Personally, I believe sex ed should begin in late elementary school. Many children begin puberty without having any ideas what is going on in their bodies. If schools don't teach sex ed until middle/high school, almost all of the students will have already hit puberty and had to go through this awkward time in their life unprepared.
I'm not saying start teaching about condoms and STDs that early, but at least begin to acknowledge that boys and girls aren't exactly the same.
I believe that in middle school is when students need to be taught about birth control and STDs. They need to understand the risks of sex before they start having it. Many people may think that middle school age children are not likely to be sexually active, but when I went through middle school we had at least 5 girls pregnant, one of them being a 6th grader. Perhaps if they had been informed about their birth contol options, these unplanned pregnancies could have prevented.
Sex shouldn't be considered "dirty" or "taboo" but it should be considered something that should be saved for a committed relationship. If sex is taught to be "taboo", children will not ask questions because they might be too embarassed, and just try to figure things out on their own. They should be taught the risks, stresses, and conflicts involved in casual sex, but also how to have safe sex.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
When i was in school sex ed was taught in 5th grade. It may seem like a young age but i agree with you that children should know what to expect when they hit puberty and you can go about it in a way that is not to appropriate at that age.
ReplyDeleteI think that the basics of sex ed should be taught in elementary school to the early years of middle school. This is when students start going through puberty, and I think the school has part of the responsibility to respond to this issue. When I become a parent, I will promote abstinence for my children. This is the only way that sex is completely safe. Therefore, I think it is important to teach the risks involved with sex in the school, and let them know that abstinence is an option. I think that education about sex is the most important aspect of keeping children safe in sexual situations.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I was taught about puberty and the basics of sex in fifth grade. We had a lot of questions and it was easy to ask our Guidance Counselor. I think that it should be taught early because children are becoming more active, younger and parents are not stepping up to teach their kids about sex and the responsibility that comes with it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all these posts. It may be a little uncomfortable for the kids at that young of an age, but its a real world topic that is crucial for them to know. I think pregnancy in teens would drop dramatically if sex-ed was stressed more than I have personally seen it stressed in my schools.
ReplyDeleteHey I totally agree. Sex shouldn't be ENTIRELY trial and error haha
ReplyDeleteSex Education wasn't offered or required at any of the schools I attended. Sometimes the teacher would hand put pamphlets on things like puberty and condoms but noone ever really got up and talked about it to us. I feel like it should be something that starts early and should be recquired because their are more and more young teens getting pregnant.
ReplyDelete