Importance of sex education essay PDF

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Anika Kaushal The Importance of Sex Education Sex education is crucial in each education system. It provides for educating the youth on many aspects which will promote health and minimize risk factors. Sex education educates the younger population on sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and contraception. There is stigma around the concept of sex education. However, introducing this form of education into education systems will diminish this stigma. This branch of education does not influence individuals to engage in sexual activities. Teaching abstinence only will not prevent the younger population from engaging in sexual activities. It aids in the prevention of an unwanted pregnancy as well as teaches the many forms of sexual activities. Sex education teaches what consent means and what consent is. This branch of education will also educate students on the concept of sexual identity. Sex education promotes a healthy lifestyle and minimizes the stigma surrounding the idea of sexual activity. This branch of education educates students on STI’s. Majority of individuals who engage in sexual activities are unaware of the risk factors involved. Including sex education in school systems will educate the youth population on what an STI is as well as the different types of STI’s. There are treatments available for STI’s. Students will be informed on how to seek treatment and what the treatment process is. This will significantly decrease the contraction of STI’s. In return, there will be an overall healthier population. Contraception is a form of protection against STI’s. Individuals will be educated on the different types, such as condoms, birth control pills, IUD, etc. Sex education will inform students of where contraception options are available and accessible. Contraception is extremely important as it can decrease health risks. It can decrease unwanted outcomes as well. Sex education does not influence the younger

population to engage in sexual activities. Rather, it prepares them for practicing safe sexual activities. Each individual will decide when to engage in a sexual activity. Sex education is put in place to prepare them for whenever they engage in a sexual activity and provide knowledge on any risk factors involved. Sex education will aid in the prevention of an unwanted pregnancy. A lack of knowledge in the sexual field can lead to an unwanted pregnancy. This is due to individuals being unaware of how a females can get pregnant and the fertilization process involved. Individuals who are not exposed to sex education are unaware of the options available for them when dealing with a situation involving a pregnancy. There are options available depending on the timeline of the pregnancy. For example, Plan B (the morning after pill) is an option to prevent an unwanted pregnancy if the female consumes the pill within 120 hours of engaging in intercourse. There are other options available such as abortion and adoption. Sex education will also provide for education on the concept of ovulation. This is an important factor to consider and understand when engaging in intercourse to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Individuals are unaware of their options as they have no access to gaining this knowledge if sex education is not present in school systems. Sex education will teach individuals what consent means and what consent is. The majority of individuals are unaware of what exactly consent means and how to identify consent. They question this concept and are unaware if consent is given. There are many factors to consider such as body language and verbal consent. This must be ongoing consent as well. Consent is difficult to distinguish as there is not always verbal consent. Students will be educated on the signs of discomfort which indicates that consent is not given. Sex education informs students on the fact that consent is not solely limited to intercourse, it is a factor that must be

taken into consideration with any sexual activity. This is where sex education shines a light on different sexual activities that individuals may engage in. Sex education does not focus on one particular sexual activity. It discusses the many types. For example, oral sex and kissing. Each sexual activity an individual participates in can put them at risk for contracting an STI. This is why it is crucial to understand and identify different sexual activities and how to protect against STI transmission. Sex education provides insight on the concept of sexual identity. Individuals who struggle with their sexual identity are given the opportunity to feel safe and comfortable while discussing their identities. Sex education emphasizes safe sex for all individuals, it is not limited to individuals who identify as heterosexual. Including this in each education system will ensure safety for all. This will educate students on different sexual identities present in our society. There are many social impacts involved with sex education. The biggest social impact is removing the stigma around the concept of sexual activity. There is a stigma around getting tested for STI’s. This stigma will diminish as sex education will teach that getting tested for STI’s is normal and healthy. It will introduce this concept into social norms and remove the stigma surrounding it. Many young individuals are not comfortable discussing sexual matters as there is a stigma linked to it. The lack of discussion can lead to serious consequences and puts individuals at risk/in danger. Sex education provides for the normative and comfortability of discussing sexual matters which removes the current stigma associated with it. It is believed that sex education will promote sexual activity and influence young individuals to engage in these activities, and the better choice is to promote abstinence only. However, this will not prevent the youth from engaging in sexual activities. Individuals will engage in sexual activities when desired. Refraining from sex education will prevent the youth from practicing safe sex. In return,

this will have negative consequences. For example, it will increase pregnancy rates and STI contraction. Sex education is crucial in each education system as it provides for educating the youth on many aspects. Each aspect will promote a healthy lifestyle and minimize risk factors. Sex education educates the younger population on sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) and contraception. It removes the stigma surrounding the concept of sexual activity. In return, individuals will feel more comfortable discussing sexual matters and this will promote positive outcomes. Preaching abstinence only will not prevent the younger population from engaging in sexual activities. Sex education will not influence individuals to engage in sexual activities, rather it will educate individuals on how to practice safe sex when they decide to engage. It aids in the prevention of an unwanted pregnancy and educates on the different types of sexual activities. It educates students on the concept of sexual identity. It is not limited to solely one sexual identity type. Sex education teaches what consent means and what consent is, which is critical to understand and identify when engaging in any sexual activity. Sex education allows for a healthy lifestyle and diminishes the stigma surrounding the idea of sexual activity.

References:

1) Khodakarami, N. (2019). The Impact of Sex Education on Sexual Activity, Pregnancy, and Abortion. Retrieved from http://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2052/login.aspx? direct=true&db=edsarx&AN=edsarx.1903.08307&site=eds-live&scope=site

2) Santelli, J. S., Grilo, S. A., Choo, T.-H., Diaz, G., Walsh, K., Wall, M., … Mellins, C. A. (2018). Does sex education before college protect students from sexual assault in college? PLoS ONE, 13(11), 1–18. https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.1371/journal.pone.0205951 3) Rupali, Chhina, A. K., Gupta, S., Grover, S., Shivani, & Chhabra, S. (2018). Study To Assess Perception And Need Assessment Of Sex Education Among School Going Adolescents. International Journal of Community Health & Medical Research, 4(4), 43–46. https://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2325/10.21276/ijchmr...