What are our parents teaching us about sex? If you're like me you grew up with an abstinence only education. It didn't work then and it doesn't work now. By the time my highschool class of 52 graduated, I can guess-timate that 45 of them had lost their virginity. What is wrong with this picture? Why is it more acceptable to have sex? The risks are far greater now than at any other point in history. 50% of people infected with HIV don't know that they even have it. Based on CDC statistics, chlamydia is the most commonly reported infectious disease, not just STD, but DISEASE! Gonorhhea follows in second place. Again, not for STDs but for diseases reported. That is not even including the people that don't go to the doctor and get treated, and those that don't even know they have the disease. Plus, these diseases affect African Americans 8 and 18 times greater than they do whites. According to the American Social Health Association, as least half of all Americans will have an STD in their lifetime and each year 1 in 4 TEENS will be diagnosed with an STD. So why do more teens start having sex? Why are our parents only teaching us abstinence only education? Do they think that teaching us about safe sex will encourage us to engage in it? I think that we need to take a long hard look at our nation's sex education. With the changing times and attitudes, don't you think its time that sex education took a leap into the 21st century?
1. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/policyfellows/
2. http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_statistics.cfm
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You are absolutely right. When people are kept ignorant about their health, what can be expected of them? Only the worst!
Ah, my favorite word. I'm currently a public health student and the whole reason for me choosing this education and career is the ignorance I saw from people being seen in a hospital. Without the education people have no opportunity to learn and HELP THEMSELVES. Its sad.
I think you made a good career decision. If your job is going to be making sure everyone gets brought up to date on the issues, you should have some hardcore job security.
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I think that whether teachers and parents teach and talk to there kids about sex or not, eventually kids are gonna have sex, and the reality of our world is no matter how soon our parents start talking to us and no matter what they try to hold back or not, it doesn't matter. With the type of media and world we live in kids see sex and are taught to watch it before they are taught about it. Thats why kids are having sex earlier and earlier these days. Because the media isn't being controlled enough. We are allowed strip clubs to be made and advertised. I live in a house where I only get 5 channels and every night, on every commercial break there is at least 2 commercials for sexual dating lines, local and nation wide. It's sickening. Girls flaunting half naked bodies on the TV's with guys oogling there goodies and parents who are just sitting there little ones in front of this as a baby sitter...there lies the problem, not education about sex in schools.
Our parenting standards have gotten slack. That is the root of the problem. But if we could just get parents to make small changes, eventually we will see a pay off.
I think that with effective parenting, this can be overcome. It DOES make a difference IF the children are being taught in an open, honest, and accepting way. The problem is that most parents aren't open, honest, and accepting when it comes to sexuality. They don't want to tell their kids the entire truth about sex, and express anger when their children have sexual problems. This will only violate the childrens' trust.
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