SEX EDUCATION

Sex Education in Schools

[Name of College]

Introduction

The presence of these children, often hailing from working-class ethnic families with unfamiliar social customs, the concurrent “invention” by influential psychologist G. Stanley Hall of “adolescence” as a sexually fraught and even perilous time, and this expanded pedagogical purpose, gave rise to the first sex education curricula. Over the course of the 20th century, sex education became a contested but consistent feature in the American schoolhouse, its emphasis evolving from social hygiene; to courtship, marriage, and the family more broadly; to comprehensive programs including homosexuality and contraception; to the most recent curricula that teach abstinence from sexual activity as adolescents' only reliable recourse against pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (Carter, 2007).

Unlike many contemporary education initiatives that rely primarily on federal support, sex education has largely emerged from local, state, and private impetus. For this reason, this controversial curricular question proves a rich site from which to explore the reformist impulses that animate everyday citizens to engage passionately in the construction—and often dismantling—of educational policy and practice.

Discussion and Analysis

Comprehensive sex education is a common form of sexuality education curricula taught in U.S. elementary and secondary school systems. These programs teach youth about social, physiological, and psychological aspects of sexuality. Comprehensive sex education also incorporates information about contraception and sexually transmitted disease prevention. Additionally, sex education frequently includes information about sexual orientation, sexual desire, and abortion. Public opinion about comprehensive sex education is divided. Proponents assert that students need a wide array of sexuality-related information to make informed choices and protect themselves from potential consequences. Critics argue that comprehensive sex education is overly permissive and fails to discourage teenagers from engaging in sexual intercourse (Freeman, 2008).

There are many sex education curricula characterized as comprehensive. While individual lesson plans differ, curricular goals are often shared. Comprehensive sex education typically includes multiple components. Many aspects of the curricula are not controversial, including discussions of factual information about psychological, social, and biological human development from puberty through adulthood. Students are taught about body changes associated with adolescence, including menstruation. The curriculum also highlights information about conception, pregnancy, and sexual-refusal skills. This factual information is similar to the lessons included in abstinence-only programs.

Comprehensive sex education also incorporates information that is not featured in abstinence-only curricula. The curriculum acknowledges that some students are sexually active or will become sexually active during their teenage years. Lessons include information about ways to lessen risks of sexual activity, including use of contraceptive devices and condoms (Luker, 2006).

A Broader Perspective

Comprehensive sex education also incorporates discussions of abortion, sexually transmitted infections, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and often mentions sexual orientation as well as acknowledging the existence of homosexuality and heterosexuality (Irvine, 2002).

Comprehensive sex education is occasionally referred to as abstinence-plus sex education. In this variation, the curriculum encourages students to abstain from sexual intercourse during their teenage years and before marriage. However, the curriculum continues to include information regarding birth control and sexually transmitted disease protection.

Sex education is commonly taught in ...