Sex education in schools

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With the current numbers of teenage pregnancy and an increase in STI's, what age do you think kids should be getting proper sex ed classes?

 

I don't really think that the "when" is the problem. The problem lies in how you define "proper". Personally, I think sex ed should start in middle school in a comprehensive program that emphasizes abstinence, but also provides information about STI's, various methods of birth control, and their relative rates of success. Elementary school kids should at least be taught enough to know when they are being improperly touched and who to talk to about it, but I really don't think they need to know about the birds and the bees in vivid detail until middle school.

 

For the non-Americans, what age is middle school, please?

 

Wow, I mostly agree with Drew! What I would like emphasized are the consequences of rampant sexual promiscuity -- too many kids see sex as a right, and then go begging to everyone when there's actually a responsibility attached. I'd like a curriculum that says something like this:

"Abstinence is the best policy for teenagers if you want to avoid STIs, unplanned pregnancy, and lots of emotional difficulties. If you choose to have sex, we can't stop you. Here are the methods you can use to protect yourself from some of those problems, but they can fail. If those methods fail in your case, don't go whining that no one told you there would be consequences, and don't you dare go running to the government begging for handouts so other people can finance your poor choices. You have been warned. However, you should also be aware that if you do make a mistake, there are people who will help you and it's not the end of the world. Just don't act as though you are entitled to help from everyone. Be grateful that there are people willing to help you."

That sounds harsh and judgemental, but I think it's important to be a little hard nosed about stuff like that. To draw a comparison, when instructors teach gun safety, they don't mince words about it -- they lay it on the line regardless of the political correctness factor. These days, I would argue that sexual behaviour can be life or death just like gun use.

I've seen several teenagers seriously bugger up their lives during my career and I firmly believe it stems from them getting the impression from our society that sex is a right, and never having had it reinforced to them that there are also responsibilities that come with it. Some of these kids had really good parents, so I don't think you can lay it all off on the parenting.

Anyhow, that's my two cents.

 

Middle school age is somewhat variable depending on what state you live in (for example middle school starts in 6th grade in Maryland, while it is 7th grade in Pennsylvania). So at or around age 11 or 12.

As do I.

The only two problems I have with that statement is that the mother is still, technically, a minor, and by saying they should not receive any help you are also punishing the baby, who certainly is not responsible for his/her parents poor choices.

 

Please don't get me wrong -- I don't think she shouldn't get any help, I just object to the sense many single mothers seem to have that we (as in the government) OWE it to them -- they make the statement "I'm a single mother, and I need help" as if being a single mother is on a par with being a veteran who risked his/her life for the country. I want to tell these women "you didn't do anything heroic by being so bloody irresponsible, so sit down, shut up, and be grateful that society is willing to give you ANY help at all. And don't try to use your situation to make other people feel sorry for you -- you are 50% responsible for what happened, sweetheart."

Speaking of the 50%, and lest anyone think I'm focusing too much on the girls, it should also be made very clear to teenage boys that if they father a child, they will be on the hook for child support for the next 18 years at the very frigging least. Then we should actually have laws that back that up. I don't think that the boys should get off scot free.

I guess I just get tired of schools and society in general seeing the problem, knowing how to deal with it, but lacking the guts to actually follow through and teach anything important because we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

LKD - Great post...Can I forward your post to Sara and Bristol?

 

Again... great post LKD, that is exactly what I think every time I see that situation.

 

My mum was a single mother (my dad died when i was 2) and because she got a widows pension, she wasn't entitled to anything else. She wasn't entitled to help towards childcare costs either, so she couldn't go back to work until my sister and i were at school full time.

It annoys me so much when kids now think that the world owes them a living"

 

I entirely agree with LDK and Drew. *waits for world to end*

The idea of abstinance only education, which Sarah Palin supports, is that letting parents teach kids about sex is the best way to avoid the government teaching your kids that sex is ok. I understand that position, but it leads to a lot of parents that don't teach their kids squat, because they expect the schools to teach the kids everything about life. Better to petition for actually responsible schooling (even though I do think it's the parents' responsability) and assume the worst. Maybe that's the engineer in me speaking (Hope for the best, prepare for the worst!).

 

I remember my first Sex Ed lessons in Grade 7. That sounds about right. About the Onset of Puberty is the time to discuss that.

My idea would start with Abstinence, citing it as the best way of preventing unplanned pregnancy, STD's and other emotionally complications. Then when the kids stopped laughing at me, I would then go on to Condoms or other forms of protection. For the guys that still don't seem to be taking me serious, I'll skip the traditional scare tactices in favour of a detailed description of an Invasive Swab Test...

But I think a lesson on what to do if there is an unplanned pregnancy or STD should be involved as well. And as LKD put it, not begging for handouts, but how to look after the child--like feeding, diapers, getting barfed on, the middle of the night wake-up calls. And the Guys need to know that they ARE responsible for the kids they father, and make sure they understand about Child Support and garnishing of wages. In short, taking responsibility for having sex.

 

*The New World is about to begin.*

I agree with Drew and LKD and they pretty much agree with each other. Feels the Board shake

Seriously, they are right.

 

Yes, definitely. Proper sex-ed into schools, just like in the Meaning of Life by Monty Python.

 

I understand where some of my religious friends are coming from when they advocate abstinence only education. They feel that if the schools teach you how to use a condom or how to access other forms of birth control that it is tacit endorsement of premarital teenage sex. I just happen to disagree with them. Education is not endorsement, and I believe that the kids should be told bluntly in school that society disapproves of such behaviour, not just on religious grounds but on the grounds that society pays a cost every time a child is born into a "less than ideal" situation. But closing your eyes and pretending that abstinence only education is going to eliminate unplanned pregnancies is completely ridiculous.

Chandos, I think it's a little late for Palin and her daughter. But it appears that they are doing the responsible thing now (except for the shotgun wedding, though. I am firmly opposed to shotgun weddings, as today they frequently end up with a costly divorce anyhow.)

 

Did anybody see the programme that was on in the UK where teenagers were given real kids to look after? I'm sure it made a few of them think twice!

 

You know, me and LKD agreeing is hardly a rare occurrence around here. I could easily link to 5 recent threads in which we at least agreed on the appropriate course of action in a given situation, so I'm actually kind of surprised that people find it all that shocking.

 

I got my sex ed in Catholic school. It included reproductive anatomy, what to expect from puberty, various methods of birth control used and the risks associated with them.
Then we got the lectures on what is acceptable in the Catholic church (sexual activity only within marriage, no barrier or contraceptive methods of preventing pregnancy, etc.)
But still, we were taught about what birth control was, even though is is not sanctioned by the church.

Of all the kids in the class, only one girl got pregnant in high school, and none of the boys sired any children. Nor were there any reports of STDs amougst my former classmates.

 

Those're good stats, Stefanina, but can I be a jerk and throw a monkey wrench in? Most people, when they get an STI, do not inform all and sundry. It's pretty tough to hide a pregnancy (though it's possible) but the medical system keeps the information on STIs pretty private -- at least here in Canada!

 

That is one really liberal Catholic school! I didn't know such a thing existed!