sex education in school

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2005

I guess it comes down to my basic mistrust of the gov't 'indoctrinating' instead of educating my children.
~faith,
Timothy.

I would have the same fears if I was a parent. I don't trust the government for not allowing religious teaching back into the schools and indoctrinating them in matters of faith rather than educating them. (Teaching that sex is a religious act or from a moral standpoint, for instance.). It's happened in the past and it's it's been a struggle to get rid of it, and I'm still not trusting. Interesting the two perspectives isn't it?

Question · Oct 10, 2005

It should be mandatory that they get parental permission. If ‘like some say’ that some do not get at home because they do not have caring parents then those parents will not care to let their kids take the course. The main problem I have is that today is that their is a push from certain groups not to just teach about disease and prevention but to teach that having sex with multiple partners is ok and that is just fine to homosexual relations and I for one refuse to have my kids taught that.

There is a body of evidence out their in multiple studies that show that parents and religion have a large influence in young adults. Some even suggest that it is the largest influence over these young adults. So when a parent and their religion give reasons of why is not a good choice and it is presented in an understandable manner, young adults may listen to that more than any other influences. That does not mean that kids should not know about disease prevention but when you have the ACLU in schools trying taking away a kids right to bless his food and want to teach elementary students that Bob and Joe can be a couple and that it is ok for Jane and Sue to marry. Which is another subject, but some schools try to slide it in during their sex ed. I do not have a problem with sex ed as long as they have parental permisssion and that the parents are aware of what they are teaching, which I assume most schools due.

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Oct 10, 2005

I agree that it should be taught in school. You cannot count and rely on the "outdated" or ( insert adjective here) parents. Sorry but not all parents are like you lovely and responsible people in this board.

Better let them get the Correct information from the teacher than the peers.

Jessica

bergren · Oct 10, 2005

"huge push from certain groups to not just teach about disease and prevention but to teach that having sex with multiple partners is ok and that is just fine sex with the same sex"

What groups are exterting a huge push to teach this content in schools?

devi, ADN, BSN · Oct 10, 2005

I, too, am in the Bible Belt and found sex ed in school seriously lacking. I only had one sex ed class in 7th grade. I went to private parochial school in high school and they didn't teach it at all (well, except don't do it).

Personally, I don't approach sex ed as a one time sit-down discussion about the birds and the bees once my child has reached some predetermined age. My son is only 8, but he already knows quite a bit about sex. Why? Because he's asked. When he was 4 and asked "where do babies come from?", I didn't go into the entire explanation, of course. He was perfectly content with a brief, albeit truthful answer. If a child is ready for more details, they'll usually ask.

When he was 6, he started asking more direct questions about body parts, pregnancy, etc. I just let his questions direct the conversations and answered each one as truthfully and matter-of-factly as possible. Considering he's slightly precocious and very curious, he ended up asking about a lot of things some kids his age wouldn't, but that's okay...it just means he was ready to know.

Once curiosity was satisfied, his general feeling about it all was "ew, why would anyone want to do that??" before promptly returning to playing with his hot wheels and forgetting all about it. 'Course, that's one question he's probably never going to understand the answer to until he's hit puberty. Heck, long after puberty will be fine with me :chuckle

Meanwhile, he'll know he can trust me with any other questions he comes up with along the way.

mitchsmom · Oct 10, 2005

:balloons: Sex ed all the way! :balloons: LOL

As long as it is factual, I can't think of anything I would mind my kids being taught.

I'm in my "community" class right now, and I was interested in doing something along the sex ed lines for my teaching project. But the county only allows teaching abstinance. I respect other people's opinions, but I don't think that an abstinance policy should be the only way - it should be a choice for parents so that those who want it for their kids can get it. The county has a really high pregnancy rate compared to other counties in the state, too.

Some people say that the parents who want it can just do it themselves, but that's not the case. I know a lot of parents who cringe at the thought of discussing it with their kids, even though they wouldn't mind someone else doing it. Is that ideal? No, but the way it is sometimes. Plus, it's not like parents are sitting there with a lesson plan, things get left out and are/or are not always as clear as they could be (and again in an ideal world it would be ongoing between parent & child over years).

I was also interested in stranger danger/appropriate vs. inappropriate touch and they wouldn't allow talking about family members r/t inappropriate touch either. And of course, who does the majority of inappropriate touches? People the kid knows!

:stone

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 10, 2005

It should be mandatory that get parental permission! If 'like you said' that some do not get at home because they do not have caring parents then those parents will not care to let their kids take the course. The main problem I have is that today is that their is a huge push from certain groups to not just teach about disease and prevention but to teach that having sex with multiple partners is ok and that is just fine sex with the same sex and I for one refuse to have my kids taught that.
There is a huge body of evidence out their in multiple studies that show that parents and religion have and a large influence in young adults. Some even suggest that it is the largest influence over young adults. So when a parent and their religion say not too and it is presented in an understandable manner, young adults may listen to that more than any other influences.

I believe it is mandatory here, (although I can't say for certain) that parental permission to participate in sex education classes.

I haven't heard of any here in Florida where they say it's o.k. to have sex with anyone, much less groups or same sex partners. There's a lot of rhetoric out there that when same sex is even mentioned people get bent out of shape that they are condoning and pushing it rather than merely mentioning that it exists. It shouldn't be glossed over because young gay men are a very high risk group. But that opens up another can of worms, that I'm not interesting in going to.

Parents shouldn't live with their heads in the sand. While parents/religion obviously are a big influence on young adults (I'm wondering what you mean by young adults), it's also proven that peer pressure in teens sometimes overules the common sense people learn at home, which is why teens smoke, drink, do drugs, and have sex.

Saying "no don't do it" is not as effective as telling the whole story. IMO. Obviously I respect all opinions that differ. :)

grannynurse FNP student · Oct 10, 2005

I attended middle school and high school, in San Diego, back in the 60s. Then there was mandatory sex education that began in the 6th grade and ended in your senior year. The last item, in your senior year, was a film on the birth of a baby. You could be excused only if your parents requested it. We were taught about STD, the biology of relationships and pregnancy.

My parents never taught me or my older brother a thing about sex. I think my older brother was the only 22 year old virgin to get married in MA. And it didn't have a thing to do with abstaince.

Grannynurse:balloons:

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 10, 2005

I am in my EARLY 20's, well educated, was involved in a one time sex-ed class in 8th grade that did not give enough info because I too live in the Bible belt and they preached abstinence only. I went to a church that preached abstinence and the only sex talk I ever had with my parents consisted of them telling me if I had sex they would kill me and that was the end of it. I became sexually active when I was in my teens and I fell in love with my first boyfriend (who happens to be my hubby now lol). I can't believe I am about to say this.......thank God for MTV because it is the only place/thing/media/education I had that preached and preached about safe sex and the risk of STDs. So I told my hubby-then bf that I would not have sex unless he used a condom, and he would not have if I had not said that- buying condoms was embarassing to him (i think he would rather have bought a yr's supply of tampons hehe) and I sure as heck wasn't buying them...what if the neighbors/teachers/peers/parents saw! Children are really naive and immature, that is why we DON'T want them to have premarital and unprotected sex in the first place, but they also have strong emerging sexual desires that they don't know what to do with and can easily succumb to temptation. I am a firm believer in sex ed and I guess this is why. Most of the people I went to highschool with, and the people I am now in college with agree. Kids want this info.....and it doesn't need to come from the MTV trojan man commercial hehe.

Question · Oct 10, 2005

Why is sex ed even a problem if parents give permission, their must be schools that do not get permission or it would not be an issue, right? I'm just wondering..

nurse4theplanet, RN · Oct 10, 2005

Why is sex ed even a problem if parents give permission, their must be schools that do not get permission or would not be an issue, right? I'm just wondering..

Just like with anything else, there are parents out there that do not want it taught in the school system or that are in denial that children will have sex (like my parents).

Then there are programs that actually hand out condoms, which I don't agree with. If you put it in there hand, in front of an entire classroom of teenagers with raging hormones, and say Don't do it, but just in case....here's a condom! That just sends the wrong message and I think most parents would agree. Young girls in particular are very impressionable and if a boys will pressure them by saying 'why do you think they gave it to you? They think you are doing it anyway'

I feel that it is necessary to have sex ed and that condoms should be available in both boys and girls bathrooms were they have access with privacy should they chose to have sex, but these dispensers should be accompanied by pamplets on abstinence and STDs. How many 16 and 17yr olds are comfortable walking into the neighborhood gas station or walmart to buy a box of condoms? They'd rather risk it than be embarassed.

Sex ed also is usually taught once, not a continuous, age appropriate progressive program.

And some programs only teach abstinence. Abstinence is wonderful, but the statistics show that abstinence-only programs are not as effective as other programs that acknowlege kids are having sexs and offer information on birth control and protection.

flashpoint · Oct 10, 2005

I'm not sure what the controversy is...A & P classes in high school teach how the lungs work and how food is digested, what is wrong with teaching how hormones start to rage and how breast grow and how babies are made? And health classes teach the risks of smoking and not exercising and of eating too much, why can't they teach the risks of having sex? As long as it is done in a very matter of fact way, without giving opinions, what is the problem? Simply say..."This is what can happen if you smoke..." but don't actually say don't smoke or do smoke..."This is what can happen if you have sex..." but again, don't actually tell them to do it or to not do it...