In the past year reported contraception of STDs (Sexual transmitted Diseases) has increased by nearly 30%. Now 55.4% of reported STD cases are in young adults from the ages of 15-20. Why is this? It’s not because some people just aren’t lucky and “drew the short straw. This is because of a lack of education in Sexual Education. Many schools including SHS vaguely brush over the topic. Maybe it is that Sex Ed. is a ¨awkward topic,” or educators think their students are ¨too immature¨ to learn about anything about opposite genders anatomy. This is completely wrong.
“ My Sex Ed class was not taught well. I think Sex Ed is an important class and they should cover a lot more than what they did, I think it’s important for teens to learn more into detail about Sex because it’s a huge part of life and growing up,” Freshman Miley Moser says.
As for little stuff and details taught in Sex Ed when taught right will help you make sure you are set up for a successful, safe and intelligent future. Sexual education should not be an awkward topic. Everybody should be educated in this almost as much as they would be in a core class. In Michigan, out of 1000 girls ages 15-17, there are 18 of them that had a teen pregnancy in the year 2021. Most sexual education classes discuss abstinence in hope to solve this problem.
When taught about sex we sit all together in a room full of giggles, laughing at the graphics on the board. Students will then learn the number one rule of protection and safety… Abstinence. Teaching abstinence is important, but pounding abstinence to the point where it seems like the only answer to young adults in sex ed is not realistic. Like a red button labeled “DO NOT PUSH,” you don’t know why, or what would happen if you do push this button, but the fact that it is telling you to not push that button urges you to want to. If that button was labeled with the vast consequences and reactions that would occur if you were to push that button the chances of one wanting to push the button will decrease.
“We learned a ton about STDs, but we never really touched on anything else,” Moser mentions. Students should be taught just as much about having safe sexual intercourse to as much importance as being taught abstinence, but no what is the easier option for sexual educators…Just to tell them not to do it. Teens deserve accurate realistic health information as well as a safe place to get information.
Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health care in the United States and globally. They have created a safe place to go to get help or information on sexual education for all age groups without judgment. Sexual education is not a subject that should be inconvenient or awkward, We are all human, and we all go through it. Now let’s educate so we are safe.