Sex education in schools

Sex education in schools

Sex education is the process of giving information regarding sex, sexual identity and intimacy. Sex education is vital in schools since it helps in young people’s development and overall wellbeing. Learning institutions should cover topics on human anatomy comprehensively to help students understand the changes going on in their bodies. Schools should teach students about sexually transmitted infections. Educating about sexually transmitted diseases should include prevention measures, transmission modes, and treatment. Tutors should not only emphasize abstinence but also teach about engaging in safe sex depending on the mental maturity of the students. Students should also be enlightened on the need for having healthy relationships amongst themselves as they spend most of their time in schools. Schools should also emphasize on teenage pregnancies. Learning institutions should provide information regarding the use of contraceptives to avoid unwanted pregnancies (McKay, Byers, Voyer, Humphreys, & Markham, 2014). Institutions need to be thorough in sex education to achieve quality.

Schools and parents share in the responsibility of sex education. Parents should know what is taught in school and work in liaison with the school curriculum on sex education (Wakley, 2011).  Parents should guide their children on the moral aspect of sex education by telling the young ones what is morally acceptable and what is not acceptable in society. Parents should also adjust the home environment to create trust between them and teenagers so that they can intervene in the event of problematic sex-related issues. Parents are responsible for the behavior of their children at home. Guardians should put measures such as restrictions on the films to be watched, to ensure that the children are not exposed to things that would jeopardize teachings on responsible sexual behavior. Caregivers should put more emphasis on the consequences of actions to their children. Parents should give correct information while educating the young ones.

Education on sexually transmitted diseases should be handled collectively by both the institutions and the caregivers. Parents can learn more about the conditions which beneficial to them too. When handled by the school and parents, there is more emphasis, therefore, increasing further understanding. Parents mainly highlight the social impact of the diseases and schools broaden the knowledge by introducing the medical facts of sexually transmitted infections. Young ones are likely to relate more to the topic when the parents are handling it. Parents will tackle the subject with simplicity, boosting sexual communication and trust between parents and their children (Deptula, Henry, & Schoeny, 2010). Parents and tutors will be able to work hand in hand in case a student experiences problems related to sexually transmitted diseases. Teenagers are at risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections while still at home; therefore, there is a need for the guardians to handle the same.

References

Deptula, D. P., Henry, D. B., & Schoeny, M. E. (2010). How can parents make a difference? Longitudinal associations with adolescent sexual behavior. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(6), 731–739. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021760

McKay, A., Byers, E. S., Voyer, S. D., Humphreys, T. P., & Markham, C. (2014). Ontario parents’ opinions and attitudes towards sexual health education in the schools. The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. https://doi.org/10.3138/cjhs.23.3-A1

Wakley, G. (2011). Helping parents with sex education. The Journal of Family Health Care, 21(2), 30–33.