Audris Bell
Professor Morris
English 1101
10 December 2008
Prevention vs. Promotion
Is sex education about prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancy or is giving sex education equivalent to permission in engaging in sex? The problem is that at the present time sex education is taught in the public schools is incomplete. It does not cover morality associated with sex, sexual dysfunctions and deviations and the institution of marriage. Sex education in American schools has not helped decrease the teenager incidence of venereal diseases (VD) or teenage pregnancy. This is because it has not changed their sex habits. According to Marian Wright Elderman, President of the Children' Defense Fund “out of every twenty teens, ten are sexually active but only four use conceptions, two get pregnant and one gives birth” (qtd. Kasun). Sexual education should be increased in schools to attempt to curb problems such as teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and abortions.
Educators knew then and know now that sex education sexualizes young children and increases sexual activity among them. Sex education does not decrease the rate of teenage pregnancies or the incidence of sexual activity. Neither pregnancy education nor contraceptive education exerts any significant effect on the risk of premarital pregnancy among sexually active teenagers. Sex education is given in every American school, public or private, from grades 2 to 12. Teachers are told to give technical aspects of sex education without telling the students about moral values or how to make the right decisions. After describing the male and female anatomy and reproduction, the main emphasis is on the prevention of venereal diseases and teenage pregnancy. With the rise of AIDS, the focus is on 'Safe Sex' which means having condoms available each time you decide to have sex with someone you don't know. Our tax dollars have be used to have started dispensing free...