Retro Post: Sex Education, The Solution

Because it's easy to rip apart an existing system without offering a better one that is viable and works.  (I'm looking at you Marx and Engels).  I'm going to attempt to offer a solution to sex-education in America.  I may be in a bit over my head, but let's be honest.  I am really, really bored.

Step 1: Remove ANY Incentive to Teach Abstinence Only Sex-Education:

• Dissolve Community-Based Abstinence Education which gives government money to local organizations that teach abstinence-only sex-ed.

• Repeal the Adolescent Family Life Act which supports projects that teach the benefits of abstinence to teens.

• Repeal Section 510 of the Social Security Act, which also grants government money to programs that promote abstinence as the ONLY form of contraception.

• Tax private schools that have abstinence-only sex-ed programs.  Private schools can teach what they want, but if they contribute to making society worse, they should pay for it.

Studies have shown that Abstinence Only Sex-ed is linked to higher pregnancy rates, and rather than preventing unsafe sex, actually increases it due to a lack of understanding among teens regarding sex.  Abstinence only sex-ed is an abomination, and in fact runs contrary to religious beliefs because it increases the number of abortions.  What's worse, learning about condoms, or producing more dead babies?

Step 2:  Repeal the Federal Law that establishes an explicit definition of Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed, and institute a new law that establishes an explicit definition of a Comprehensive Sex-Ed Curriculum.

Key Points in this Curriculum Could Include:

• An introduction to sex as a biological process.  It's necessity as a component of nature.

• The history of human sexuality.

• Human sexuality in the modern world including pornography, contraceptives, masturbatorial aides, cultural interpretations, sexual positions, etc.

• Sexuality as it applies to an individual including various types of contraceptives, their intended and proper use, facts and statistics regarding their reliability.

• Sexuality in Relationships.  Different interpretations of sex and love and how they interrelate.  Sex as an expression of love, and what it means in a relationships.  The advantages and disadvantages of hook-ups, friends with benefits type relationships, and monogamous sexual relationships.  Positioning, techniques, and fetishes.

• Questions and common problems regarding sex.  Everyone seems to have a dozen questions that they're afraid to ask.

Step 3: Introduce an Incentive to Teach Comprehensive Sex-Ed

• Give grants to the school districts with the best sex-ed programs.

• Give bonuses to areas and schools that achieve low teen pregnancy rates.

• Get the medical community and contraceptive industries involved.  Everyone benefits.  Teen pregnancy goes down, medical costs go down, and the contraceptive companies sell more of their products.  Encourage condom and birth control manufacturers to have seminars in public schools.

Step 4: Take the P-word Out of it

This is probably where I'm going to catch the most opposition, but I don't think parents should be allowed to dictate what their children learn about parts of their body and a fundamental aspect of human life.  I would eliminate any need for parental waivers to allow kids to be educated about sex.  Keeping your kids in the dark about a part of their own body is irresponsible and bordering on abuse.

Take the afore mentioned federally approved comprehensive sex-ed program and include it as a mandatory class in high school.  If you don't learn about sex, you don't graduate.  Health Class is one of the most useless classes you will take in high school, but it doesn't have to be.  Devote the majority of it to sex-ed and actually teach these kids something.

Step 5: Redefine How People View Sex:

This is the most difficult step as it is nearly impossible to change the widespread perception of something.  The only way to do it is to begin teaching sex-ed at a young age and to wait.  After a time, the generation that has grown up treating sex as it actually is, an activity that carries no religious "dirtiness" and is perfectly normal, will be in the majority, and they will pass their views down to their children.

The comfort level around sex needs to increase.  People need to be willing to share knowledge.  Knowledge can only be a good thing.  Look at the Dutch model.  Their teen pregnancy rates crush us, and they're legally able to start having sex two to three years before our children.  (And in spite of this their average first time age is higher than ours.)  It's clear, the abstinence model just doesn't work.