Sexuality Education

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The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) defines sexuality education as a lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes, beliefs and values.

Who is responsible for teaching our children about sexuality -- parents, educators or religious leaders?

It begins at home with parents and caregivers. Teachable moments occur on a daily basis.

Infants learn about sexuality when their parents care for them, show affection and nurture a sense of trust. Toddlers learn sexuality when parents teach them the names of their body parts. As children, they continue to learn appropriate touching and caring of their genitals.

As children grow into adolescence, parents take the initiative by providing age-appropriate information, being positive role models, fostering open conversations about sex and diversity in sexual orientation, teaching respect and instilling positive attitudes, beliefs and moral values.

Sexuality education continues outside the boundaries of the home. Young people learn about sexuality in schools and faith-based educational programs, from friends, television, movies, music and the internet.

The primary goal of school-based sexuality education should be to help adolescents transition to sexually healthy adults. Ideally, such programs should complement and augment the sexuality education received from families, while respecting the diversity of beliefs and values represented in the community.

Curriculum varies from state to state, among school districts and public versus private schools. A comprehensive sexuality education program includes age-appropriate, medical accurate information on a broad set of topics including human development, relationships, decision-making, abstinence, contraception and disease prevention.

Abstinence-based programs emphasize the benefits of abstinence while teaching about sexual behaviors other than intercourse, contraception and disease prevention. Other programs teach abstinence only or abstinence only until marriage.

Fear-based programs rely on negative messages about sexuality, distort information about condoms and STDs and promote biases based on gender, sexual orientation, marriage, family structure and pregnancy options.

Teaching our children about sexuality is an important responsibility. The Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization which works to advance sexual and reproductive health through research, education and program analysis, offers startling statistics.

Nearly one quarter of teens in the United States do not get information about birth control from either a parent or in schools. The United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world.

Currently, twenty states and the District of Columbia mandate sex and HIV education. Thirteen states require that information presented in sex education classes be medically accurate.

Sources:

SIECUS: Sexuality Education Q & A @ Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Sept. 22, 2011
http://siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=521&grandparentID=477&parentID=514

Guttmacher Institute: Facts on American Teens’ Sources of Information About Sex February 2011, Sept. 22, 2011
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-Teen-Sex-Ed.html

Reviewed September 26, 2011
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.