(Chavous) Sex education provides knowledge of safety and structure to avoiding behaviors that are unsafe. They teach about: abstinence, contraceptives, and protection against sexually transmitted infections. Most students in their grade school life will take some sort of sex education class, given certain subjects to have the students learn, that is determined by the state and district levels. But, this doesn’t mean students are educated about the subject well enough to know what is the smart thing to do in a situation involving sex. It is not working and schools need better curriculum. According to Chavous, one in three girls will become pregnant before their twentieth birthday and one in four teenagers between ages fourteen and nineteen have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection. (Chavous) These rates mean that the sex education being taught in most states isn’t engaging enough or being taught the right curriculum. As stated by Hamilton et al in their article, in 37 states, they focus their attention on abstinence as well as some other prevention tips, but very limited and in 19 states stress to students to wait for sex until they are married. (Hamilton 36) For the students being taught in the states that are taught mainly abstinence and waiting to have sex after marriage in public schools, it is …show more content…
Some religions are strict and they aim to promote abstinence only before marriage. Some parents feel that sex education should only be taught by students’ parents. (Ravitch, 46-55) These arguments have good points as well as opinions that can challenge the goal of sex education in public schools. Some religions believe that sex before marriage is a sin and that abstinence should be the only goal in an adolescent’s life. I grew up in an exceptionally religious family. All of my close friends attended sex education in 5th, 7th, and 9th grade. I was always pulled out of sex education because my parents felt I did not need to be taught unnecessary information because I was to wait until marriage. I was to be provided with all the information I needed weeks before the wedding by my parents. If any students are going through what I went through but are curious about sex, they will ask friends about sex; they will try to get information any way possible, right or wrong information, a teenager or young adult will be determined to know what to do when the time comes. Whether they follow with their parents’ beliefs or not. It is not likely a student will ask their parents what they are curious about or not. Sex is already a sore subject in some religions because it