Comprehensive Sexual Education

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Week 9 Final Essay By Beverly Middlebrook COM/156 University Composition and Communication II (AXIA) July 28, 2011 Faculty: Joan Snyder Thesis: Comprehensive Sexual Education is more effective than abstinence-only programs because students receive the information needed to understand sexual health, prevent unplanned pregnancy, and reduce incidence of sexually transmitted diseases. In an ideal world youth would remain abstinent until marriage, couples would stay married and maintain one monogamous relationship throughout their lives, and even as human beings with a natural sex drive, people would not act on those feelings outside of a marriage. Since 1997, the abstinence-only industry has received a total of $1.9 billion…show more content…
However, humans are sexual beings. Like all sexual creatures we have an instinctive sexual desire (Taflinger, 1996). Because of the nature of human beings, it is reasonable that students receive comprehensive sexual education combined with abstinence education, so youth can make informed reproductive choices, understand the risks of sex (and know how to protect themselves from those risks), and be active in promoting their own sexual well-being. Abstinence-only programs can be dangerous because students do not receive the information regarding safe sex and contraception. Studies have shown students who participated in comprehensive sexual education were no more likely to engage in sexual activity than a student who participated in abstinence-only programs. On the other hand, students who took part in abstinence-only programs were more likely to engage in unprotected sex than students who had participated in comprehensive sex education (Alford, 2003). In December 2004, the United States House of Representatives committee on Government Reform-Special Investigations Division, prepared a report for Representative Henry A. Waxman, chairperson of the committee responsible for determining the effectiveness of Abstinence-only education. Special Programs of Regional and National Significance- Community- Based Abstinence Education (SPRANS) provide…show more content…
At the annual meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2009, delegates were presented with studies suggesting that comprehensive sex education has more impact than abstinence-only programs. Stuart Gitlow, MD, MPH, who presented the report to the Council, said, “The studies reviewed found no delay of initiating sexual activity, no reduction in the number of sexual partners, and no increase in abstinence from abstinence-only programs.” (Gitlow, MD, MPH, 2009). The American Medical Association concluded that increases in sexually transmitted disease, HIV transmission, and teen pregnancy rates show the need for comprehensive sex education that includes accurate information about birth control, condom use, and sex education instructors encouraging abstinence (which is the only 100% way to prevent pregnancy and STDs) (Elliott, 2009). Sexual activity by young people is an important issue. It would be great if everyone waited until they married to have sex. Because we are sexual beings by nature, the “just say no” approach has not been working. Abstinence only programs do not give young people

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