3. Debates over Sex Education.

Sex education today presents a controversial issue in many countries (for example in the United States). When sex education is contentiously debated, the chief controversial points are: whether covering child sexuality is valuable or detrimental; the use of birth control such as condoms and hormonal contraception; and the impact of such use on pregnancy outside marriage, teenage pregnancy, and the transmission of STDs.

a) Is Sex Education Necessary or Not?

The first stumbling block of all arguments about sex education is, of course, the question whether it has a right to existence at all.

The advocates say that sexual health is an important component of overall health and well-being. It is a major, positive part of personal health and healthy living and it follows that sexual health education should be available to everyone as an important component of health promotion and services. Everybody has a right to the information, and skills to prevent negative sexual health outcomes (e.g., sexually transmitted infections including HIV, unplanned pregnancy) and to enhance sexual health (e.g., maintenance of reproductive health, positive self-image). It is widely known that most people become sexually active during their teenage years. So it is imperative that schools, in cooperation with parents, the community, and healthcare professionals, play a major role in sexual health education of students.

However, conservative critics decry openness in this topic as misguided and irresponsible. Sexual intercourse, in their opinion, should be confined to marriage. They favour restrictions on other sexualities, such as masturbation or homosexuality, and they often oppose feminism and the gay rights movement. Sexual discussion with young people about topics like contraception, in their view, has led to high levels of adolescent sexual activity, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases. These critics believe, therefore, that if we talk to young people about sexuality, it should be very restricted so that not to lead to destructive and immoral thoughts and behavior. Controlling or eliminating sexual discussion best allows for the protection of young people and the preservation of sexual morality. That is why such critics fight all forms of sex education.

b) Abstinence-only or Comprehensive Sex Education

Those in favour of sex education still divide in opinion about whether it should exist in the form of total abstinence or as a comprehensive sex education study.

The abstinence - only approach is mainly supported by church and religion-oriented population. It is widespread for example in the US, where there are hundreds of organizations implementing abstinence programs, which are supported on the governmental level. President G. Bush is a personal advocate of no-sex-before-marriage teaching and his administration has donated $120 mln. of federal money to organizations promoting abstinence.

Another approach to tackling problems connected with teenage sex is adopting comprehensive sex education programs at schools, thereby providing important information and making youth change their attitude to sex. Organizations promoting it see their main goal as creating sexually healthy and confident adults, and this cannot be accomplished through abstinence only, teenagers need to know about all hazards and problems they may face and learn to estimate them and be able to make right choices. The leaders of this movement believe that sex education should not rely on fear or shame or misinformation.

c) What Age is Reasonable to Start Sex Education at?

Another important issue is the age at which the sexual education should start. There are many views, concerning the question, but in general, sex education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty, and before they have developed established patterns of behavior. The precise age at which information should be provided depends on the physical, emotional and intellectual development of the young people as well as their level of understanding. What is covered and also how, depends on who is providing the sex education, when they are providing it, and in what context, as well as what the individual young person wants to know about. It is important for sex education to begin at a young age and also that it is sustained. Giving young people basic information from an early age provides the foundation on which more complex knowledge is built up over time.

Anyway, whatever disagreements on the issue exist, the polls show that both adults and teenagers realize the importance of sex education for development of sexually competent and healthy people. According to SIECUS, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, 93% of adults they surveyed support sexuality education in high school and 84% support it in junior high school. In fact, 88% of parents of junior high school students and 80% of parents of high school students believe that sex education in school makes it easier for them to talk to their adolescents about sex. Also, 92% of adolescents report that they want both to talk to their parents about sex and to have comprehensive in-school sex education.