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Adelola Ajayi

Professor Joshi

Pre-english

3 August 2017

Why is Sexual Education Not Effective in American Public Schools

Audience Analysis: My intended audience for this position paper are adolescents, parents,

legislators and school administrators. I chose this audience because these individuals are all

affected by sexual education. Adolescents decisions can be influenced by the type of education

they receive which is determined by legislators and enforced by administration within schools.

The decisions of administration and legislators can affects parents and what they want for their

adolescents.This paper is written for these individuals to learn about the effect sexual education

has on teenagers. They should care because the choices of the type of sexual education

abstinence versus comprehensive education , can affect their children and society as a whole, in

relation to the epidemics in sexual health. All adolescents should care about the type of education

they are receiving in school because it will benefit their future and their lifestyle. Education is

important to influence lifestyle choices, education has been seen to change the way individuals

think. Therefore if adolescents are taught sexual education in a different way then it will affect

the choices they make in regards to their own sexual health. The ethnicity of these adolescents

does not matter but the statistics among African Americans adolescents in regards to sexually

transmitted diseases and infections are high among African Americans, as a result this paper can

give African American youth insight into the type of education and knowledge about sexual

health. Income may affect this audience because education in certain schools in regard to the

quality and resources available determines the type of education individuals would receive,
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specific comprehensive education programs require more funds, therefore this article is intended

for all income levels to understand the effects of sexual education and how it is taught to other

adolescents. It is important for administrators, adolescents and legislators to acknowledge the

effects of education.

Sexually transmitted diseases have risen to levels where the health service is unable to

cope, with annual diagnoses of syphilis up 500 per cent and one in ten people aged 16-24

infected with chlamydia(OKeefe 26). Sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers are

beginning to rise which is a significant problem in today's society. It is important for adolescents

to understand the importance of sexual education and how it can affect their sexual health when

engaging in risk behavior. To prevent further rise of STDs and STIs among teenagers we must

examine their actions to understand why they are contracting these diseases and infections when

they have been taught sexual education. If a teenager contracts an STD or an STI it may not be

curable and may affect future sexual endeavors. If students have a better understanding of sex

through means of sexual education, they will be more prone to converse with their partner before

engaging in risk behavior to ensure good health.

Sexual educations begins in the fifth grade, with parent permission and continues

throughout high school. In school, students are primarily taught abstinence, which has not been

an effective method to teach sexual health to adolescents in our society. Although schools teach

abstinence they also teach students about STDs and STIs. However, even though teenagers are

taught about STDs and STIs, they are taught to avoid sex altogether which has not been effective

because they are still engaging in sexual activity. Adolescents are becoming more sexually

active, abstinence is not being practiced and teenagers are not concerned about their sexual

health. In health education, a curriculum that highlights how an individual can converse with
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their partner,about their sexual health is nonexistent. Essentially teenagers have been taught

about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and the reasons they should not engage in

sexual activity, which has seen to be ineffective, but still were informed about the risks of having

sex.

In fact, in this paper I will show that the health education system does contribute to

teenagers lack of knowledge about sexual behavior and health, and how the education system

causes teenagers not to get tested or to discuss their sexual health. Other factors considered

include society and values, which contribute to the behaviors of adolescent youth. I will show

how teenagers are contracting STDs and STIs as a result of ignoring abstinence only education

and disregarding what has been taught in comprehensive sexual education. I will also illustrate

how others think it is important for the education system to teach more than abstinence, because

it is evident that most teenagers are not abstaining. Throughout this argument I will uncover the

reason the sexual education system is not effective because they are contracting sexually

transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections, refusing to abstain from sex and are

refraining from discussing sexual health.

Abstinence-only education appears to help delay the onset of sexual activity for younger

adolescents who have not yet initiated sex; however, it may not provide the knowledge and skills

necessary to protect youth once they become sexually active(Walcott et al. 828). As a result of

abstinence programs it is shown that they will not receive the knowledge of protection if they did

become sexually active, while those in comprehensive education programs do receive

information about protection. The sexual education programs are not geared to the age of the

group that is engaging in sexual activity and the culture of the society. Adolescents have high

sexual activity therefore having a program for that age group that teaches only abstinence would
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not be effective, the educational programs must analyze all aspects of the environment that they

are tailored to. Research has been done to discover whether or not sex education that teaches

only abstinence is effective, Based on systematic reviews, including a large federally funded

study of four abstinence programs, abstinence-only programs prove no more effective in getting

students to abstain from sex compared with comprehensive or general health promotion

programs (Trenholm et al., 2008; Underhill, Montgomery, & Operario, 2007). Schools that

teach sexual education or programs that teach sexual education have not been more beneficial

than those that teach strictly abstinence. Parents have realized that comprehensive education

highlights all aspects related to sexual education of those that participate in sexual activity, and

this method is effective, Parents thought it was appropriate to provide high school and middle

school youth with broad information on sexual issues, including sexually transmitted infections

(99%), how babies are made (96%), waiting to have intercourse until older (95%), how to

make responsible sexual choices based on individual values (91%), how to use and where to get

contraceptives (86%), abortion (85%), masturbation(77%), homosexuality (73%), oral sex

(72%), and that teens can obtain birth control pills from clinics and doctors without parents

permission (71%)(Santelli et al.). Essentially, comprehensive sexual education programs

discuss everything related to having sex that adolescents may be exposed to, and this type of

education teaches them to deal with the effects of sex.

The research on sex education programs is dominated by the notion that sex education

programs should only teach abstinence versus safe sex choices. Research states that effective

sexual education programs would be those that educate on waiting to have sex, protection and

less sexual partners (Walcott et al. 828). Many individuals would argue that sexual education
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programs should only teach abstinence. They believe that teaching abstinence would prevent

sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections among adolescents, and also

prevent pregnancy, Abstinence from sexual intercourse represents a healthy choice for

teenagers, as teenagers face considerable risk to their reproductive health from unintended

pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including infection with the human

immunodeficiency virus (HIV)(Santelli et al.). Abstinence education program is effective in

ensuring physical, emotional and mental health within adolescents because it prevents all of the

effects related to sexual activity.

Research also indicates that sexual activity among adolescents are high, which has led to

sexually transmitted diseases and infections among teenagers. Early sexual activity, multiple

partners and unprotected sexual activity can increase the risk of HIV and sexually transmitted

infections (Walcott et al. 828).Since adolescents are sexually active they are more at risk for

diseases, in the United States, one of every four teenagers who is sexually active will contract

an STI (Kirby, 2002), and one in four college students will contract an STI during his or her time

at school, human papillomavirus (HPV) being the most common. Unfortunately, increasing rates

of STIs among college students may be extending to HIV infection as well (e.g., Hightow et al.,

2005). Comprehensive educational programs are geared to prevent sexually transmitted diseases

and infections among adolescents by teaching them effective contraceptive methods. However,

individuals that were taught through abstinence only programs have not effectively been taught

about contraceptives and how to prevent STDs and STIs because they have been taught to stay

away from sex. With increasing sexual activity among teenages it is evident that educational

systems must be geared towards comprehensive education.


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Adolescents do not converse with their partners about their sexual health before engaging

in sexual behavior. Research indicates that, Fifty-three percent of females and 45% of males

discussed contraception or STDs before having first sex(Walcott et al.828). There are various

reasons that adolescents do not converse with their partners, one reason being the type of

relationship the partners are in,Stronger relationship commitment or intimacy is related to a

greater likelihood of discussing contraception with ones partner before first sex... the more

dating activities they will engage in before sex and the older they are at first sex, the greater their

likelihood of discussing contraception or STDs before first sex(Ryan et al.). Adolescents that

are not in a strong committed relationship or those who do not interact with their partner are least

likely to converse with their partners about contraceptives and stds. Conversing about

contraceptives can prevent STDs and STIs among adolescents. Also, conversing with a partner

about their sexual health can stop the spread of STDs and STIs among adolescents. It is

important for partners that engage in sexual activity to converse with each other to ensure they

are maintaining their health, this would lead to prevention of diseases and show that they have

been properly educated on sexual health.

In conclusion, sexual education programs teach adolescents not to engage in sex, the risks

of sexual activity and protection if they decide to have sex . One of the most used technique in

sexual education is abstinence but it has proved to be unsuccessful because many teens are

becoming pregnant and catching STDs and STIs. To improve the sexual behavior of sexually

active teenagers, sexual education should be more well-rounded putting equal focus on options

besides abstinence. Comprehensive education has been effective on educating and preventing

STDs and STIs which has led to adolescents being able to converse with each other about their

sexual health.
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Works Cited

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