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Yuxin Tian

Dr. Cassel

ENG 1201-121

17 April 2

How does receiving sex education affect individuals?

When I was in high school, I never had a chance to get sex education. I

remember there was a little bit of knowledge about safety and health sex education in

the political textbooks at the time, but when our teacher talked about this chapter, he

skipped this chapter, the excuse he used is we will know all the information we need to

know when we are “ready” and “when time’s up.” This is sex education in China; we feel

shameful even just talk about it. The narrow mindless of the school leaders and the

ignorance of the students have led to numerous of teen pregnancies. But this did not

attract the attention of the government; instead, painless abortion ads is becoming more

and more popular in China, and the main customers of these procedures are students. I

know that when I was in high school, I had classmates who had abortions around me,

and I saw the news that couples who had been married for several years have never

been pregnant until they went to the hospital to know that sex was the only way to get

pregnant. There is no doubt that sex education is important, so what is the impact of

receiving sex education on people?

According to CDC’s 2017 survey, nationwide, 40% adolescents have had sex

intercourse (“CDC...CDC”). First, the source of the data is reliable because it is

extracted directly from the CDC’s website, and the CDC, as a branch of the United

States government, the source and the release of the data are true. Through this data,
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one can see that in the United States, nearly half of the teenagers have had sexual

experience; this is a number that should not be underestimated, which is why sex

education is so important.

At present, sex education is generally divided into two main forms:

comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only education. Comprehensive sex

education, as its name implies, is education that covers a wide range of information.

This form of sex education popularized the need for basic knowledge and common

sense to help students make better and more mature choices in the face of relevant

situations.

Matt Zalaznick talks about comprehensive sex education in his article, he

believes comprehensive sex education is more than biology lessons. He quotes Nicole

Haberland, a senior research associate for the Population Council, who suggest that

comprehensive sex education should talk more about issues of gender equality and

power in intimate relationships because they can enrich students’ understanding of their

own bodies and their own value (Zalaznick 1). Zalaznick also agrees that

comprehensive sex education should teach young people responsible behavior. He

thinks many people misunderstand that comprehensive sex education can lead to

sexual activity, but this view is wrong, and there is no evidence that there is a direct

relationship between comprehensive sex education and sexual activity (Zalaznick 2).

Also, in this article he mentioned about comprehensive sex education should adapting

to teen life. Sex education in the United States has achieved remarkable results in the

past two decades: Teen pregnancy rates have dropped a lot. But in some other
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countries, the quality and quantity of sex education is not very perfect and sound

(Zalaznick 3).

According to a recent research article, the impact of comprehensive sex

education is significant (de Castro, et al). Their research shows that comprehensive sex

education reduces the risk of HIV and improves students’ safety knowledge and self-

protection awareness. And comprehensive sex education has also increased the

frequency of condom use. In addition, their report also shows that students who have

received comprehensive sex education are more confident and willingly involve

themselves in important health-related decision (de Castro, et al. 2). At the same time,

the study also found that comprehensive sex education helps to promote

communication between partners (de Castro, et al 8), which also help develop the

relationships between couples. Not only that, comprehensive sex education is also

valuable to help students in making choices, and the rate of students who have received

comprehensive sex education asking to use condoms during their first sexual contact

will greatly increase (de Castro, et al. 12). This research shows that comprehensive sex

education has a major influence in many aspects.

Another study shows that the current birth rate in the United States between the

ages of 15 to 17 is alarmingly high (see figure 1). As can be seen from the picture, the

birth rate of teenagers, especially ethnic minorities, is even three to four times higher

than that of white teenagers (Basch 614).

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Figure 1 Birth Rates per 1000 among Age 15 to 17 in the United States by Race (Basch).

Therefore, can the existing forms of sex education solve the problems about high

birth rate in teenagers and delay the sex intercourse? Kulik’s research also confirms

that comprehensive sex education has a positive impact on students (Kulik et al. 8).

One might assume that comprehensive sex education program, may address the issue

of teenage pregnancies. According to Kulik, comprehensive sex education has a

significant improvement in students’ understanding of sexual behavior and mastery of

relevant knowledge, and this improvement ensures that students have a greater sense

of safety when having sex. Increased safety awareness will make them pay more

attention in this regard. Last but not the least, comprehensive sex education also

reduces the spread of STDs (Kulik et al 9).

A research done by Department of OBG nursing shows that among teenagers,

half of them have new STDs, and ¼ of sexually active adolescent women have STDs

(Parmar 7). Given this set of figures, the results of the study shows that most people

had average or above-average knowledge of sex, and only a small number of people

were below average. The results also show that the respondents have higher

knowledge of reproductive organs, but lack of knowledge of abnormal sexual behaviors,

and the degree of understanding of related diseases and hazards is not high (Parmar
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9). This research puts forward that sex education should be carried out actively in

schools especially when introducing the concept of sexually related diseases (Parmar

10).

At the same time, studies have shown that comprehensive sex education has

also contributed to the prevention of early pregnancy and abortion among adolescents.

The rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States is among the highest in developed

countries (Kulik et al 9). This problem can be effectively improved through

comprehensive sex education. In Becca Andrews’s article, she talks about a study done

by researchers at the University of Georgia in 2011 that shows states that emphasize

abstinence education have about 25% higher rates of teen pregnancy than states that

do not emphasize abstinence-only education (Andrews 2). She also mentioned a study

by the University of Washington found that students who received comprehensive sex

education had a 50% lower pregnancy rate than those who received abstinence-only

sex education (Andrews 2). In addition to higher pregnancy rates, Kuilk’s article points

out that the graduation rate of those who have given birth as teenagers is 40% lower

than that of those who have not given birth (Kulik et al 8). This problem can also be

improved through the promotion of comprehensive sex education.

The other alternative to sex education is abstinence-only program. While one

may assume that an abstinence only program would be ineffective, Life Choices, a

program in Tennessee has reason to believe their program has been effective (Andrews

2). Although Andrews agrees that comprehensive sex education has a more significant

impact on students, she also points out that abstinence-only sex education also plays a

role. Andrews works at Life Choices; this group is a Christian-based organization in

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Tennessee. She suggested that although abstinence-only education did not contribute

significantly to adolescent pregnancy rates, the organization found that abstinence-only

education could delay first sexual intercourse (Andrews 2). In Andrews’s opinion, her

organization tries to encourage young people to avoid promiscuity and premarital sexual

behaviors because these behaviors can lead to feelings of guilt and can affect people

for a long time. Showing students that infected genitals can also effectively prevent

students from having sex, but also reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases

(Andrews 6). Nevertheless, proponents of comprehensive sex education are generally

skeptical about abstinence education. Here’s a study that shows that abstinence-only

education does not help teenagers’ sexual health (Rabbitte and Enriquez 32). The

article points out that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service is (ironically)

supporting abstinence education, a form of sex education that has been found to be

unhelpful, but policymakers continue to donate money to abstinence education

programs in public schools. It sounds like a good idea, but the research does not show

a positive result. The emphasis on abstinence-only education will not have a positive

impact on student’s sexual behaviors.

Combined with the actual situation of our society, comprehensive sex education

is supported by the majority of the public, and it has been proved that comprehensive

sex education is indeed of great help to adolescent health education and has a certain

positive impact on the prevention of teenage pregnancy. Therefore, the relevant

departments should make adjustments according to the actual situation and advocate

comprehensive sex education (Rabbitte and Enriquez 36).

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Another study also showed that abstinence education had no effect on the birth

rate (Fox, et al. 497). In this article, Fox focuses on whether the government’s funding

for abstinence education has paid off. The results show that with the increase of

government investment, the pregnancy rate of teenagers has not changed significantly

(see figure 2). Although the pregnancy rate of teenagers in the picture is declining year

by year, the lower birth rate is not directly related to the government’s efforts to promote

abstinence sex education. This information not only shows that abstinence education

has no impact on preventing early pregnancy in teenagers, but also shows that

government funding is meaningless.

Figure 2 Average Annual Abstinence-Only Education and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Funding per Pupil and
Births per 1000: United States, 1999-2016 (Fox, et al).

Meanwhile, the impact of meaningful sex education should be interactive.

Recently, a South Korean study shows that parents have an impact on themselves as

educators while developing and conducting children’s sex education programs for

lower-grade children. This study compared two groups of parents who had school age

children, one group did nothing, and another group received comprehensive sex

education instruction. The effect of parents in gender education, the degree of mastery
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of sexual knowledge and attitudes towards gender roles have improved significantly by

using the second method (Eun Mi Lee, and Hyunlye Kim). This result shows that in the

process of parents’ contact with sex education, there will be a new cognition and

understanding of sex education, which will result a positive impact on their own

education of their children in the future.

It is worth mentioning that some people’s reluctance to discuss sex education to

day is based on shame and guilt. However, according to Mary Lou Rasmussen people

should bring more happiness and enjoyment to sex education (Rasmussen 1). This

view points out that everyone has the equal right to have sex, but sex education’s base

on shame can only make students feel resistant, and the current “Metoo” movement is a

reflection of young people are taking sex education in their own hands (Rasmussen 1).

The fact is that while young people are receiving sex education, sex education

has also changed the course of their lives to a certain extent. Sexual knowledge largely

determines the choices and decisions people make about sex. Sex education is

undoubtedly important, and safe sex is based on people’s mastery of knowledge. No

matter how people receive sex education, sex knowledge is a basic quality that

everyone must have, so instead of ignoring it, it is better to tell students everything they

need to know. After all, no matter what the result is, the individual is the one who really

has the right to informed decision about their sexual behaviors. Hopefully, in China, the

educational curriculum will become more comprehensive and modern with its sex

education programs. With an increased rate of teenage pregnancy, it’s better for China

to make a move rather than let more students waiting in despair in the hospital by

themselves.
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Works Cited

Andrews, Becca. "Sex negative: when my state passed one of the most rigid

abstinence-only sex education laws in the nation, I went back to school." Mother

Jones, Mar.-Apr. 2016, p. 28+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A443652225/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&

xid=187528d8. Accessed 1 May 2019.

Basch, Charles E. “Teen Pregnancy and the Achievement Gap Among Urban Minority

Youth.” Journal of School Health, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd (10.1111), 16 Sept.

2011, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1746-1561.2011.00635.x.

Accessed in 30 April 2019.

“CDC Releases 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) Results | 2018 | Dear

Colleague Letters | NCHHSTP | CDC.” Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 June 2018,

www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/dear_colleague/2018/dcl-061418-YRBS.html. Accessed in

21 April 2019.

de Castro, Filipa, et al. “Sexual and Reproductive Health Outcomes Are Positively

Associated with Comprehensive Sexual Education Exposure in Mexican High-

School Students.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 3, Mar. 2018, pp. 1–15. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193780. Accessed in 21 April 2019.

Eun Mi Lee, and Hyunlye Kim. “Development and Effects of a Children’s Sex Education

Program for the Parents of Lower Elementary Grade Students.” Journal of

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Korean Academy of Nursing, vol. 47, no. 2, Apr. 2017, pp. 222–232.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.4040/jkan.2017.47.2.222 Accessed in 30 April 2019.

Fox, Ashley M., et al. “Funding for Abstinence-Only Education and Adolescent

Pregnancy Prevention: Does State Ideology Affect Outcomes?” American

Journal of Public Health, vol. 109, no. 3, Mar. 2019, pp. 497–504. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304896. Accessed in 30 April 2019.

Kulik, Keri, et al. “Teaching Comprehensive Sex Education through Student-Centered

Learning Activities.” TAHPERD Journal, vol. 84, no. 1, Spring 2016, pp. 8–13.

EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=117823395&site=ed

s-live. Accessed in 30 April 2019.

Parmar, Poorva. “A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Sex

Education among Adolescents Studying in the Selected Schools.” International

Journal of Nursing Education, vol. 10, no. 1, Jan. 2018, pp. 7–11. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.5958/0974-9357.2018.00002.8. Accessed in 30 April 2019.

Rabbitte, Maureen, and Maithe Enriquez. “The Role of Policy on Sexual Health

Education in Schools: Review.” Journal of School Nursing, vol. 35, no. 1, Feb.

2019, pp. 27–38. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1059840518789240. Accessed in 21

April 2019.

Rasmussen, Mary Lou. "Bringing pleasure into the discussion about sexting among

teens." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2019. Opposing Viewpoints

in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/VBRMIN024279241/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid
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=OVIC&xid=25c0e244. Accessed 1 May 2019. Originally published as "Bringing

pleasure into the discussion about sexting among teens," The Conversation, 27

Feb. 2018. Accessed in 30 April 2019.

Zalaznick, Matt. "Beyond the birds and bees: districts expand focus of sex ed to healthy

relationships and gender identity, though abstinence still rules in some states."

District Administration, Mar. 2017, p. 47+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495034039/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&

xid=6d65a66c. Accessed 1 May 2019.