Sexuality Education is Failing Miserably
Monday, October 16, 2006
Nancy L. Brown, PhD
Recently there was a great story in the Washington Post article by Laura Sessions Stepp, staff writer and author of "Our last best shot: Guiding our children through early adolescence." I loved her book, and the title of the article, "Beyond the Birds and the Bees," was right up my alley, so I read it. The article is about a well-loved professor at the University of Maryland who teaches sexuality to college students, most of them suffering from a serious lack of sexuality education. It was very distressing to me that college students are asking questions about birth control, and that only 50% of the sexually active students are using condoms, meaning the other half of them are at risk for unwanted pregnancy and/or contracting a sexually transmitted infection, including HIV. And yet, I bet every one of them has had their meningitis vaccine, which is good, but so illogical.
As a society, our sexual phobias are putting our children at risk, and I think we should be extremely concerned that college students need sexuality education. This generation has experienced more media, seen more sexual innuendo, and probably experienced more oral sex than any previous generation, and yet, they actually know as little as their parents knew at 18 - why isn't that a crime? Why aren't we beating down the doors of the school board meetings concerned that the sexuality education, and health education for that matter, that our children are receiving is woefully inadequate and not preparing them for adulthood? Why do our students receive so little health education, why isn't most of it taught by certified health educators, and why aren't parents teaching their children how to protect themselves, even if the schools do not?
Photo credit: Steve Burt
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Labels: Sexuality
2 Comments:
At Mon Sep 24, 03:38:00 PM 2007,
polyme said…
Students are lacking in sexual education mainly due to a religious influence in US government and state boards of education. These persons do not want sexuality taught to their students and, like the dog in the manger, don't want it taught to those students whose parents would allow the teaching. Fortunately some states are opting out of federal funds and teaching scientific and correct sex education. Most of these religious parents don't know anything about sexuality and subsequently don't teach their students anything. They're embarrassed and uninformed about the anatomy and influence of peers and how the student will develop skills to become a sexual adult.
I, so often tell them, that unfortunately in ways they have no control over, their child will learn about sex. It will come from media of all types, television, music, movies, books they read, peers and any other person they come in contact with, will show them or tell them about sex. These parents won't like what their child learns but unless they can be around them 24/7 there is little they can do. They can threaten, take away privileges, ground them, and any other of a number of ineffectual punishments but in most instances that just makes the child more interested and they figure out a way to keep parents happy but find out from other sources. Research has borne this out time and time again.
It would make more sense if these parents, who want no sex education, would attempt to have their concerns made a part of the overall education and make their points and then let students make up their own minds. Isn't that what education is all about.
At Tue Sep 25, 11:30:00 AM 2007,
Nancy L. Brown, PhD said…
Go polyme! You are preaching to choir if that was for me - but I appreciate the time and that you are reading Teen Health 411! Let's change the world!
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