What should public schools teach our children about sex? It can be a complex question, especially when dealing with morals, social norms, pop culture, hormones and health. When students sit down for their sex education, should teachers embrace an abstinence-only policy?
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Should 'Abstinence-Only' Sex-Ed be Taught in Public Schools?
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Public schools are a place to educate youth. This interest is not well served by a program such as "abstinence-only" that is really a restriction of the educational content to only certain things that some groups prefer for political reasons.
Teenagers are not like toddlers, who do what you tell them because they simply and completely respect your authority. Teenagers rebel, they make decisions for themselves. We have a duty to provide them with the information they need to make those decisions.
Abstinence is a strong option for sexual safety, and one that should certainly be stressed in sex ed. But teenagers need to learn about contraception and what kinds of contraception can prevent STDs. They need to learn things that will defend them from stupid myths about pregnancy and STDs. Once they know all that, they may actually *believe* in the benefits of abstinence. Without that, this program will fail in every child who eventually rebels.
- mj75
August 2, 2008 12:23AM
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Side: No
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