Health and sex educations classes in high schools around the world have focused on teaching students abstinence rather than safe sex. Telling teenagers not to have sex is like telling a lion not to hunt. The no is never going to actually be effective.
When we as teenagers are told no, we like to go and do the thing we were told not to do just to spite the person who said no. Teenagers are going to have sex, no matter how protective their parents are, no matter how much health class says no, it’s going to happen. What schools need to start doing is being proactive, not reactive. Meaning teach the proper way to do it, rather than say do not do it at all.
According to Planned Parenthood, “Sex education programs that are balanced and realistic, encourage students to postpone sex until they are older, and promote safer-sex practices among those who choose to be sexually active have been proven effective at delaying first intercourse and increasing use of contraception among sexually active youth.”
Teaching about what goes where and how babies happen is productive for the youth of America in the sense that it may stop teenagers because repercussions do indeed exist.
There are arguments against teaching sex in classrooms. Some parents are very protective, and do not want their kid to learn about it. Or some students are too immature to not laugh when they hear the word “sex.”
Well, here is the thing, sheltered kids tend to be the rebels, and those immature students need to be educated too. Ultimately, teaching safe sex has more benefits than not teaching it because at some point in their lives, they are going to need to know what to do and how to prevent unintended pregnancies or diseases.
Planned Parenthood also conducted surveys around America and found that “63% of teens aged 15–17 would like more information on the different methods of contraception available; 29 percent would like more information on how to use condoms; and 59 percent would like more information on where to go to get tested for HIV and other STIs.”
When looking at the big picture, a lot of teenagers want to learn about safety, not just about spiritual health. People here at this high school probably want to learn about it. Yes, health class is meant to teach about the health triangle and nutrition, however, no matter what anyone says, sex is just a regular part of life, and better to be educated about it, rather than be uninformed about it.