movies and television shows they don't show the guy slipping on a condom before he performs sexual intercourse; or the girl taking birth control weeks in advance. The after effects are failed to be presented in much of today's media. Very few of the sexual acts being performed are by couples that are married. (Sears 2002) This is in return sending kids a mixed message. Television, and movies are showing them it's okay to be sexually active with out marriage, but their schools are telling them just wait until marriage because it's better that way. Who's sending the mixed message now? Educating the youth efficiently about all aspects of sex in public schools starting in middle school until high school should be a number one priority in every school in America: Teaching kids abstinence only is unhealthy and unrealistic in today's society; by teaching youth safe-sex methods a reduction in the number of teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted disease (STD's) will occur; it is also a child's right to be entitled to the full amount of information about safe-sex. (Santelli 2006)

The abstinence only programs teach that what they expect are for teenagers to engage only in faithful monogamous relationships in the context of marriage. (Petrovic 2002) They not only teach children that the effects of sexual activity are physically harmful but also psychologically enduring. Many of the programs ignore the benefits of different contraceptives. Instead they choose to emphasize the failure rates and side-effects of many contraceptives. (Laskey 2006) To one this may appear to be a deceitful approach in which they are only showing one side of the truth. According to the Centers for Disease Control surveys less than half of US schools provide students with the information about what condoms are and how to use them. According to Tamara Kreinin, president of the Sexuality Information and Education ...