Teenagers have sex on the brain; it’s an inevitable fact.
However, what teenagers generally have a problem grasping is that along with sex comes a certain amount of responsibility. With the amount of information there is, there is no excuse for the lack of knowledge teens possess when it comes to risky behavior. This is mainly in part because by the time a child reaches the age of 15 they are tired of listening to an adult tell them about what they are feeling and how they should be acting. By sitting in a normal classroom setting a child does not fully learn the consequences of having sex at an early age.
In today’s’ world, by the time most teenagers are getting to health class many of them have already partaken in some form of sexual behavior. Also, with the average age of teenagers losing their virginity declining, the age and ways they are presented with Sex Education Essay material needs to conform to suit the teenagers of today’s society. The only way to ensure that teens are going to be more responsible when they engage in relationships is to remodel how sex education is being presented to America’s kids. It may seem like we’re corrupting America’s youth, when in fact, we’re trying to save it with information.
Information is the key contributor to how we can prevent today’s youths from engaging in potentially dangerous behavior. The primary motive is to not only slow down risky behavior, but to try to prevent it all together. This process begins at home. Numerous studies show that if a child and/or teen feels comfortable discussing matters of sex with their parents then they are less likely to engage in sexual activity.
More importantly, when children see that it is okay for them to talk about sex in the home, they are more inclined to ask questions and talk openly with their parents. Also, children tend to pick up on their parent’s beliefs and moral systems. However, if a child is never exposed to them, those beliefs will not be adapted. While most parents believe that there is no point to talking to their children about sex because they’re not going to listen anyway, statistics prove otherwise.
79% of all families that can talk openly about sex in the home have children who tend to undertake more responsible sexual activity. Also, this education needs to start at a very young age. At around age two or three when a child realizes that Jenni is different from Timmy, parents should begin teaching about the correct body parts and how boys and girls are different. As a child age increases the topics should also increase to meet their level of curiosity and understanding.
By age seven a child should know where babies come from, but maybe not the complete detail that goes into it. Being open, honest, and realistic can curb curiosity to a certain degree. By the time a teenager reaches the point that they are going to have sex, they should feel they could go to a trusted parent with both their questions and their decisions. While it is best to start sex-ed at home, no matter how hard parents may try, teens are not always going to feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex. (Most teenagers aren’t going to feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex while picturing them doing it themselves.
) This is where the school system comes in. While sex education in the high school is most definitely important, it should be more age appropriate. Meaning, the discussions should be more frank and honest, showing teens the REALITY of having unprotected underage sex. The average sex education class starts in 10th grade health, with a teacher standing in front of the room waving corny diagrams of penis and vaginas from the seventies while half the class falls asleep in the back rows for the mere two weeks that sex gets in the classroom.
This is NOT suitable for such a crucial issue. The diagrams are not only so grossly outdated that the corners are yellow, but there is more than likely not going to be more than one student comfortable enough .
