HOORAY! IT’S A GIRL! So exactly what age, when and how do I explain or give her the “talk”? I’ll just make sure she takes sex ed.
Well, if you live in Texas, the only sex education you’re going to get is by abstinence-only or close to none. Not that teaching sex through abstinence isn’t effective, but by definition,
ab·sti·nence
noun \ˈab-stə-nən(t)s\
: the practice of not doing or having something that is wanted or enjoyable : the practice of abstaining from something
Let’s be honest, what teenager is going to abstain from having sex by telling them not to do it and wait until marriage? There is more to sex beyond the preaching of abstinence, and in my opinion, the important information, facts and truth about sex are being withheld from teaching due to religious reasons. In fifth grade, my parents did not allow me to take sex education so I didn’t know a thing about sex or the reproductive system. Had I taken sex ed in fifth grade, I wouldn’t have gone first to my dad about my very first visit from my lady friend or thought I was dying! My family is Catholic and I was raised that way, yet I’m not one bit religious. I was raised that you had to be a virgin and married before you can have sex, that premarital sex and having a child out of wedlock was a huge “SIN”. Well, I did everything backwards so I guess that makes me a sinner and I’m going to hell!
I believe comprehensive sex education is the most highly effective and best way of educating teenagers about sex and the possibilities and/or outcomes, for example, unplanned pregnancy or STDs. According to The State Sex Education Laws in Texas, schools by law are not required to provide sex education or information about STDs/HIV/AIDS, however, if a school district chooses to provide such courses, information on abstinence until marriage must be included. Honestly, does Texas or the Republican Party truly think by teaching abstinence-only sex education really effective? Or, by teaching abstinence they are hoping that their now current teenagers won’t get that same feelings of emotions, desire or urge and act on those feelings like they once did as teenagers? Ah, interesting! NARAL Pro-Choice Texas states that repeated studies show that abstinence-only education did not stop teens from having sex or reduce sexual activity.
I came across an article that sparked my interest published in The Texas Tribune. In Texas, Less Progress on Reducing Teen Pregnancy. In the article, the now 21 year old mother of two, Charmaine Carbs, states how at 17 dropped out of school after getting pregnant, not receiving sex education at school, no knowledge about pregnancy risks and ended up in a homeless shelter after her second child. Charmaine thinks she may not have gotten pregnant if she had more support.
In all reality, teaching sex by telling them to not have sex and wait until marriage, we are denying them the real important knowledge of what could effect or change their lives. Good or bad. I mean we were all teenagers once at one point. Do you truly believe with abstinence-only sex education that you would have abstain from having sex? Like I said, I guess I’m a sinner and I’m going to hell.
Lyly's blog, "SEX... What you do and don't know and what Texas "wants" you to know," caught my attention as this has been an issue I have witnessed over the past few years. In her blog, she informs us that Texas is only teaching kids abstinence only sex education.
ReplyDeleteWhen a lot of us reached high school, we were caught by surprise with all the young pregnant girls. I had classes with so many girls who got pregnant and either barely graduated or had to drop out. I was friends with a few who got pregnant after I met them. I even remember my math teacher throwing a baby shower for one of the girls during class. Lyly is right, any teenager who is told they're not allowed or supposed to do something will do exactly what they're told not to do. Especially if their hormones are going crazy and they don't really know about the consequences.
I have to say that although Lyly has a very valid point, I can also say that abstinence only education is not the only sex education taught in school. Health education is a required class in high school. Without taking this course, you cannot graduate. Although sex education is only a small part of the curriculum, it is taught. Sexually transmitted diseases are taught. I remember being shown pictures of all these STDs, I was shown statistics, and I was taught about all the types of birth control there is. In saying this, I have to admit that health education is taught too late in school. Health should be a requirement in middle school. And a less intense version of high school health should be taught in elementary school. Because health is usually just an easy blow off class to a lot of highschoolers, people do not take it till the last year, and in some cases, until it is too late. This is a problem because there are many girls who get pregnant their first year of high school. They were not scared away with those pictures before they decided to have sex without some form of birth control.
I did take sex ed in fifth grade, but I was also raised Catholic and was under a rock about a lot of concepts outside of my religion. I struggled a lot with body image and felt so uncomfortable with the concept of puberty and with the concept of sex. Now I don't exactly know how sex ed is being taught in elementary or middle school now, but if abstinence is really the only kind of sex ed taught, then Texas has no right to ban abortion. I am in no way supporting abortion, but if sex ed is not being taught the right way, then the government should know the consequences this has on young ladies. I agree with Lyly's argument that comprehensive sex education is the way to go!