Standardize Sex Ed! by Sophia

Standardize Sex Ed! by Sophia - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

Standardize Sex Ed!
Sex education is a difficult topic to cover for even the most seasoned of teachers. However, it is one that is essential. Even if a student chooses to be abstinent (a valid option that should certainly be included in the curriculum), they can use their knowledge to help encourage the safety of their friends. Teaching this information doesn’t mean that teens or young adults will be inspired to go put it to the test. It is just adding a tool to their arsenal. Teenagers don’t always do what their parents want them to, and that includes abstaining from sex. So isn’t it better for them to know how to be safe if/when the occasion arises?
One time. Maybe even your first time. That’s all it takes to change your life if not undertaken safely. While the internet is a valuable tool and can help people self-educate, we cannot rely on the idea that people will research safe sex practices before engaging in sexual activity. Half of our country wouldn’t wear seatbelts if it weren’t required by law, so how can we trust that they’ll do their homework before sex? We can’t. If you told a teenager that algebra was very useful, but you won’t make them study it, how many would do so independently? Very few. This allegory represents why mandated, standardized sex education is necessary in America. This should include: methods of birth control and how to obtain them, methods of STI prevention, symptoms of STIs and where to get treated for them, and the importance of consent. This should be provided for all sexual activities that involve genitalia, and the same information should be given to everyone, regardless of gender. How many girls have trusted a boy who claimed he knew how to put on a condom but was sorely mistaken? Equipping everyone to be able to ensure their own sexual safety, even in regard to their partner, is very important.
Why does sex education need greater emphasis in our schools? The results of poor sex education can irreversibly change the course of your life. I went to high school with girls who could have gone to college or trade school but instead became pregnant at 14 and had to drop out in their sophomore year. Raising their children has come before getting a GED. While this is admirable, of course, if they had had better quality of sex education they might never have gotten pregnant and thus may have been able to build a career and find solid financial footing before starting a family. Now, teen pregnancy rates have been declining for years, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but we can accelerate that decline by deepening teens’ understanding of the myriad of ways pregnancy can be prevented.
Furthermore, many of the sex education programs in our country focus solely on pregnancy prevention. Pregnancy prevention is very important, as I have just discussed, but unprotected sex can have more than just that repercussion. HIV is a common STI that is treatable, but incurable, making it a lifelong consequence of unsafe sex. The CDC states that almost fifty percent of new STIs that occurred in 2018 were in the age 15-24 population in the US, and 1 in 5 people in our country have an STI. This is an absurd statistic to have in a developed country with mandatory public education. Sexually transmitted infections are rampant in college, and this can be directly traced back to a lack of understanding of basic sexual health principles. STIs are preventable, and better sex education that explains how to avoid contracting these infections would drastically lower that 20% average. The National Conference of State Legislatures states that only 22 states, less than half, require that “if provided, sex and/or HIV education must be medically, factually or technically accurate.” The rest of the country either doesn’t have mandated sex education or the curriculum is left to the teacher or school’s discretion. Even the best teachers can sometimes allow their personal views to cloud their judgement, and sometimes they're just uncomfortable discussing sex with their students. Having the same curriculum and talking points across the country limits the possibility that students won't get the knowledge they need to be safe.
Every parent wants their child to be happy and successful. Allowing them to be informed of safe sex practices helps adolescents stay happy and healthy. Standardized, inclusive sex education ensures that everyone will be well-equipped to handle the reality of sex and to make an informed decision on whether or not they’re ready for it. Incorrect or nonexistent sex education leads to teen pregnancy and STIs, the latter of which is a risk into adulthood. This is why our country needs a standardized sex education curriculum.