"Though the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States is currently at an all-time low, there are many inadequacies in sex education curricula in schools across America. Sex education programs often give inaccurate information or leave out key points, and many schools don’t have these programs at all." --Grace Triantafyllos, 8th grade
Though the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States is currently at an all-time low, there are many inadequacies in sex education curricula in schools across America. Sex education programs often give inaccurate information or leave out key points, and many schools don’t have these programs at all.
As of March 1st, 2016, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 24 states require sex education in their public schools, as well as the District of Columbia, and only 33 states require that public schools educate students about HIV/AIDS. Only 20 states require sex education, if provided, to be medically factual.
This profound lack of formal education given to young people in America regarding sex and sexual health has lead to higher rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs (sexually transmitted infections)—much higher than those in countries that consistantly integrate sex education into their standard school curricula.
According to Planned Parenthood, the Netherlands integrates sex education into school curriculums for all levels, starting in preschool, and compared to America, their teen pregnancy rate is six times lower, their rate of HIV prevalence is three and a half times lower, and their rate of teen abortion is roughly two times lower. In France, sex education is nationally mandated and begins at age 13. There, parents can’t withdraw their children from it. Their teen birth rate is about three times lower than the United States’, and their rate of HIV prevalence is almost two times lower.
There are essentially two overarching types of sex education: abstinence centered (sometimes called sexual risk avoidance or abstinence-only-until-marriage programs) and comprehensive. Abstinence-centered programs typically don’t teach people about forms of contraception, and instead teach that people shouldn’t have sex.
Comprehensive sex education programs cover a wide span of topics, such as sex, sexual identity and gender, relationships, consent, human development, and interpersonal communication skills regarding sex. They typically teach that abstinence is the best way to avoid STIs and pregnancy, but they also provide people with information about forms of contraception and other topics related to healthy sex practices in case people do choose to engage in sexual behavior.
According to a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health in 2008, young people who received education about contraception weren’t more likely to engage in sexual activities than those who didn’t. Furthermore, the risk of pregnancy was actually lower for young people who received comprehensive education about sex than for those who only received abstinence-only education.
However, according to Planned Parenthood, a study from 2010 showed that 87% of teen women and 81% of teen men were taught “how to say no to sex” in formal sex education programs, and only 70% of teen women and 62% of teen men were formally educated about forms of contraception.
In a survey of Oakland School for the Arts students about sex education, 34.7% of students surveyed said that they felt that sex-ed classes they’d taken in the past didn’t provide adequate information.
Many sex-ed programs in America also fail to properly educate students about topics relevant to LGBTQ+ people. Information about LGBTQ+ relationships, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity, are often neglected in these programs. According to Planned Parenthood, “Only 9 states currently require discussion of LGBTQ identities and relationships to be inclusive and affirming,” and, “7 Southern states either prohibit sex educators from discussing (or even answering questions about) LGBTQ identities and relationships, or actually require sex educators to frame LGBTQ identities and relationships negatively. These laws further stigmatize LGBTQ youth and leave them without the information they need to protect their sexual health, putting them at greater risk for STDs, pregnancy, and unhealthy or abusive relationships.”
“Specifically when talking about sex and healthy sexuality, I think that that curiculum does tend to be heteronormative in a lot of places that it’s implemented, and I think that’s a huge issue,” says Laura Alberti, Prevention Coordinator at Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR) and sexual violence prevention and healthy relationships educator at Oakland School for the Arts. “Not just in terms of sexuality and who people are attracted to, but also their own gender identities, and I think creating a more fluid understanding of what sexuality is is really important.”
In the recent OSA survey, 22.66% of students explicitly said that they’d like to see more topics relevant to LGBTQ+ people integrated into sex education programs. “Sex-ed should also focus on a broader range of sexuality and gender identity,” said one surveyed student. “We shouldn't just focus on heterosexual sex,” agreed another.
“I want to see a curriculum, especially at OSA that has an emphasis on LGBTQ+ sex education. Sex education is not often inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, and lacks resources to educate people about this,” said another OSA student.
Another topic that is often neglected in sex education programs is consent. According to a survey conducted by Planned Parenthood in 2016, less than 35% of people were educated around various topics related to consent, including the role of alcohol and drugs in consent, healthy relationships, and support services if you have been sexually assaulted.
One anonymous OSA student said, “Teach consent!! Not a mix of Abstinence and Consent! Statistics have proven that teen pregnancy goes way down in districts that teach [consent].”
According to a 2017 poll from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), 93.5% of parents think that it’s important for sex education to be taught in middle school, and 96% think it’s important that students recieve sex education in high school. But this data isn’t being reflected by legislature regarding sex education or the frequency of sex-ed programs being implemented in schools across the country.
“I think sex in general is a pretty taboo topic in our society, still, and makes people pretty uncomfortable,” Alberti said when asked her opinion on why there’s still such a lack of education about sex for young people in America. “And I think especially the sexuality of young people is something that makes people quite uncomfortable, so I think there is a lot of fear that goes into sex education for youth. A lot of adults fear planting seeds and creating ideas for young people, and I also think schools sometimes face liability issues around it or just worrying that they don’t want to teach something so deeply vulnerable and personal to young people because they don’t want to step on parent’s toes; they don’t want to overstep.”
However, Alberti disagrees with this ideology. “I think that risk reduction is really critical, so if we are observing the trends that we’re observing, which is that many young people do tend to experiment sexually, I think it’s really critical to give them accurate and clear information about their risks so that they can at least engage safely if they do choose to engage. So, I never promote sexual behavior for young people and I also don’t shame them for it if that’s something they are feeling curious about. My primary concern is the safety and health and comfort of young people regardless of what they’re engaging in.”
There are many inadaquacies in sex education programs across America and the legislation that affects them, but we have the power to change that. For more resources or to volunteer, visit Alliance for Girls, American Civil Liberties Union, Bay Area Women Against Rape, the Family Violence Law Center, Planned Parenthood, or Equal Rights Advocates.
As of March 1st, 2016, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 24 states require sex education in their public schools, as well as the District of Columbia, and only 33 states require that public schools educate students about HIV/AIDS. Only 20 states require sex education, if provided, to be medically factual.
This profound lack of formal education given to young people in America regarding sex and sexual health has lead to higher rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs (sexually transmitted infections)—much higher than those in countries that consistantly integrate sex education into their standard school curricula.
According to Planned Parenthood, the Netherlands integrates sex education into school curriculums for all levels, starting in preschool, and compared to America, their teen pregnancy rate is six times lower, their rate of HIV prevalence is three and a half times lower, and their rate of teen abortion is roughly two times lower. In France, sex education is nationally mandated and begins at age 13. There, parents can’t withdraw their children from it. Their teen birth rate is about three times lower than the United States’, and their rate of HIV prevalence is almost two times lower.
There are essentially two overarching types of sex education: abstinence centered (sometimes called sexual risk avoidance or abstinence-only-until-marriage programs) and comprehensive. Abstinence-centered programs typically don’t teach people about forms of contraception, and instead teach that people shouldn’t have sex.
Comprehensive sex education programs cover a wide span of topics, such as sex, sexual identity and gender, relationships, consent, human development, and interpersonal communication skills regarding sex. They typically teach that abstinence is the best way to avoid STIs and pregnancy, but they also provide people with information about forms of contraception and other topics related to healthy sex practices in case people do choose to engage in sexual behavior.
According to a study conducted by the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health in 2008, young people who received education about contraception weren’t more likely to engage in sexual activities than those who didn’t. Furthermore, the risk of pregnancy was actually lower for young people who received comprehensive education about sex than for those who only received abstinence-only education.
However, according to Planned Parenthood, a study from 2010 showed that 87% of teen women and 81% of teen men were taught “how to say no to sex” in formal sex education programs, and only 70% of teen women and 62% of teen men were formally educated about forms of contraception.
In a survey of Oakland School for the Arts students about sex education, 34.7% of students surveyed said that they felt that sex-ed classes they’d taken in the past didn’t provide adequate information.
Many sex-ed programs in America also fail to properly educate students about topics relevant to LGBTQ+ people. Information about LGBTQ+ relationships, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity, are often neglected in these programs. According to Planned Parenthood, “Only 9 states currently require discussion of LGBTQ identities and relationships to be inclusive and affirming,” and, “7 Southern states either prohibit sex educators from discussing (or even answering questions about) LGBTQ identities and relationships, or actually require sex educators to frame LGBTQ identities and relationships negatively. These laws further stigmatize LGBTQ youth and leave them without the information they need to protect their sexual health, putting them at greater risk for STDs, pregnancy, and unhealthy or abusive relationships.”
“Specifically when talking about sex and healthy sexuality, I think that that curiculum does tend to be heteronormative in a lot of places that it’s implemented, and I think that’s a huge issue,” says Laura Alberti, Prevention Coordinator at Bay Area Women Against Rape (BAWAR) and sexual violence prevention and healthy relationships educator at Oakland School for the Arts. “Not just in terms of sexuality and who people are attracted to, but also their own gender identities, and I think creating a more fluid understanding of what sexuality is is really important.”
In the recent OSA survey, 22.66% of students explicitly said that they’d like to see more topics relevant to LGBTQ+ people integrated into sex education programs. “Sex-ed should also focus on a broader range of sexuality and gender identity,” said one surveyed student. “We shouldn't just focus on heterosexual sex,” agreed another.
“I want to see a curriculum, especially at OSA that has an emphasis on LGBTQ+ sex education. Sex education is not often inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, and lacks resources to educate people about this,” said another OSA student.
Another topic that is often neglected in sex education programs is consent. According to a survey conducted by Planned Parenthood in 2016, less than 35% of people were educated around various topics related to consent, including the role of alcohol and drugs in consent, healthy relationships, and support services if you have been sexually assaulted.
One anonymous OSA student said, “Teach consent!! Not a mix of Abstinence and Consent! Statistics have proven that teen pregnancy goes way down in districts that teach [consent].”
According to a 2017 poll from the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), 93.5% of parents think that it’s important for sex education to be taught in middle school, and 96% think it’s important that students recieve sex education in high school. But this data isn’t being reflected by legislature regarding sex education or the frequency of sex-ed programs being implemented in schools across the country.
“I think sex in general is a pretty taboo topic in our society, still, and makes people pretty uncomfortable,” Alberti said when asked her opinion on why there’s still such a lack of education about sex for young people in America. “And I think especially the sexuality of young people is something that makes people quite uncomfortable, so I think there is a lot of fear that goes into sex education for youth. A lot of adults fear planting seeds and creating ideas for young people, and I also think schools sometimes face liability issues around it or just worrying that they don’t want to teach something so deeply vulnerable and personal to young people because they don’t want to step on parent’s toes; they don’t want to overstep.”
However, Alberti disagrees with this ideology. “I think that risk reduction is really critical, so if we are observing the trends that we’re observing, which is that many young people do tend to experiment sexually, I think it’s really critical to give them accurate and clear information about their risks so that they can at least engage safely if they do choose to engage. So, I never promote sexual behavior for young people and I also don’t shame them for it if that’s something they are feeling curious about. My primary concern is the safety and health and comfort of young people regardless of what they’re engaging in.”
There are many inadaquacies in sex education programs across America and the legislation that affects them, but we have the power to change that. For more resources or to volunteer, visit Alliance for Girls, American Civil Liberties Union, Bay Area Women Against Rape, the Family Violence Law Center, Planned Parenthood, or Equal Rights Advocates.
