tennage sexuality

¶ … teenage sexuality. The writer links research and theory to a practical problem and discusses how they are similar. The writer also discusses teenage sexuality in the context of education. There were six sources used to complete this paper.

Americans have adjusted a lot of their thinking when it comes to teenage sexuality during recent years. There was a time when a pregnant teen would have been removed from the school and sent to a school for unwed mothers. There was a time when a sexually active female was labeled a slut, or said to be loose. Those days are on the retreat as Americans accept teenage sexuality more than ever before. With that acceptance comes the question of when and how to teach sex education. Schools are at a crossroad because they are dealing with pregnant teens but many parents are opposed to the sex education of their children within the school system. Teen pregnancy, teen sexual preference and many other topics are not being addressed today in teen living classes, and students are gaining their education on the street. The adults are not going to stop teen sexual activity, nor will they stop those who are gay from being gay. The best thing that can be done to assist in the area of teenage sexuality is to provide a solid and truthful education so that they can be safe and they can be happy.

In a recent poll that was conducted on a nation wide level it was concluded that many parents and guardians support a comprehensive sex education program being provided in schools. The study targeted low income parents and guardians and the results said the parents want their children taught about all aspects of sexuality (National Poll Shows Parents Overwhelmingly Support Comprehensive Sex Education Over Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage by 5 to 1 Margin (http://www.siecus.org/media/press/press0028.html).The parents overwhelmingly wanted topics to include how to use birth control, how to protect against sexually transmitted diseases as well as accepting their own sexual preferences and sexuality. The study asked several races their opinions and the results answered in the same manner across the board. "All parents agree across ethnicities that a comprehensive approach is preferable to one that only instructs about the dangers of sex and postponing sex until marriage - African-American (85% vs. 13%), White (80% vs. 16%), and Hispanic (80% vs. 18%)(National Poll Shows Parents Overwhelmingly Support Comprehensive Sex Education Over Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage by 5 to 1 Margin (http://www.siecus.org/media/press/press0028.html)."

While the parents agree the children need to be taught about their sexuality they admitted that they are not always addressing the topic with their offspring. "Over four in 10 (43%) parents of 9 and 10-year-olds have not discussed the basic facts about reproduction with their child. Even those with teenagers have not tackled some vital topics. Two in ten (20%) parents with 13 and 14-year-olds and one in ten (11%) parents of kids age 15 to 18 admit they have not discussed issues about relationships and becoming sexually active with their child (National Poll Shows Parents Overwhelmingly Support Comprehensive Sex Education Over Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage by 5 to 1 Margin (http://www.siecus.org/media/press/press0028.html)."

According to the study the parents believed that students being taught in school about sexuality will reinforce what the parents are teaching them at home. In addition students who listen to their peeers more than parents might benefit more from a classroom setting than they would from the parents trying to have a lesson with them. Many teens will ask a teacher or a special expert a question that they would be afraid to ask their parents. Teens who are thinking about becoming active might discuss the idea with a teacher and base their decision on fact. If they discuss it with their parents and the conversation becomes heated that decision may be based in emotion and anger and that might cause the teen to do something he or she regrets later. Adolescents face the peer pressure to begin displaying their emerging sexuality at a time when they are just beginning to understand what sexuality is and how they want to approach the topic within the context of their life. A recent study determined there are many peer pressure aspects to the sexuality topic in the life of a teen and that pressure sometimes makes a teen feel stressed about the issue (Mallet, et al. 1997). It cannot be easy if there has been no sex education for teens to try and figure out whom they are and how they fit into the world sexually while getting pressured at the same time by peers to define and display their desires. The lack of sex education at this time in a student's life can only help to confuse and further stress the teen according to many experts in the field.

Opponents of sex education for teens believe that education of teens promotes peer pressure to perform before the teens are ready to be active (Feigenbaum et. Al, 1995). They also believe that it provides the students with the idea that adults accept young sexual activity and that the teens are ready for the emotional and social problems that accompany the activity. "According to these people, abstinence should be the primary, if not the only educational message. Education about birth control was therefore unnecessary, they contended (Feigenbaum et. Al, 1995). The vocal opposition also claimed that, as citizens contributing tax dollars in support of public education in the community institution, they had the right to dictate changes in the curriculum that would be "more responsible" than the explicit information being provided. These community concerns motivated the faculty to assess content, strengths, and weaknesses of the health and human sexuality courses (Feigenbaum et. Al, 1995). " recent study tested the hypothesis that teen attitudes or behaviors would not be negatively affected by their participation in teen human living courses or sex education classes.