Should States Mandate All Middle and High Schools to Provide Sex Education?

Did you know that 3 in 10 girls will get pregnant before they turn 20? The numbers have continued to rise over the past few decades, although now they seem to be leveling off. You might think that teen pregnancy doesn't relate to schools, but it does. According to DoSomething.org, a non-profit organization that promotes positive social changes, the number one reason why teen girls drop out of high school is because they become mothers, and more than half of them never earn a degree. In this day and age, a high school degree can barely get you a job anywhere, so when they don't even have that, it is essentially setting them up for failure. This brings school officials, teachers, and parents to a controversial question: should middle and high school be required by state to provide sex education? Would the teenage pregnancy numbers maybe decrease if students were properly educated?

Currently, there is no law requiring students to be taught sex education in school, as it is up to each state. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, 22 states require sex ed to be taught to students, and 33 states require parental consent if they cover the topic in health classes. An interesting question is: why do parents not want their child to be educated?

As Roland Martin, a reporter for CNN, said in an article in 2011, many parents don't want their child to learn about sex because they are in denial that their child will have sex. Even if they are not having sex, students should still be educated, because it is bound to happen eventually. It is best to teach them the risks of sex, including STD's and pregnancy, how to use protection, etc. so down the road, when they do become sexually active, they can take preventative measures to remain safe and healthy. If parents are in denial about their children growing up, then who is going to accurately educate teens? People are also against sex being taught due to religion. While some curriculums teach abstinence, others teach how to be properly sexually active, which might seem like they condone it, even if they are not. I can see why this would be a problem for people, especially for those that have sex before marriage going against their religion or beliefs.

to add a little humor --
cartoon relating to parents regarding their kids' sex lives

On the flip side, we hear the benefits of sex education in the classroom. In an interesting Time Magazine article titled "How to Bring An End to the War Over Sex Ed," we hear about how a simple sex education class changed a girls life. Sixteen year old Jewels Morris-Davis had a family history of teenage pregnancy, but because of the sex ed class, she was the first in her family who did NOT become pregnant at age 16, which impacts her future positively in a tremendous way (Don't get me wrong when I say "positively;" I love babies, but balancing school and not having a high paying job will make it hard for teenage mothers and their futures). I think that if sex education because mandated in middle and high schools, more students can be changed, like Jewels, and that pregnancy and STD rates among teens can be reduced.

In conclusion, I am a practicing Catholic, but let's be real: its 2014. As much as everyone wants to believe that all students are waiting until marriage to become sexually active, they are not. Times have drastically changed. If schools are truly all about keeping their students safe, they should keep them safe sexually, too.

*Feel free to share your opinions, too, as I am always open to hearing them :)

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