Jerod Packard

3/9/15
Period 1B
AP Lang + Comp.
Huntzinger

Persuasive Essay: Sex Education

Sexual education has recently become an area in schools that is being taken less and less
seriously, at the cost of the youth of our country. This lack of emphasis on such a vital are of life
has led to sex being something that is insufficiently discussed in the classroom and home. This
increasingly lightened urgency is becoming exceedingly detrimental, to to mention dangerous, to
the youth of our country - especially with the rapid increase of sexual normativity observed in
teenagers. This sexually progressive era that we are living in today demands more attention on
the subject area, and because of the lack of the lack of proper education on this topic, many
youth have been left without the proper knowledge to protect themselves from STDs and STIs.
Sexual education in the US needs to delve deeper into major issues surrounding sexual activity,
as well as become inclusive to all sexual orientations.
The majority of sex education in the US has a high emphasis on abstinence which, in this
sexually progressive age, is endangering the youth who are just getting a slap on the wrist and a
little sex is bad, dont do it lecture. In this day and age, where sex is becoming a norm
throughout youth culture, just telling teenagers that sex is bad isnt going to keep them from
going out and having sex. Teens are going to have sex, and that is fact that we need to get used
to. While the age that one begins sexual activity may not be nearly as low as the norm of 13
years old found in 1991, the norm nowadays being anywhere from ages 16-18, the trend of
having sexual intercourse with a person who is not a steady partner (boyfriend/girlfriend) is on
the rise. From data collected from 1988-1996 and data collected from 2004-2012, casual sex with
people considered friends/acquaintances/casual date or pick-up/other have all risen about 20%.
With this new risky trend that is becoming more and more prevalent in modern day society, with
it now being portrayed and advertised via television, music, and other forms of modern media,
the urgency to educate the youth on safe sex practices has also risen. Without proper education,
the youth are left without proper ways to protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy and the
transfer of STIs and STDs.
Sexual education in the US also has a distinct lack of depth when it comes to the realm of
LGBTQ lables. Sexual education is not just about sexual intercourse, although that is a major
part of it, but it also involves all aspect of the sexual development of youth, such as discovering
who you are. Programs across the country completely fail to acknowledge the different sexual
orientations that are really starting to establish themselves which leaves many teenagers looking
to seek who they really truly are in the dark about what they call themself, or label him/herself
as. Sexual education needs to also address the many sexual orientations that exist, as well as

make the idea of not being 100% heterosexual as being okay. I believe that sex education can be
the starting point of changing certain ideas throughout our society. Of course, this will not solve
the issues of homophobia, I believe that the first stepping stone is to make our youth more
comfortable with the idea that normal doesnt mean heterosexual - normal means being yourself.
However, without the proper education, many teens find themselves wondering who they really
are, which leads us right back to why sex education needs to become inclusive of these labels.
Transgendered teens are also left in the dark about ways to go about seeking the proper transition
medicine and procedures. Transgendered males are also left with many serious questions, such as
binding, which if not done properly can cause serious bodily injuries, damage, and in some
instances have even cause death. These are serious issues that many teens dont even realize are a
problem until it is too late, and sex ed class is the place for the issues to be addressed.
Sex education also needs to become inclusive of sexual intercourse for LGBTQ teens,
because the absence of this education lead many queer teens to make serious mistakes during
sexual intercourse that are very risky. Sexual intercourse in between homosexual partners, for
instance, is completely ignored in sex education, which causes teens to look to places such as the
internet for instruction. While the internet may be a marvelously useful tool, it also has been
known to perpetuate many false facts and ideas. Teens need a reliable source of instruction on
how to keep themselves safe and protected during sexual intercourse, and the internet is not the
reliable source that they need.
While discussing same-sex protection, as well as the various sexualities that exist in our
society today, may not go over well with some parents, the fact that they cannot deny is that we
have a responsibility to keep our children safe. If we are deliberately brushing over a topic
because we feel uncomfortable discussing it, or because it may not be politically correct, we are
only putting our children at risk for the sake of being comfortable. Our children live in an age
where sex is becoming more and more normal and okay, and LGBTQ presence is at an all time
high. If we dont do everything in our power to protect our children and educate them about the
dangers that they may face in life, then we are letting them down. We have a duty to pass on our
knowledge to them and to keep them safe. By placing a higher importance on sex education, we
are doing everything we can to keep our children safe from crippling sexually transferred
diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and allowing them to live their life with the knowledge they need to
make smart decisions, and not be placed in risky situations because they dont know what they
are doing.