Sexual Education And Its Statistics

Growing up, young adults have to deal with important decisions regarding relationships, sexuality and sexual behavior. These ‘issues’ will affect their sexual health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Therefore, it is important to open up to them from the beginning and educate them on these important matters. And not only bring up abstinence or contraceptives but inform them about sexual health education, about real things, give them honest opinions so they can make ‘healthy’ decisions. Schools should incorporate this in their programs, and it’s our responsibility as a society to help make it happen.

What is sexual education?

The ideal sexual education lessons should provide information regarding a person’s body development, sex, and sexuality. Terms such as puberty, reproduction, abstinence, contraception, condoms, relationships, sexual orientation, and so on, are taught to students throughout their grade levels by trained teachers. Students should also receive instruction on how to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Sexual development is a normal thing and should be treated as such.

sexual education statistics — Source: Shutterstock

Unfortunately, there is still a long road ahead of us when it comes to sexual education in schools. While it is part of the program in many schools, in some countries, it still remains a ‘controversial issue’, according to ScienceDaily. Conservative countries have a tendency of not revealing too much information regarding human sexuality in their sex ed lessons – teaching their students only the basics. The same countries have a higher percentage of STDs and teen pregnancies.

What are the statistics?

With only 13 states in America demanding sex education be medically accurate, the term teenage health literacy is open for interpretation. When it’s not regulated by the state for the students to access this kind of information in schools, they tend to acquire the information from parents, peers, and social media – or even from untrained teachers that might give them inaccurate information.

The Guttmacher Institute tells that in 2011-2013, around 80% of teenagers were informed about STDs, HIV/AIDS or how to say no to sex. However, only 55% of young men and 60% of young women, were informed about methods of birth control. Between the years 2006-2010 and 2011-2013, the number of teenagers that were informed about STDs, HIV/AIDS and methods of birth controls, dropped off. These declines especially happened in rural areas, where 71% of young females that had once been informed about methods of birth control, dropped to 48%. As for young males, from 59%, the number dropped to 45%. The Guttmacher Institute also gives us a list of state sexuality education policies which you can read below.

Sexuality education policies by state

– Currently, 22 states and the District of Columbia require about both – sex and HIV education, two states require only sex education, while 12 only require HIV education.
– 37 states require to include information about abstinence in their sex education programs, 25 states require to emphasize abstinence, while 12 only ask for the topic to be included in the information.
– The District of Columbia together with 18 other states, require information about contraception to be included in the program.
– 13 states require that the lessons on HIV and sex education classes be medically accurate.
-24 states and the District of Columbia require that the information on sex education be age-appropriate, and 3 states requiring HIV education to be age-appropriate.
– 12 states require discussion on sexual orientation in their education classes, and 9 others require an overall discussion on sexual orientation, while the last 3 require only negative information on sexual orientation.

Apparently, there are parents who think that teaching children about sex education “might awake the sleeping bear,” says historian Jonathan Zimmerman. And not only in America, but Sweden, Japan, as well as Thailand. Each of these countries have similar expressions when it comes to sex education, saying that will only lead the children to sex.

But worry no more, dear parents! According to Dr. Debbie Ollis, a senior lecturer in health and education, its quite the contrary. Many studies show that comprehensive sexual education actually ‘delays the onset of sexual activity.’ As for those who already are sexually active, it will only make them practice safer sexual activities. A study done by UNESCO proves that:

– none of the programs lead to earlier sexual activity in young adults
– more than a third of programs delayed sexual activity
– more than a third of programs lead to a decrease in frequency of sex
– only 3 percent of programs lead to an increase in the frequency of sex
– more than a third of programs lead to a decrease in the number of sexual partners participants had
-none of the programs lead to an increase in the number of sexual partners

Dr. Ollis also adds that Germany, France, and Holland have the lowest teen pregnancy rate in the world. Note that these countries begin to sexually educate children in primary school. This just goes to show the importance of starting comprehensive sexual education at an early age.