Dongchao Li
EDPS 251
Final Essay
Apr 17, 2016
Schools and sex education /pregnancy prevention
Over the last decade, the sex education in schools has increasingly been given
importance, and it is playing a significant role in informing the students about the
issues that are related to sex and sexual health. While still young, children are exposed
to sexual language and imagery in their environment and their bodies are likely to
start developing and experiencing the sexual responsiveness. Curiosity about sex at
teenage is inevitable and hence the need for the children to get the right answers
concerning sex. Furthermore, adolescence is a confusing and a stressful time, and it is
when the cognitive and physical aspects start to be aligned. As a result, sex education
is important since it creates a platform whereby the adolescents can have healthy
relations. Sex education is important in assisting the young people in adopting the
healthy sexual behaviors and in making healthy decisions concerning sex. It helps in
preventing teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, etc. (Magoon, 2010).
The purpose of this paper is discussing sex education in schools and the role it
provides in preventing early pregnancies.
Sex education is important and ought to be in all the public schools. The topics
incorporated in sex education include; abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases,
reproduction, contraception, sexual orientation, pregnancy, and adoption. Sex
education is taught mostly to children who are in grades seven all through to twelve
although there are some institutions whereby it starts for children from fourth grade.
In the United States, sex education varies widely among the states and the difference
is based on what will be taught and whether the parents can stop their children from
getting the sexual education. Besides, the majority of the states have given the parents
the opportunity to opt out of the sexually related instructions while there are those
states that require the parents to give their consent regarding whether a child should
receive the sex education or any health clinic services that are school based (Mike
Dick Productions Ltd, 2006).
According to the study that was conducted by the Centers for Disease control and
prevention, it indicated that there was more than 47 percent of the students in high
school that already had engaged in sex. Among those students, 15% had engaged sex
with at least four partners in the life. The findings from the students who had sex in
