A lot of people want to know what does comprehensive sex education to teach, so they can make informed decisions on what’s best for their children. The fact is, comprehensive sex education does NOT instruct children on the mechanics of having sex. It does NOT teach them how to have safe, fun relationships. It does not even explain where to locate the nearest floozy bar. No, comprehensive sex education is designed to help young people make healthy decisions about their own sexuality — choices that will affect them for the rest of their lives.
All it does teach is some basic information about reproduction and sexual behavior. But that basic information is far from being comprehensive. In order for a kid to make informed decisions about his or her own sexuality, he or she needs much more information than just the ABCs of reproduction. Comprehensive sex education just doesn’t get the job done.
Let’s take the issue of abstinence as an example. There is no “vaginal” or “sexual” health information about abstinence. So, a person who is raised in a household where there are regular masturbation and sexual contact with other boys and girls, may never learn about safe sex. This lack of exposure to information about birth control and STDs leaves little chance for a child to learn about healthy sexual behaviors. And because comprehensive sex education does not teach kids how to make safe decisions about their own bodies, they are left to their own devices to learn these things themselves.
What does comprehensive sex education to teach? First, it should start with the parents. Proper sex education should start at home. Parents can set the standard for good, responsible sex education, and they can show kids what is and isn’t appropriate. If a parent finds out that their son or daughter is having sex early, they can take the proper steps to stop this unhealthy pattern before it gets any worse.
Comprehensive sex education also includes information on pregnancy, fertility, sexually transmitted diseases, and emotional awareness. Healthy sexual habits can help prevent many health problems in adults. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that people who have sex regularly are more likely to be less likely to develop several kinds of cancer in their lifetime. Comprehensive sex education teaches teens how to get tested and which tests to get and when. They also learn how to protect themselves from STDs, how to use contraceptives if they are prone to getting one, and how to get mammograms and pap smears as well.
Finally, comprehensive sex education makes sure that young people recognize the emotional benefits of keeping their bodies healthy. When teens and young adults have sex, they are frequently aware of the benefits to their physical and emotional health. Comprehensive sex education puts these facts front and center. Not only do kids see that abstinence is not always the best choice, they learn about the emotional benefits of being intimate. This education can prove helpful for adults.
There are many things that what does comprehensive sex education teach teens. Perhaps the most important lesson is the importance of not making sex a physical activity. It is not natural. Teens need to learn that sex is a thoughtful, meaningful, mutual act, one that involves both partners. In order to have safe, satisfying sex, teens need to learn about all the health risks associated with having unprotected sex and the psychological dangers of putting one’s health or the health of someone else at risk unnecessarily.
There are also lessons that what does comprehensive sex education teach parents. Teens need to learn about birth control, how to get it right the first time, and what the affects of different methods are. Teens also need to learn about STD prevention, and the importance of seeing a doctor if they suspect an STD or pregnancy. Finally, there is the matter of divorce and the effects on a teen’s sex education. No one should have to be made to feel uncomfortable or unwanted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
