should students be taught sex education in school persuasive essay

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A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, Peter DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. Former superintendent Michael Nelson is a frequent contributor. Read more from this blog .

Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?

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Thinking about sex education conjures up all of those uncomfortable moments as an adolescent when we had to sit at our desks and listen to our health teachers talk about things that we joked about with friends but never wanted to have a conversation about with adults. But things have changed a lot since then.

There has been an increase in the number of LGBT students who have come out while in high school, or sometimes, even middle school. We are surrounded images that inspire conversations about sex education and other images created by fashion that offer so much skin that there is nothing left to the imagination.

AVERT defines Sex Education as

the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex education is also about developing young people’s skills so that they make informed choices about their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting on these choices.

First and foremost, there is a debate between the use of sexual education programs, where they openly teach about sex and prevention, and abstinence-only programs, which Advocates for Youth say,

• “has as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
• teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children;
• teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
• teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity;
• teaches that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical side effects;
• teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society;
• teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances, and
• teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.”

Advocates for Youth also believe,

Accurate, balanced sex education - including information about contraception and condoms - is a basic human right of youth. Such education helps young people to reduce their risk of potentially negative outcomes, such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Such education can also help youth to enhance the quality of their relationships and to develop decision-making skills that will prove invaluable over life. This basic human right is also a core public health principle that receives strong endorsement from mainstream medical associations, public health and educational organizations, and - most important - parents.

But is it the job of teachers in schools to educate students about sex or is it the job of the parents? According to the National Conference of State Legislatures ,

All states are somehow involved in sex education for public schoolchildren. As of Jan. 1, 2015: 22 states and the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education (20 of which mandate sex education and HIV education). 33 states and the District of Columbia require students receive instruction about HIV/AIDS. 19 states require that if provided, sex education must be medically, factually or technically accurate. State definitions of “medically accurate” vary, from requiring that the department of health review curriculum for accuracy, to mandating that curriculum be based on information from “published authorities upon which medical professionals rely.” Many states define parents’ rights concerning sexual education: 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to allow parental involvement in sexual education programs. Three states require parental consent before a child can receive instruction. 35 states and the District of Columbia allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children.

Of course, if it’s taught in schools, how properly are the students being educated? This debate between whether it’s the school’s job or a parent’s job will last for a very long time, and quite frankly it is an area that many parents and teachers may agree. There are parents who do not want their children to be taught sex education in schools, just as there are some teachers who don’t think it is their job to teach it.

On the other side are parents and teachers who agree it should be taught in schools and at home because it is a topic that we all cannot escape. And I’m sure there are a bunch of people in the middle who do not even want to discuss the topic at all and just hope for the best.

The NPR story, called “Beyond The Birds And The Bees: Surviving Sex Ed Today” ( which can be heard here ) inspired me to think about all of the places that the topic of sex comes up in conversation. Sometimes it’s through jokes on television or social media, other times it’s in stories on the news, and most times it’s the center of the conversation on the back of a school bus. Whether it makes us uncomfortable or not, we can’t seem to escape the topic.

In the NPR story, Lena Solow, a teacher of ten years,

Covers the topics you’d expect: how to prevent STDs, pregnancy. But Solow talks about way more than going all the way. “One of my biggest goals as a sex educator is to be sex-positive,” she explains, “to talk about pleasure and to talk about sex not just as something that just makes babies.”

Listening to the story made me blush a little as I drove alone in my car through Massachusetts, and made me laugh a bit when Solow said that when she was a student her sex education class was taught by the physical education teacher and revolved around spelling tests.

Yes, spelling tests. She said,

“I definitely had spelling tests as a big part of my sex-ed when I was in middle school: ‘Spell gonorrhea. Spell gonococcus. Now you pass or don’t pass health.’ Literally, that was what was prioritized.”

She wants her students to have a much more knowledgeable experience, and she also explores topics that are unfortunately still controversial in today’s schools, which is the topic of LGBT students. In the NPR story, Garsd writes,

“Beyond the basics, Solow is delving into topics that many teachers would skirt. Things like tolerance. Solow recently asked her students if they thought LGBT people would feel comfortable at the school. A lot of the kids say they didn’t think so.”

It’s definitely a complicated debate, which will last for a very long time. What are your thoughts?

The opinions expressed in Peter DeWitt’s Finding Common Ground are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Sex Education Essay: Argumentative Essay Sample

At What Age Should Sex Education Be Introduced at Schools?

Introduction

Sex education has vital importance for preventing teen pregnancy and sex-related risks, and providing kids with the knowledge of the proper sexual behavior. While sex education should be introduced in schools, it is also critical that parents educate their children about sex before school even begins. Therefore, sex education should be introduced to children at the earliest age, providing children with information which corresponds to their needs at a certain age. In addition, sex education at schools should be introduced as early as possible, ensuring children’s healthy sexual development.

Parental Role in Starting Sex Education at Home

Sex is a sensitive topic that, as a rule, is not usually discussed by parents with their children. Parents may often feel uncomfortable when asked by their children about how children are conceived and born and other related topics. It is essential to communicate with children regarding sex and name things as they are from an early age, making them understand what may not be appropriate when interacting with other children (“When Is the Right Age to Teach a Child Sex Education”). This should be done as soon as a child goes to kindergarten and is exposed to communication with other boys and girls.

The Benefits of Early Sex Education

While parents should start educating their children as early as possible, there are debates regarding the age at which sex education should be introduced at school. Some parent groups consider that sex education should not start until grade 5 or 6. At the same time, others believe that this should start earlier. Namely, grades 3 and 4 should be suitable for giving students more knowledge about sex and their bodies (Walsh). This would decrease the chances of facing negative effects of the lack of knowledge about the topic for children.

There are numerous reasons why sex education is relevant from an early age. First, it helps children understand their bodies and not be surprised when their bodies start changing during puberty. Second, children will not be ashamed of discussing sex-related topics and not make rude jokes in their groups (Walsh). Third, students will be aware of the risks and negative effects that can arise in the case of improper sexual behavior. Lastly, they will be introduced to safety measures and ways to avoid damaging situations that can harm psychological health of children which can also affect their adult life. Therefore, children will possess sufficient knowledge about the required behavior and will become competent in understanding their bodies and sexuality.

Sex education is also critical considering the exposure of children to media where messages related to sex may not be clear to them. In this way, without necessary knowledge, they can misinterpret the messages of a sexual nature presented in the media and develop incorrect ideas about their bodies. This is especially relevant when it comes to images shown in media representing the bodies of men and women, which are often believed to be role models for children, especially girls, which can later result in eating disorders and low self-esteem.

Finally, sex education should begin in early childhood, with parents giving children an understanding of their bodies and sexuality. Sex education at schools should begin as early as possible, starting in grade 3 or 4, introducing the primary concepts of sexual development. In this way, sex education can help children be more confident in their sexual development and apply safety measures to avoid risks and negative effects of early sexual activity.

Works Cited

“When Is the Right Age to Teach a Child Sex Education.” Punch Newspapers, Punch Newspapers, 4 Feb. 2017, https://punchng.com/right-age-teach-child-sex-education/. Accessed 23 Jan 2019.

Walsh, Jenny. “Sex Education Needs to Begin Earlier.” Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Mar. 2013, https://www.afao.org.au/article/sex-education-needs-begin-earlier/. Accessed 23 Jan 2019.

Writing Sex Education Papers Assistance from Pro Writers

Sex education has always been a sensitive topic for discussion. Parents and teachers aren’t always ready to answer children’s questions about sexuality, childbirth, and marriage. These topics are crucial for healthy and timely development of kids. In the sex education essay above, one of our writers insists that sex education should be introduced to children as early as possible. If you have a different view on this topic, you can compose your own argumentative essay on sex education in public schools and use our text as a starting point. We also kindly ask you not to copy our sample, as it’ll be considered plagiarism!

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Should Sexual Education Be Taught in Public Schools

• Categories: Public School Sex Education

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Words: 586 |

Published: Sep 5, 2023

Words: 586 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Table of contents

Benefits of sexual education, ethical and cultural considerations, addressing real-world challenges, parental rights and involvement.

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English Composition 1

Sample eng 1001 persuasive essay with sources.

The essay below is an example of a persuasive essay that uses supporting material from online sources and that cites and documents the material correctly according to MLA standards.

The essay is not perfect (for example, the writer could more effectively address the opposing point of view). However, the essay does illustrate well how to use supporting evidence from sources (both paraphrases and quotations), how to cite the information from sources, and how to prepare the Works Cited page. Notice as well the types of sources used in the essay.

        Sex education is important, but many students finish sex education classes with a distorted view of sexuality and without a good understanding of contraception and safe-sex practices. Instead, children only learn that they should not have sex until they are married. Abstinence-only programs in public schools have become popular because of a law giving millions of dollars to schools that teach the programs. These programs have the good intention of persuading young people to wait until marriage before having sex, but abstinence-only programs are not achieving this goal and are flawed by the distorted and biased perspective that they promote.

        In 1996, the United States government passed a law giving funding to states that offered abstinence-only programs in public schools. Since this time, over half of a billion dollars has been given to states to promote abstinence-only programs (Brody). To receive the money, schools must agree to follow a set of rules. The rules indicate that a school�s abstinence-only program must have "as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity" ("Impacts"). Students must be taught that they are likely to suffer harmful effects if they have sex before marriage. They also must be taught that the "expected standard" is for school-age children not to engage in sexual activity and for adults to engage in sexual relations only within marriage ("Impacts"). Schools receiving the funds must teach students that they should "just say no" to sex until they are married. The schools are not allowed to teach students about safe sex and "may not mention contraception except to point out the failure rates of various methods" (Brody). Some states have refused the federal funds so that their schools can determine their own ways to teach sex education, but 43 states participate in the program. With millions of dollars from the government every year, many schools now promote abstinence. They offer abstinence-only programs with encouraging titles such as " ReCapturing the Vision ," " Teens in Control ," and " My Choice, My Future! " ("Impacts"). They encourage students to sign virginity pledges vowing not to have sex until marriage, to proudly wear their "purity rings," and to carry their ATM ("abstinence till marriage") cards (Kelly). These programs encourage students to develop a strong sense of self and to avoid the negative consequences that might result from sexual activity, but there is a problem: abstinence-only programs do not work.

        Studies show that abstinence-only programs do not reduce sexual activity by young people. In 2007, the United States Department of Health and Human Services released a study of abstinence programs. This government-funded study involved more than 2000 students. The authors discovered that "findings from this study provide no evidence that abstinence programs implemented in upper elementary and middle schools are effective at reducing the rate of teen sexual activity several years later" ("Impacts"). The authors concluded that "youth in the [abstinence-only] programs were no more likely to abstain from sex" than students not in the programs ("Impacts"). In addition, "among those who reported having had sex, program and control group youth had similar numbers of sexual partners and had initiated sex at the same mean age" ("Impacts"). Apparently, students did not benefit from all of the effort and the millions of dollars that have gone into these programs. Another study by Peter Bearman of Columbia University shows that "88 percent of middle and high schoolers who pledge to stay virgins until marriage end up having premarital sex anyway" (Kelly). He adds that "the bad news is that they are less likely to use contraception the first time they have intercourse" (Kelly). Dr. S. Paige Hertweck, a doctor who contributed to an American Academy of Pediatrics report on teen sexual activity, states that "teaching abstinence but not birth control makes it more likely that once teenagers initiate sexual activity they will have unsafe sex and contract sexually transmitted diseases" (Preschel). In abstinence-only programs, students are taught to "just say no" to sex. They are not taught the information that they need to know about safe sex and contraception if they later choose to say "yes," as many of them are doing.

        Abstinence-only programs also promote a distorted and biased view of sexuality. To receive funding, schools must follow the rules in the law for teaching abstinence-only programs. One of the rules is that students must be taught that the "expected standard of sexual activity" is a "monogamous relationship in the context of marriage" ("Impacts"). An estimated 88 to 99 percent of Americans have sex outside of marriage ("Many Who Pledge"), yet students must be taught that having sex only within marriage is "the expected standard." The rules also require that students be taught that having sex outside of marriage "is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects" ("Impacts"). Approximately nine out of ten Americans have sexual relations outside of marriage. Do most of them suffer "harmful psychological and physical effects," as the government has determined that students must be taught? The law presents a distorted view of sexuality, along with a biased view. In 2006, the government updated the funding guidelines to state that, in abstinence-only programs, marriage is defined as a legal union between a man and a woman as husband and wife, "which advocates worry will further alienate gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adolescents and shape an education program that dismisses the sexual health concerns of those teens" ("New Abstinence-Only Guidelines"). All students should benefit from sex education programs. Student Hunter Kincaid suggests how abstinence-only programs discriminate against gays and lesbians: "'As a gay student, I thought [the abstinence-only class] was ridiculous,' he says. 'Abstinence until marriage for people who can�t even get married'" (Kelly). A sex-education program should help all students make good decisions about sexual activity. It should not promote an unrealistic standard of behavior, should not promote a particular definition of marriage, and should not discriminate against some students.

        Sexual activity by young people is an important concern. In an ideal world, maybe everyone would wait until marriage before having sex and would then remain in a single, monogamous relationship. But this is not the reality. It might be a good goal to try to convince young people to wait until marriage before having sex, but taking this approach alone to sex education is not working. After ten years and a half of a billion dollars in federal funding, abstinence-only programs have not had a positive impact on the sexual behavior of teenagers. The programs may even cause harm because of the distorted and biased views that they promote and because of the information about safe sex and contraception that they do not teach. It is time to put an end to abstinence-only programs and to give students more comprehensive sex-education programs that better prepare them for the future.

Brody, Jane E. "Abstinence-Only: Does it Work?" New York Times , 1 June 2004, www.nytimes.com/2004/06/01/health/personal-health-abstinence-only-does-it-work.html.

" Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs." Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , 13 April 2007, https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/impacts-four-title-v-section-510-abstinence-education-programs.

Kelly, Katy. "Just Don't Do It!" U.S. News & World Report , 17 Oct. 2005, pp. 44-51. Academic Search Complete , http://ezproxy.ivcc.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=18516558&site=ehost-live.

" Many Who Pledge Abstinence at Risk for STDs: Study: Teens Who Remain Virgins More Likely to Take Other Chances." NBC News, 15 Mar. 2005, http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7232643/ns/health-sexual_health/t/many-who-pledge-abstinence-risk-stds/#.WAjNrYWcGUk.

"New Abstinence-Only Guidelines, Funding Increase Denounced." Nation's Health , vol. 36, no. 3, April 2006, p. 7. MasterFile Premier , http://ezproxy.ivcc.edu:2048/login?url=http:// search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=21372967&site=ehost-live.

Preschel, Jill. "Docs Pan Abstience-Only Sex Ed." CBS News , 5 July 2005, www.cbsnews.com/news/docs-pan-abstinence-only-sex-ed/. 

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