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josephrjusticeThis is my answer to the OKC question "Do you think safe sex should be taught in schools?" The possible answers are: (1) Yes; (2) No.
I absolutely do think safe(r) sex practices should be taught in schools. (I write "safe(r)" because such practices do not absolutely eliminate the risk of catching or transmitting a STD, or of having a pregnancy resulting from intercourse, but merely help to reduce or minimize the chance.)
We know from history that people in general, especially young people, are going to have (or at least attempt to have) sex. Nothing is going to change that; it's built into their very bodies. Even if we locked them all into chastity devices until age 80 or so, some enterprising person is going to try to find some way to have sex with another willing person.
And, as far as I know, "abstinence only"-type sex education, at least in the USA, has not been shown to be effective in terms of reducing diseases, reducing unintended pregnancies, etc. If anything, I have the distinct impression that not only is it actually ineffective, but it might even have been shown to be harmful in terms of achieving those goals!
Given the natural tendencies of people (and especially young people) concerning sex... I have to think that knowledge, not ignorance, concerning sex, the risks (and benefits!) of sex, the possible consequences of sex and how to reduce or mitigate the undesirable consequences, etc is the best way to go. Yes, this might go against the teachings or preferences of some self-selected moral authorities, or the desires of some people who prefer ignorance to knowledge for themselves and those they are in authority over, but so what? If the best available evidence shows that for people and society in general the best thing to do, the thing which most increases happiness and well-being and safety, the thing which most promotes the general welfare, is to teach safe(r) sex in schools... Then shouldn't we do that? Don't we owe it to our children (individually and collectively) to do that, to give them the (as far as we know) best and most effective education we have available on this topic?
So my answer to this question is Yes, I do think safe sex should be taught in schools. And, I'm going to say that Yes is the only answer by others acceptable to me, and that this is very important to me.
I absolutely do think safe(r) sex practices should be taught in schools. (I write "safe(r)" because such practices do not absolutely eliminate the risk of catching or transmitting a STD, or of having a pregnancy resulting from intercourse, but merely help to reduce or minimize the chance.)
We know from history that people in general, especially young people, are going to have (or at least attempt to have) sex. Nothing is going to change that; it's built into their very bodies. Even if we locked them all into chastity devices until age 80 or so, some enterprising person is going to try to find some way to have sex with another willing person.
And, as far as I know, "abstinence only"-type sex education, at least in the USA, has not been shown to be effective in terms of reducing diseases, reducing unintended pregnancies, etc. If anything, I have the distinct impression that not only is it actually ineffective, but it might even have been shown to be harmful in terms of achieving those goals!
Given the natural tendencies of people (and especially young people) concerning sex... I have to think that knowledge, not ignorance, concerning sex, the risks (and benefits!) of sex, the possible consequences of sex and how to reduce or mitigate the undesirable consequences, etc is the best way to go. Yes, this might go against the teachings or preferences of some self-selected moral authorities, or the desires of some people who prefer ignorance to knowledge for themselves and those they are in authority over, but so what? If the best available evidence shows that for people and society in general the best thing to do, the thing which most increases happiness and well-being and safety, the thing which most promotes the general welfare, is to teach safe(r) sex in schools... Then shouldn't we do that? Don't we owe it to our children (individually and collectively) to do that, to give them the (as far as we know) best and most effective education we have available on this topic?
So my answer to this question is Yes, I do think safe sex should be taught in schools. And, I'm going to say that Yes is the only answer by others acceptable to me, and that this is very important to me.
