Introduction:
Sex education is very important to me. I may be incredibly optimistic in this respect, but I believe that good sex education courses can lead to increased acceptance and open-mindedness in our society as well as a reduction in STI incidence rates and unwanted pregnancies. In this blog post, I will be discussing abstinence-only sex education, comprehensive sex education, my personal experiences with sex education in high school and finally, a rough draft of what my dream high school sex education course would look like.
Abstinence-Only Education:
The Administration for Children and Families defines an abstinence only program as one that teaches:
- There are many benefits to staying abstinent and complete abstinence is expected from all “school aged children”
- Abstinence is the ONLY sure method to avoid unwanted pregnancy and STIs
- One should only have sex in a monogamous, committed marriage
- Premarital sex and having children out of wedlock is physically and psychologically detrimental to the self, one’s family and society
- How to reject sexual advances, alcohol and drugs
- “The importance of gaining self-sufficiency” before having sex
Just looking at this definition, I can already see problems with this kind of sex education. Firstly, how many people do you know have actually stayed abstinent until they were married (if they even got married)? That is not a norm in this society. Telling children and teenagers to do something that most people in their society have not done themselves is very unfair and is setting them up for failure. And what about the people who decide to stay single for the rest of their lives? Should they just go join the priesthood or something? Now, I agree that abstinence is a viable option for unwanted pregnancy and STI prevention. However, the proper use of various types contraception, especially when used in tandem (i.e. using a condom and the pill), provides excellent protection against unwanted pregnancy and STIs. The third point excludes some sexual minorities, such as individuals who are in homosexual relationships and/or polyamorous relationships. Also this definition demonizes the single parent as an individual who is a danger to themselves and to those around them instead of providing much needed support.
In the article, “Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexuality Activity and Teen Pregnancy,” Kohler et al discusses the results of a study they conducted with a sample of heterosexual teens, looking at the relationships amongst the two sex education programs and the age in which teens started having sex and the rates of teen pregnancy. Kohler et al found that abstinence-only programs “had no significant effect in delaying the initiation of sexual activity or in reducing the risk of teen pregnancy and STD” (2007, 349). Also abstinence-only education did not decrease the likelihood of a teen have penile-vaginal intercourse (2007, 1).
Abstinence-based education has a clear moral/religious agenda and desires to block out all dissenting voices. This eligibility requirement on the ACF website states that “applicants must agree not to provide a participating adolescent any other education regarding sexual conduct in the same setting” if they want to receive program funding. It really is all about money. Although the medical community and many people in our society agree that abstinence-only education is not effective, the federal government continues to provide states that teach abstinence-only education with funding. In 2005, the federal government gave $167 million in funding to abstinence-only programs (Kohler et al., 2007, 345).
Comprehensive Sex Education:
The International Planned Parenthood Federation defines comprehensive sex education as a program that has seven components:
- Gender
- Sexual and reproductive health and HIV
- Sexual rights and sexual citizenship
- Pleasure
- Violence
- Diversity
- Relationships
Obviously, I prefer this option and my dream high school sexuality course is based off of comprehensive sex education components. I do wish that CSE was even more comprehensive and, in my rough draft, I have added a few things.
Kohler et al found that CSE programs are associated with reduced teen pregnancy compared to not having any sex education or having an abstinence-only education (2007, 349). It is also “marginally associated with a lower likelihood of reporting having engaged in [PV] intercourse” (Kohlet et al., 2007, 1).
My Past Experiences in High School:
I went to an all-girls Catholic high school in New York City and was treated to an abstinence-based sex education course when I was in my sophomore year. Abstinence-based sex education is different from abstinence-only education in the sense that the former emphasizes the importance of abstinence, but does not try to force the students into believing that it is the only option. To the credit of this course, I was shown a condom and a female condom and I was not lied to about their effectiveness. However, I was given pictures of aborted babies and shown a long PowerPoint slide filled with pictures of STI-infected genitalia. And let’s not forget all the stereotypical movies, showing girls being pressured by their jock boyfriends to have sex because “everyone is doing it”. It never ended well for them: They either became pregnant and lived a miserable life or died of AIDS. My class never talked about other forms of contraceptives like the pill, intrauterine devices or diaphragms. The class also focused on heteronormative sexual orientations, identities and relationships. And as for anatomy, the teacher just gave me a diagram of male and female genitalia and sent me on my merry way. In the end, I left that class scared out of my mind. After a month or so, the fear went away and I was left with a lack of knowledge regarding who I was as a sexuality being and an incapability to understand others who were sexually different. This changed over the years due to my own personal life experiences, but for many people, this one sex class is the only sex education they receive.
My Dream High School Sex Education Class:
Before I begin daydreaming, I should state that, although I do strongly agree that sex education should start well before high school, I can imagine how scandalized many parents would be at the thought of their middle-school aged child learning anything besides what they teach in biology class. I am sure that everyone can agree that high school students should have sex education classes. There are many things I wished I had learned more about at a younger age. And there are things that I wish people in general would learn about sexuality. I personally believe that good sex education classes should span the entire year (instead of a semester like in my high school) and should encourage teens to become more accepting and knowledgeable about their bodies and sexuality and those of others. An understanding teen would hopefully lead to an open-minded adult. My dream high school sex education course would discuss topics including, but not limited to:
1. Tolerance
a. Emphasize that everyone is different and this difference is not a sign of immorality or any other kind of negativity. People and their sexuality should always be respected.
2. Definitions of Sex (both the act and the socially constructed label)
a. Defining sex as a social construction based on socially agreed upon biological characteristics and discuss instances in which the labels of “male” and “female” are not sufficient (i.e. Intersexuality).
b. Defining sex as not just penile-vaginal intercourse.
c. A history of how sex (the act) has been portrayed in the country and elsewhere
3. Gender
a. What is gender?
b. The difference between gender, gender identity and gender roles.
c. Trans* identities
d. Do two genders really encompass all the individuals in society and do the students think they fit within their prescribed gender roles perfectly?
4. Sexual Orientation
a. Cover various forms of sexual orientation: heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, pansexuality, queer as a sexual and political orientation, asexuality, etc.
b. Sexual minorities and the prejudice and discrimination they face in society (link back to the importance of tolerance)
5. Anatomy/Physiology
a. A breakdown of primary and secondary sex characteristics and the chromosomes/hormones that influence them
6. Pregnancy
a. The first signs of pregnancy and the physical aspects of pregnancy and giving birth
b. The choice to not have children as a viable decision
c. Infertility
d. Abortion and other controversies
e. Single parenthood
7. Sexual Behaviors
a. Masturbation as a healthy act
b. Celibacy – How it is different from abstinence and why people choose this option
c. Sex as a pleasurable act, not just for procreation
8. Love and Relationships
a. Various types of relationships
b. Marriage
c. Gay marriage: who is for it and who is against it and why?
d. Staying single as a viable choice
e. The Pros and Cons of cohabitation
f. The importance of communication
g. Love and intimacy – Theories and biological and social components
9. Various Kinds of Contraception, How they work and Proper Use
a. The difference between contraception that only prevents pregnancy and the contraception that protects against STIs
b. Talk about abstinence as another possible form of contraception and as the most effective
10. STIs
a. Talk about the major types of STIs (bacterial, viral and ectoparasitic), including how they are contracted, what the symptoms are and what forms of contraception can be used for prevention.
b. Talk about the stigmas of having an STI in this society and what that can mean for treatment
11. Rape and other forms of sexual violence
a. The importance of consent
b. Dispelling myths
c. Victim-blaming and other negative reactions that victims face
d. How to get help
This list is definitely not complete. These are just the things that I can think of off the top of my head. If you have anything to add to this list, don’t hesitate to comment and let me know!
No comments:
Post a Comment