CONTENT WARNING: This story contains mentions of potentially triggering topics. Please use discretion when proceeding.
At one point, most of us have gone through the high school or middle school education system in the United States. However, education quality can heavily depend on the state you were raised in.
Many states such as New York, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Florida and more don’t require sexual education, or only teach abstinence. This leads to education inequality regarding certain topics or ideas, especially wellness, health and sexual education.
Many believe that sex education is just the process of teaching teens about puberty or protection during sex, however, it goes much deeper than that. Comprehensive sex education is also a key tool in preventing both physical and sexual abuse, preventing rape, and teaching safe and healthy relationship norms.
According to the National Health Institute, sex education should cover things such as anatomy, puberty, pregnancy and reproduction, identity, safe sex, STD/STI prevention, and overall personal safety.
Many argue the need for age-appropriate sex education as young as elementary school, especially for catching and preventing child sexual abuse and creating foundations for future relationships.
Research from the Youth Endowment Fund indicates that high-quality, comprehensive programs—particularly those covering power dynamics, consent and healthy relationship skills—can reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) by nearly 20%.
It’s also proven that comprehensive sexual education can reduce the rate of child sexual activity, sexual risk factors like unprotected intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases and infections, and overall lower teen pregnancy rates.
The National Institute of Health states that studies show between a 17-34% decrease in child sexual assault, and an additional 3% decrease in teen pregnancy in areas with the implemented program.
Pornography is not and should not be used as sex education. It often exploits women and girls, and shows harmful norms, expectations and stereotypes that are unhealthy for children and teens to internalize.
However, porn literacy is an important and vital skill that should be taught to prevent the eroticization of violence.
Sexual education isn’t just about preventing kids and teens from having sex; it supports and empowers them to enter the world knowing about their bodies, who they are and what feels safe for them.
With this, the World Health Organization states, “Sexuality education equips children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that help them to protect their health, develop respectful social and sexual relationships, make responsible choices and understand and protect the rights of others.”
Comprehensive sex and health education should be federally mandated and funded in all schools to help educate our future generations and to keep our kids safe.
