Sex Education

The Meaning of Sex Education

If you're wondering what exactly 'sex education' means, it's all in the name. Merriam-Webster (n.d.) defines it as "education in schools about sex".

Sex education aims to teach people how to navigate matters concerning sex, sexuality, and sexual health. It is offered through various avenues, including in schools, community-based venues, and even clinics.

The Contents of Sex Education

Fig. 1 - The contents of sex education depend largely on the context in which it is taught.

The CDC (2022) reports that the main topics taught in mandatory sex education courses include:

• transmission (and reducing the risk of) HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STI),

• reducing the risk of unwanted pregnancy,

• the benefits of abstinence,

• how to use contraception such as condoms, and

• negotiation and decision-making skills regarding sexual practices.

The Controversy of Sex Education

There's an endless slew of controversies and debates when it comes to sex - whether this is regarding sexual attitudes, sexual practices, or even sexual diversity. One of the core debates surrounding this topic is about sex education.

To confirm, this main aspect of this debate doesn't actually involve a discussion about whether sex education should be taught in schools - although that's definitely a part of it. The heart of the controversy really lies in the type of sex education that should be taught. Let's explore this further.

Types of Sex Education

The point of having different types of sex education is to teach people different ways of navigating their sexuality and sexual expression. However, in most cases, the different types of sex education don't overlap. In fact, they promote vastly different ideas of what sex is or ought to be.

Let's unpack this.

Abstinence-Only Sex Education

The abstinence-only approach (sometimes called the abstinence-centered approach) to sex education is the most extreme of all the options (apart from, perhaps, having no sex education at all).

The cornerstones of the abstinence-only approach are as follows:

• Teaches students that having sex before marriage is morally wrong.

• Teaches students that having sex before marriage can have harmful social, religious, physical, and psychological consequences.

• Doesn't teach students about safe sexual practices or how to use contraception, often only framing the use of contraceptives in terms of when they don't work.

• Uses fear tactics to deter students from having sex before marriage, suggesting that STIs or pregnancy are inevitable outcomes of this.

• Doesn't address taboo concepts such as masturbation, abortion, or sexual diversity.

Abstinence-Plus Sex Education

The abstinence-plus approach to sex education is a more moderate version of the abstinence-only approach.

While proponents of this approach also advocate for abstinence until marriage, they also provide some information on practicing safe sex. The main aim of this approach is to offer practical decision-making skills to students on how to navigate their sexual expression and health.

As a solution to unwanted pregnancies, abstinence-based approaches tend to suggest carrying the pregnancy to term and then giving up the baby for adoption. (You might notice that this is not a solution to the pregnancy at all, but an alternative to raising a child!)

Comprehensive Sex Education

The comprehensive approach to sex education is often cited as the most effective for causing safe sexual practices, reducing STI prevalence, and lowering the risk of unintended pregnancy.

While the comprehensive approach might relay that abstinence is the best way to prevent STIs and unwanted pregnancies, it does not do so using morals or religious ideals. Matters regarding the methods and importance of safe sexual expression are taught using objective, factual information that can be applied to real-life contexts.

Unlike the other two approaches, the comprehensive approach teaches students that sex and sexuality are a normal part of human life - as are other 'taboo' occurrences, such as sexual diversity, abortion, and masturbation.

Sex Education Facts

Here are some quick facts about sex education:

• Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of sex education in the United States.

• According to the Pew Research Center, most American adults believe that sex education should be taught in schools (Horowitz, 2022):

  • 59% of parents of K-12 students prefer for their children to be taught about contraception and safe sexual practices to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

  • 22% of parents of K-12 students prefer their children to be taught using an abstinence-only approach.

  • 18% of parents of K-12 students say children should not undergo sex education at school.

• According to the Pew Research Center, there are also some partisan gaps in preferred approaches to sex education (Horowitz, 2022):
  • 71% of Democratic parents and 45% of Republican parents prefer for their children's sex education to take a comprehensive approach (contraception and safe sex practices).
  • 17% of Democratic parents and 28% of Republican parents prefer their children to be taught using an abstinence-only approach.
  • 12% of Democratic parents and 15% of Republican parents say children should not undergo sex education at school.

The Importance of Sex Education

Proponents of sex education cite theoretical and empirical evidence to highlight its importance and benefits.

According to Planned Parenthood (2022):

The Benefits of Sex Education

Fig. 2 - Comprehensive sex education improves people's awareness and acceptance of sexual diversity.

Sweden is well known for its comprehensive sex education programs in public schools, which focus on safe sex without an emphasis on abstinence. The effectiveness of this program is reflected in several statistics - for instance, the teenage birthrate and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are significantly lower in Sweden than in the United States.

The key benefits of sex education include:

• a better understanding of sexual diversity,

• the development of healthy relationships,

• increased media literacy,

• fewer unintended pregnancies,

• lower likelihood of contracting sexually transmitted infections, and

• preventing intimate partner violence and child sex abuse.

Sex Education for Youth

Despite its obvious importance and benefits, sex education often takes a back seat when it comes to policy and school curricula in the United States.

The State of Sex Education for U.S. Teens

According to the CDC (2020):

• Data from 2011-2019 suggest that youth aged 15-19 have vastly different experiences of sex education in schools, with the prevalence of sex education dropping gradually year by year.

• Fewer than 50% of high schools teach all 20 sex education topics recommended by the CDC.

• Less than half of teenagers reported receiving any kind of sex education before having had sex for the first time.

The abstinence-only approach has been the most heavily funded form of sex education for the past three decades. As a solution to the dropping rates in the prevalence and quality of sex education, sociologists suggest developing a more modernized and comprehensive sex education curriculum based on greater inclusion of gender diversity, sexual diversity, and ethnic diversity.