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josephrjusticeThis is my answer to the OKC question "Should sex education be taught in schools?" The possible answers are: (1) Yes; (2) No; (3) I don't know.
I absolutely do think sex education should be taught in schools. Moreover, I think the sex education that should be taught should be the best and most effective information we have in terms of reducing and mitigating the undesirable or harmful consequences of sex (e.g. transmission of STDs, unintended pregnancies, non-consensual activities, practices which if done (or done incorrectly or unsafely) can cause lasting bodily harm or worse, etc) and in terms of increasing and enhancing the desirable and beneficial consequences of sex (psychological and emotional aspects of sex, effect on interpersonal relationships, physical pleasure and other physical benefits, reduction of shame/guilt/fear related to sex, etc).
Even more specifically, concerning "abstinence only"-type sex education as found in the USA... Insofar as it is found to be ineffective or even harmful or detrimental in terms of achieving the goals of sex education in general (or even its own stated goals), which I believe reliable scientific studies have found to indeed be the case, "abstinence only"-type sex education should *not* be taught in schools, but instead the best and most effective information available concerning sex should be taught.
This does not mean I think boys and girls in the USA should be taken to the gym and stripped down and paired up (as appropriate) on top of exercise mats and told to start going at it. Even if I thought that was the most effective means of sex education available (which I don't), it would not be acceptable to do in this country (or really anywhere); it violates the existing cultural norms too greatly, people would rise up en masse in protest. But, I *do* think people should be taught to be sex-positive and not sex-negative. I think people should be taught to value themselves and their bodies and their minds/spirits and the happiness and pleasure they can both receive and give from properly and safe(r)ly performed sexual activities, both activities performed alone and those performed with others. I think people should be taught how to do something we know they're going to do anyway (prohibition never seems to work, does it?) in the best and safest for them way we know how to teach.
There are people who believe in the tenets of evolution, and that sex ultimately is a gametes way of reproducing itself and eventually forming new little baby gametes. There are people who believe in the teachings of religions such as Christianity or other religions (both Judeo-Christian / "People of the Book" and otherwise), who believe whatever that religion says about sex -- in the case of Christianity, this would be that God created Man from whole cloth in God's own image, and then created Woman from Man's rib to be a partner, and then told them to go at it, spring forth and multiply, and cover the Earth with new baby men and women. There are people who believe in both, and I guess there might or must be a few people who believe in neither. But, except perhaps for that last group of people, no matter what you believe in sex is something that's pretty important and indeed fundamental to what you believe in.
If it's so important and indeed fundamental to you and your beliefs... Shouldn't you be taught, and taught as properly and correctly as is possible to achieve, about it?
So, my answer to this question is Yes, sex education should be taught in schools. And I'm going to say Yes is the only answer by others acceptable to me (I am sympathetic to the people who say I don't know, whether it be because they are personally conflicted over the idea or because they don't wish to upset or anger certain vocal self-appointed moral authorities, but I think those people are wrong in this), and that this is very important to me.
I absolutely do think sex education should be taught in schools. Moreover, I think the sex education that should be taught should be the best and most effective information we have in terms of reducing and mitigating the undesirable or harmful consequences of sex (e.g. transmission of STDs, unintended pregnancies, non-consensual activities, practices which if done (or done incorrectly or unsafely) can cause lasting bodily harm or worse, etc) and in terms of increasing and enhancing the desirable and beneficial consequences of sex (psychological and emotional aspects of sex, effect on interpersonal relationships, physical pleasure and other physical benefits, reduction of shame/guilt/fear related to sex, etc).
Even more specifically, concerning "abstinence only"-type sex education as found in the USA... Insofar as it is found to be ineffective or even harmful or detrimental in terms of achieving the goals of sex education in general (or even its own stated goals), which I believe reliable scientific studies have found to indeed be the case, "abstinence only"-type sex education should *not* be taught in schools, but instead the best and most effective information available concerning sex should be taught.
This does not mean I think boys and girls in the USA should be taken to the gym and stripped down and paired up (as appropriate) on top of exercise mats and told to start going at it. Even if I thought that was the most effective means of sex education available (which I don't), it would not be acceptable to do in this country (or really anywhere); it violates the existing cultural norms too greatly, people would rise up en masse in protest. But, I *do* think people should be taught to be sex-positive and not sex-negative. I think people should be taught to value themselves and their bodies and their minds/spirits and the happiness and pleasure they can both receive and give from properly and safe(r)ly performed sexual activities, both activities performed alone and those performed with others. I think people should be taught how to do something we know they're going to do anyway (prohibition never seems to work, does it?) in the best and safest for them way we know how to teach.
There are people who believe in the tenets of evolution, and that sex ultimately is a gametes way of reproducing itself and eventually forming new little baby gametes. There are people who believe in the teachings of religions such as Christianity or other religions (both Judeo-Christian / "People of the Book" and otherwise), who believe whatever that religion says about sex -- in the case of Christianity, this would be that God created Man from whole cloth in God's own image, and then created Woman from Man's rib to be a partner, and then told them to go at it, spring forth and multiply, and cover the Earth with new baby men and women. There are people who believe in both, and I guess there might or must be a few people who believe in neither. But, except perhaps for that last group of people, no matter what you believe in sex is something that's pretty important and indeed fundamental to what you believe in.
If it's so important and indeed fundamental to you and your beliefs... Shouldn't you be taught, and taught as properly and correctly as is possible to achieve, about it?
So, my answer to this question is Yes, sex education should be taught in schools. And I'm going to say Yes is the only answer by others acceptable to me (I am sympathetic to the people who say I don't know, whether it be because they are personally conflicted over the idea or because they don't wish to upset or anger certain vocal self-appointed moral authorities, but I think those people are wrong in this), and that this is very important to me.
