Sex Education at Schools - Essay Example

Fifteen percent of Americans believe that schools should only teach abstinence but not the use of condoms and other contraception. Forty-six percent believe that a better approach would be “abstinence-plus”. On the other hand, thirty-six percent believe abstinence is not the most important factor and sex education should focus on how to teach adolescents how to make responsible decisions concerning sex (Sex Education in America, 2004).

Evangelical or born-again Christians differ in opinions about this topic. Twelve percent said sex education should not be taught in schools while four percent were non-evangelicals. Forty-nine percent of evangelicals and twenty-one percent non-evangelical think that government should fund abstinence-only programs instead of funding more comprehensive sex education (Sex Education in America, 2004).

Bleakly, Hennessy &Fishbein (2006) examined the USA public´s opinion on sex education in schools to find out their preferences aligned with those of policymakers and research scientists. They used a cross-sectional survey from July 2005 through January 2006. The researchers randomly selected a nationally representative sample of 1096 USA adults from 18 to 83 years. They used 3 different types of sex education in schools: Abstinence-only, comprehensive sex education, and condom instruction.

According to their findings, approximately eighty-two percent of the respondents support the programs that teach students abstinence and other methods to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) while 68.5% supported how to properly use condoms. The lowest percentage was obtained for the abstinence-only sex education with 36% supporting it and the highest level of opposition (approximately 50% across the 3 program options. Self-identified conservative, liberal, and moderate respondents supported the abstinence-plus programs. They concluded that based on their findings the USA adults are in favor of a balanced approach to sex education.

Logar (2002-2009) pointed out that “Parents are responsible for the moral and ethical education. Churches are responsible for furthering this moral education with their messages of abstinence and marriage first. Educators are responsible for providing facts”.  She reiterated that the parents must be part of their children´s education.

My view is that sex should be taught whenever possible and wherever possible. There cannot be enough of it. There are too many children having children. The USA government spends too much money trying to have adolescents abstain or use safe sex and still, the students are becoming parents before graduation, getting STDs, or dying. There are adolescents afflicted by STDs. Some adolescents are dying because of terminal diseases transmitted by sex.