In an article that relates to this week's topic of sex education, we learn that President Obama has passed legislation that will fund abstance-only education with $50 million each year, for the next five years.
During the discussion in class on Wednesday, the women sitting in my row and I were told to converse over the differences between subjects brought up in class in red and blue states. The conclusions we drew were that either way a pregnancy can easily result in shame and ostracization no matter which way the state leant politically. In some ways getting pregnant in a conservative state was easier because if you did what was expected of a parent (keep the child, get married) over time the stigma would pass, but in liberal states, which are more likely to have access to contraceptives and comprehensive sex education, it would be frowned upon because the pregnancy could be viewed as a blatant disregard of the resources provided by the community.
However, in this same bill there is also funding for alternative sex educational programming that will total $75 million + $25 million, so for me (a woman who does not believe that abstinence-only education works) there is some hope. But, the real problem lies with the fact that the government programs instituted to help teens, usually creates packs of ignorant teenagers who have hormones pulsing through their veins who also do not have access birth control contraceptives.
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What are your views on this subject?
In school, what type of sex education did you receive?
If sex education was not a course you could take, was there a given reason?
Do you think the new health care reform funding will do good things for sex education? Bad things?
Any other comments and opinions would be appreciated!
-Claire L.
One thing I found particularly interesting about this article, is her mention of the 'shaming' that abstinence only education often operates on. It hurts my mind to acknowledge that shaming is used in any curriculum about any subject in schools, especially about sex and sexuality. I find that to be insanely problematic for healthy psycho/social/sexual development and well-being. In my opinion the most important thing that was missing from my, as well as anyone I have ever heard testimony from, is the aspect of embodiment and desire. It seems so ridiculous to me that we leave those two huge factors out. Regardless of the outcomes you hope for, whether young people will or will not have sex, or whether they will or will not become pregnant or transmit an STI, I would think the healthy sexual development of the students should be an important aspect of any sex education.
ReplyDelete- Emilia M.
I think abstinent only sex education is dangerous and insufficient. I do not believe a person is receiving true education if only one side or aspect to an issue is presented to them. That’s one of my biggest issues with the education system in the U.S. Many of the history curriculums omit important historical information while over teaching other issues. This very skewed version of American history breeds all kinds of ignorance in a student. When they get to college and attempt to engage in intellectual debates/discussions their ignorance is quite apparent because they don’t have the facts and it’s just a real problem in my mind.
ReplyDeleteI don’t remember much about my sex education background in school. I do remember in middle school being taught not to have sex because pregnancy was guaranteed. I also remember a girl in that same class going on and on about how devastated her older sister would be if she got pregnant. It was just a bizarre situation. In high school I participated in a group called ABC or Abstinence By Choice. The program required high school juniors and seniors to go into the middle schools and teach sex education. It was completely voluntarily and a lot of fun. We got training for two days and I think we taught four or six lessons to the middle school students. Teachers believed middle school students would take sex education more serious if taught by high school students than adults because of the age difference. Although we did talk a lot about abstinence and encouraged delaying sexual acts for as long as possible, we did also speak about and encourage the use of contraceptives. We explained what they were, what kinds existed, and how students could get access to them. I thought this was the best thing about ABC. I think it took in to consideration that all students do not want to delay sex so they needed to be provided with information about how to go about it safely. I believe this is much more effective than just preaching abstinence.
-Ashley B.
As someone who came from a school were abstience was highly encouraged (the only reason that I got a comprehensive sex education in high school was thanks to a brave teacher), I do not believe that abstinence only education works. It just doesn't make sense. There are too many other influences and factors.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I think that are many good reasons to refrain from sex. Abstinence should be taught in the contex of how sex can complicate a relationship. And, of course, an explination of contraceptives and the proper way to use them should also be taught.
An interesting idea, would be to start a sex education program for teachers who would be teaching the subject (and including homosexuality would be a must!).
::Maura B.
I think that an abstinent only education program has many ups and downs. I think that promoting absintence is a great thing to do, but at the same time there are some teens that will refrain from practicing abstinence. I believe that sex education should be taught in schools covering subjects from abstinence, contraceptives, stds, pregnancy, etc. In my high school, the sex education mainly focused on stds. Although, that was only one aspect of having sex I think that it was very helpful for teens to learn the dangers of having sex while in high school. I personally believe that sex educatio is not the responsibility of the school, but I think that sex education is the responsibility of the teen. If they are old enough to make the decision to have sex then they are old enough to research the things risks and dangers of having sex. I know that some would argue that not every teen has access to materials on sex education, but I think that society has developed enough to where majority of teens having sex also have access to sex education materials.
ReplyDelete~Simone McGary