Let's talk about sex baby

Don’t you remember that one dreadful day where your P.E teacher rolled in the telly, sat the whole class down, and began a video you thought that would never end?

Sadly, as scarring as it may be, it is a very essential part of education.

I personally believe that sex ed is one of the most important topics to be taught at school and in general. There is insane the amount of kids that may have no clue towards these -awkward to discuss with adults- ideals.

I knew that condoms must be used for protected sex, how the pill wont stop STI’s and STD’s, and knew that unprotected sex may lead to more than an unexpected baby, but even an unexpected disease.

Surprisingly, apparently a third of students in Queensland don’t know this (Lyell, 2013). This is a dangerous area to play with because it may heighten disease, teenage pregnancies and even rape.

Take South Africa for example

The knowledge of safe sex and disease was not a part of their educational lifestyle; instead they followed word of mouth. Sadly this lead to an 80% rise in child sexual abuse due to the aids epidemic, believing that sleeping with the young can prevent aids (Flanagan, 2001)..

 Some may even argue that sex education may encourage sex (Binning, 2011), this isn’t true, and it only encourages safe sex compared to unsafe, lowering disease and pregnancies. Statistics even show that a students being taught comprehensive sex education is 50% less likely to experience pregnancy than an abstinence teaching towards sex (Kohler, 2008). 

We can also think about it this way, if the school doesn’t teach kids about sex, then who will? As long was we want to keep our children “pure” and “innocent” they have to find out sooner or later and a large number of these kids wont be learning this from their parents.

But instead

The media, being the largest influence on us today, and how increasingly sexualised it is becoming, watching girls like Miley Cyrus grind on 30 year old man will only have kids questioning why Hannah Montanna is dancing with a guy that looks like dad.

In a way this might encourage kids to do this, not knowing why it was wrong to grind on a weird guy who objectifies women, because if Miley can do it, why cant I?

Lets not forget, the “educational”, “heart-warming”, “family friendly” TV show, 16 and pregnant. This frame driven generation is obviously going to think, hey, if I get pregnant, I will be on TV and be the coolest of them all.

Hence why sex ed is practically the best thing in the world, students can be taught about the major consequences of teens having babies and how it can ruin someone’s life, cause mental illness, affecting the child, and just becoming a massive cycle so loss opportunity. 

So my main points consist of

•   No babies

•   No STI's

•   The media is already sexualised 

•   And lets be honest, do you really wanna talk about sex with your children?

References.

Lyell Kim (2013), Call to make sex education mandatory in Qld schools, ABC news, Aug 30 <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-30/call-to-make-sex-education-mandatory-in-qld-schools/4925054>

Flanagan Jane, (2001),  South African man rape babies as ‘cure’ for Aids, Nov 11 <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/1362134/South-African-men-rape-babies-as-cure-for-Aids.html>

Binning Elizabeth (2011), Pregnant teen says sex education encourages sex, Sep 20 <http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/178545/pregnant-teen-says-sex-education-encourages-sex>

Kohler (2008) “Abstinence-only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4): 344-351.

Paul Regina (2007) 10 Reasons we Need Comprehensive Sex Education in Our Schools, Yahoo voices, 3 Feb <http://voices.yahoo.com/10-reasons-we-comprehensive-sex-education-in-184376.html?cat=5>