Lets Talk About Sex

Melissa Kamp
Sensei Bangerter
English 1010

Lets Talk About Sex

Sex should be common knowledge, from teenagers to adults. Our mere existence
is because of sex. The real question is how much do we really know about sex? Parents
with teenagers would hope that they do not know of sex but in reality they do. Who is
teaching them? Due to T.V. shows, movies, songs, and books teenagers know of sex and
what it is but who is teaching them how to protect themselves and how to be responsible
about it. Lets talk about sex. There is an ongoing debate of having a more detailed sex
education or having one that teaches abstinence. What needs to be taught in sex
education? Do we need to be teaching our teenagers more than just to wait till they are
married or do we need to actual teach them that with having sex comes with great
responsibility married or not.
Currently there are two types of sex education courses: a comprehensive sex
education course or abstinence. Abstinence education consists of teaching teens that by
delaying sex until marriage is the only completely effective means of preventing
unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.
In Utah, a bill was passed that teachers would have to inform students that, abstinence
from all sexual activity before marriage and fidelity after marriage as the only sure
methods for preventing certain communicable diseases. (Martin, CNN Wire 2012)
Comprehensive sex education teaches students abstinence but to attain medically accurate
knowledge of contraception (including emergency contraception), anatomy, puberty, and
relationships (straight and homosexual).

The law passed a few years ago in the Beehive state for abstinence-only education
gives the schools the choice of teaching abstinence or not to teach anything about sex at
all. Where will students learn about sex? Utah Rep. Bill Wright has stated, that he
believes sex education shouldnt be taught in the classrooms; he says that kind of
instruction should take place in the home.(Martin, CNN Wire 2012) At home the parents
can instill what they believe and know of sex to their children and understand the
importance of being responsible in regards to sex according to the parents beliefs or
standards. But how many parents talk to their children about sex? My education of sex
here in the state of Utah was what I put together from watching T.V. and from what my
friends had discovered after they were married. Schools should teach young people about
sex because parents may not address the topic at home or if they do it would be very
vague. Sex education should be taught in the schools because that is where the students
are and there are 50 million U.S students that spend seven hours a day, up to 13 years in
a classroom in 14,000 school districts. (Sorace, NY Times) Students are already in
school where they learn about health, biology, human anatomy, and child development
(we can a watch video woman give birth but we cannot learn about how to properly put a
condom on in schools) so why not add sex education somewhere in the required courses.
In 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women aged 1519 years, for a
live birth rate of 26.5 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is a record low for U.S.
teens in this age group, and a drop of 10% from 2012 (cdc.gov). With the rates dropping
the US continues to have the highest teen pregnancy rate higher than other western
industrialized nations (cdc.gov). Those who are advocates for abstinence-only education
claim that by abstaining from sexual activity is the only completely effective form of

birth control. One cannot get pregnant if they are not having sex. That is why the rates for
teens getting pregnant are dropping because the abstinence-only education is working.
That students are waiting till they are in a mature-monogamous relationship to have a
sexual relationship with their partner. Those who oppose the abstinence-only teaching
believe that the reason is because the students were taught how to protect themselves
from not getting pregnant by using contraceptives or condoms. Things that they teach in a
comprehensive sex education course along with abstinence. Though once teenagers have
started to have sex it is hard for them to stop. Adolescents are extremely difficult to deal
with. They always think that you are talking to someone else and that they somehow will
escape (disease or death) because of their perceived immortality its also difficult because
70% of them are sexually active. It is very difficult to get them to change that
activity.(Olsen, Adolescence) To teach those students who are sexually active would be
better to teach a comprehensive sex ed. course than to try to teach them abstinence.
Furthermore, the Centers of Disease Prevention did say that the reasons for the declining
number of pregnancies are unclear and that their conclusion is that teenagers seem not to
be as sexually active and those who are sexually active are using a form of protection.
Condoms and other forms of contraception-this is something that needs to be
taught to our young people. The CDC found that among high school students almost 48
percent have had sexual intercourse, 35 percent were sexually active, and that 40 percent
had not used a condom with their last sexual encounter (Bellaro, paragraph 6). That
leaves only 8 percent who were using protection. According to the CDC about 11 percent
of Utahs students were taught about the effectiveness of condoms, where to obtain them,
and the importance of using them consistently and correctly (Associated Press,

04/13/2012). A few months ago I went to a bridal shower of a friend of mine and she was
forced, as a joke to make the bride to be blush, to put a condom on a cucumber. This
friend is 26 years of age and was never taught about condoms-she put the condom on
incorrectly (she didnt leave room at the tip). Karrie Galloway, CEO of Planned
Parenthood Association of Utah, has said, Why are we leaving our young people that
uneducated on a critical health issue? Do we want our kids ignorant (Associated Press,
paragraph 8)? By being abstinent, the youth, do not have to know where to find
condoms or other forms of contraception and how to use them. If they are not having sex
they are not worried about unplanned pregnancies or getting a sexually transmitted
disease. Those who are pro-abstinence argue that, the more you talk about sex as
something so sacred and so intimate and personal when you talk about that in a public
setting you're going to get more of it, and when you talk about abstinence-only you get
more abstinence (Associated Press, paragraph 7)." On the Centers of Disease Control
website states, abstinence from vaginal, anal, and oral intercourse is the only 100%
effective way to prevent HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy. The correct and the consistent
use of male latex condoms can reduce the risk of STD transmission, including HIV
infection. However, no protective method is 100% effective, and condom use cannot
guarantee absolute protection against any STD or pregnancy (cdc.gov).
Whats in a name? A friend of mine told me of a story of a woman who was
giving birth to twins and before they admitted her to the hospital she had to fill out a form
to give the doctors her medical history. She came across the following names: Chlamydia
and Gonorrhea. She thought they were beautiful and wanted to name her children these
names (she was foreign) and the staff of the hospital discouraged her from doing so.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhea; we are familiar with the names but do we know what they
are? I know that they are a type of sexually transmitted disease. I know of their names
but do not know what the symptoms are or what the health risks associated with these
diseases could be. The CDC estimates that youth ages 15-24 make up just over one
quarter of the sexually active population, but account for half of the 20 million new
sexually transmitted infections that occur in the United States each year (cdc.gov). For
those who advocate for abstinence-only education believe that safe-sex teachings are
largely responsible for an epidemic of STDs among our youth (Bellaro, paragraph 3).
They believe that by teaching our children about safe-sex are actually teaching them to be
promiscuous. That by refraining from sex till marriage allows the ease of never having to
worry about contracting any sexually transmitted disease from your partner. Those who
do advocate for the comprehensive sex education cite that everyday in the U.S. 10,000
young people contract a sexually transmitted disease and about 48 young people
contract HIV(Bellaro, paragraph 5). Teens are having sex and that they are unaware of
the risks of having un-safe sex. The CDC ran a survey and it concluded that more than
10 percent of young people report that they never have been taught about HIV/AIDS
(Malone). In order for abstinence to be effective it needs to be used consistently and
correctly but for those who are not abstaining what are we doing for them?
The focus should be on providing young people and the most affected members
of society with the tools and information they need to protect themselves, their health,
and their future. Just because an educational philosophy reflects an individual's or
institution's personal beliefs does not necessarily mean that it is effective (Malone, last
paragraph).This isnt about politics or about morals; its about the youth and their

health. Sex is out there and our youth will be influenced so why not do what is best for
their future by doing what is best for them. In this world of education they can be taught a
comprehensive sex education course with abstinence as well. Abstinence is 100%
effective as long as it is used correctly. We need to be teaching our teenagers more than
just to wait till they are married; we need to teach them that with having sex comes with
great responsibility, married or not. Now grab the lube and lets talk about sex.

Works Cited
Assocatied Press, CDC: Utah has fewest students taught about condoms.
April 13th, 2012. AP Regional State Report-Utah.
Bellaro, Beverly and Ginsberg, Jill. Abstinence Education: An Overview
Publisher Lakeside Publishing Group
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, About Teen Pregnancy
http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adolescents and Young Adults
http://www.cdc.gov/std/life-stages-populations/adolescents-youngadults.htm
Malone, Patrick and Rodriguez, Monica. Comprehensive Sex Education vs.
AbstinenceOnly-Until Marriage Programs.
Martin, John. Utah Lawmakers vote for abstinence-only sex education. CNN
Wire, March 13th, 2012.
Olsen, Joseph A, Weed Stan E., Ritz, Gail M, and Jensen, Larry C.. The Effects
of Three Abstinence Sex Education Programs on Student Attitudes Toward
Sexual Activity; Adolescence.
Sorace, Danene. Sex Ed Belongs in Schools NY Times(.com), May 1, 2015.