Does Sex Education Encourage Teen Sex?

[dimpy.handa]

A major part of this debate in teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases in teens is Sex Education. There are those that believe teaching Sex Education only encourages teens to have sex with "experimenting". The stance is those that believe sex education just encourages teens to have sex is because they ( the teens) are now confident and believe they have all the knowledge they need to know, so "nothing will happen to them".

Is there any truth to this? What are the pros and cons of teaching sex education? Aren't teens in the end really going to do what they want to anyway regardless of being taught sex education? Should sex education be a continued class within the schools to teach the teens? Or should this be strictly to the parents role to teach and guide alone?

 

[swatiraohnlu]

A study that compared the rates of condom use and sexual activity by high school students in schools in New York City and Chicago found that making condoms easily accessible did not increase the rate of teen sex. Students in New York City schools, which have been providing condoms to students as part of an HIV education program, had similar rates of sexual activity as students in Chicago schools, which do not have a condom distribution program.

 

[dimpy.handa]

As for if Education increases teen sex, I don't know. I've heard stats that say yes and no. I do think that Sex ed is better than the alternative. You COULD choose to keep it a complete non topic. This would likely lead to the same amount of sex but more unprotected as the knowledge of STDs would be left to the rumors of the school yard to spread. You also COULD teach absolute abstinence and fear of death if you don't keep it zipped up. I'm pretty sure this has been tried before and didn't work but I also think there have been therapists who have written that this can lead to unhealthy problems with sexuality.