Bohannan Kumar 1

Mira Bohannan Kumar

Ms. Sotillo
English 9
3 April 2017

What & Who

Teensespecially those identifying as LGBTQ+are greatly affected by

the lack of comprehensive sex education in America, which holds them back
from understanding important facts about how they can live their safest and
best life. Sex education is not implemented correctly in many school districts,
which causes teens to be uninformed about basic anatomy, healthy
relationship skills, and safer sex practices (Slater). The Guttmacher Institute
released a report stating that only 13 states require sex ed to include
medically accurate information, and only 18 states require information about
contraception (Roseen), which is useless considering that The National
Institutes of Health reports that abstinence-only sex ed is not effective in
preventing teen pregnancy and may actually exacerbate the problem
(Roseen). Not only is this ineffective, the nations health initiatives are even
more problematic for teens who identify as LGBTQ+. Young women in high
school who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more likely to contract an
STI and more likely to become pregnant than those who identify as
heterosexual or questioning. They are also more likely to have experienced
coerced sexual contact (Slater). Additionally, male youths who have
intercourse with others of the same gender account for more than two-
thirds of new HIV infections among people ages 13 to 29 and men who
have sex with men account for about two-thirds of new syphilis cases
(Slater), meaning that these students are not being educated about issues
for which they have the highest risk. Whether they are at this high risk
because they are not being educated is up for debate, but what is not is that
being educated about ways to protect themselves would certainly aid in
solving these problemsand that is not being satisfactorily done: "Sex-
education materials often assume students are heterosexual and
nontransgender (Slater), and according to the Guttmacher Institute,
Thirteen states require discussion of sexual orientation in sex education
classes. Nine of these states require inclusive discussion of sexual
orientation, and the remaining four require that classes provide only negative
information about sexual orientation (American Teens Sources).
Therefore, not only are teens not being comprehensively educated about
 Bohannan Kumar 1

prevention of pregnancy and STIs by methods other than abstinence, some

also have their identities openly insulted by the public school system. This
means that many youths are being hurt by the very system which is meant
to teach and help them to become better people.

How

Teaching teens about how to be safe reduces risks of pregnancy, STIs,

and other health-related issues, improving their lives. Even though
comprehensive sex ed teaches youths about sex, it does not increase the
numbers of teens partaking in sexual intercourse and actually makes them
safer (Comprehensive Sex Education). This is illustrated by the fact that
compared to other similarly developed countries, the Advocates for Youth
report that the U.S. has a high teen pregnancy rate (Roseen). For example,
in the Netherlands, there is a low abortion rate because of available
information about sexual safety, accessibility of contraceptives, and free
discussion with teens (Boyle). Additionally, researchers in the US saw that
"teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less
likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only
education (Comprehensive Sex Education). Comprehensive sex education
helps teens to be safer and better informed about their sexual safety, which
enables them to be more successful and reduces any negative effects sexual
intercourse could have on their lives. The way to solve the problems of teen
pregnancy and STI contraction, as well as the ignorance some teens may
have about sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, and other
important components of emotional health, is to educate them about these
issues and what they need to be their best selves.

Works Cited
American Teens' Sources of Sexual Health Education. Guttmacher Institute,
Guttmacher Institute, 27 Oct. 2016, www.guttmacher.org/fact-
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sheet/facts-american-teens-sources-information-about-sex. Accessed 5
Apr. 2017.
Boyle, Patrick. Why Are Dutch Teens So Sexually Safe? Youth Today, 2001,
p. 1+. SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
Comprehensive Sex Education: Research and Results.
Advocatesforyouth.org, Advocates for Youth,
www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/1487?task=view. Accessed 29
Mar. 2017.
Guerrero, Monique. Abstinence Is Important to Total Sex Education.
University Wire, 2016. SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com. Accessed
27 Mar. 2017.
Roseen, Hanna. Abstinence-Only Sex-Ed Fails Nation's Youth. University
Wire, 2016. SIRS Issues Researcher, sks.sirs.com. Accessed 27 Mar.
2017.
Slater, Hannah. LGBT-Inclusive Sex Education Means Healthier Youth and
Safer Schools. Center for American Progress, Center for American
Progress, 28 June 2013,
www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2013/06/21/67411/lgbt-
inclusive-sex-education-means-healthier-youth-and-safer-schools/.
Accessed 29 Mar. 2017.
UMass Amherst Sociologist Finds Abstinence 'Pledgers' Have Higher...
Targeted News Service, 7 Jan. 2016. SIRS Issues Researcher,
sks.sirs.com. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.
Veiga, Christina. Let's Talk about Sex (Education): NYC High School Students
Weigh in on What TheyRe Not Learning in School. Chalkbeat,
Chalkbeat, 21 Mar. 2017, www.chalkbeat.org/posts/ny/2017/03/21/lets-
talk-about-sex-education-nyc-high-school-students-say-sex-ed-is-weak-
on-lgbtq-issues/. Accessed 28 Mar. 2017.