topic sentence about sex education

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Teaching Students About “The Crow Cast”: An Insightful Approach to Art Education

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Simple & Easy Sex Education Essay Titles

The Other Side: the Importance of Sex Education in High School
The Ongoing Debate Over Sex Education and Its Influence on Our Children
Why Sex Education for Children Is Very Important
The Importance of Sex Education in Today’s Schools
The Religious and Cultural Aspect of Sex Education
Single Sex Education Are Becoming More Complicated Countries
Why There Should Be Comprehensive Sex Education in Schools
The Reasons Why Sex Education Will Help Reduce Teen Pregnancy
The Importance and Need for Sex Education to Deal with Teenage Pregnancy
What Sex Education Topics Are Most Effective in Elementary Schools
Gender Discrimination for Single Sex Education
How Sex Education Can Change Teenage Sexual Behaviour
Why Teens Need Comprehensive Sex Education

Good Essay Topics on Sex Education

The Importance of Sex Education in America and to American Teenagers
The Main Features of Sex Education in Traditional Societies and Its Importance
The Effects of State‐Mandated Abstinence‐Based Sex Education on Teen Health Outcomes
Why Sex Education Should Be Taught in Schools
The Issue of Teaching Sex Education in Public Schools
The Importance of Teaching Sex Education and Homosexuality
The Three Forms of Sex Education in the United States
The Inclusion of Sex Education in the School Curriculum
When Values Clash with Faith: Sex Education in Religious Based Schools”
What Are the Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Hong Kong Secondary Schools
Should Sex Education Be Increased in Schools to Curb Problems in Society?
The Impact of Single Sex Education on Girl ‘S Academic Performance
The Need for a Comprehensive Sex Education in American Schools
The Benefits of Sex Education in Public Schools
Why High schools Should Have Sex Education Starting Freshman Year

Research Questions About Sex Education

What Age Should Sex Education Be Taught?
How Should Sex Education Be Taught?
What Are the Pros and Cons of Sex Education in Hong Kong Secondary Schools?
Can Single-Sex Education Improve Students’ Academic Achievement in Middle School?
What Sex Education Topics Are Most Effective in Elementary Schools?
Has the Media and School-Based Sex Education Reduced the Prevalence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases?
Why Should High schools Have Sex Education Starting Freshman Year?
Does Sex Education Influence Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour of Women?
Why Is Same-Sex School Education Better?
How Far Should Schools Teach Sex Education?
Why Is Sex Education for Children Very Important?
Does Sex Education Work?
Why Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?
How Can Sex Education Change Teenage Sexual Behaviour?
Why Do Teens Need Comprehensive Sex Education?
Will You Choose CoEd or Single-Sex Education?
Our Current Sex Education, Why Doesn’t It Work?
Demand for Sexual Services in Britain: Does Sex Education Matter?
Co-Education and Single-Sex Education: Which Will Benefit Children More?
Why Do Teens Need Sex Education?
When Values Clash with Faith: Sex Education in Religious Based Schools?
Should LGBT History Be Taught in Schools?
Which City or Country Has Sexual Education for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder?
How to Educate the 4th-6th Elementary Student About Sex?
How Successful Is Abstinence-Only Sex Education in Reduce Teen Pregnancy?
Is Introduction Sex Education in Schools Useful?
Does the School Provide Enough Information on Sex Education?

Simple & Easy Monarchy Essay Topics

What is an authentic assessment: everything you ....

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Peter DeWitt's

Finding common ground.

A former K-5 public school principal turned author, presenter, and leadership coach, DeWitt provides insights and advice for education leaders. He can be found at www.petermdewitt.com . Read more from this blog .

Should Sex Education Be Taught in Schools?

Thinking about sex education conjures up all of those uncomfortable moments as an adolescent when we had to sit at our desks and listen to our health teachers talk about things that we joked about with friends but never wanted to have a conversation about with adults. But things have changed a lot since then.

There has been an increase in the number of LGBT students who have come out while in high school, or sometimes, even middle school. We are surrounded images that inspire conversations about sex education and other images created by fashion that offer so much skin that there is nothing left to the imagination.

AVERT defines Sex Education as

the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex education is also about developing young people’s skills so that they make informed choices about their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting on these choices.

First and foremost, there is a debate between the use of sexual education programs, where they openly teach about sex and prevention, and abstinence-only programs, which Advocates for Youth say,

“has as its exclusive purpose teaching the social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard for all school-age children;
teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity;
teaches that sexual activity outside the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical side effects;
teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society;
teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances, and
teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.”

Advocates for Youth also believe,

Accurate, balanced sex education - including information about contraception and condoms - is a basic human right of youth. Such education helps young people to reduce their risk of potentially negative outcomes, such as unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Such education can also help youth to enhance the quality of their relationships and to develop decision-making skills that will prove invaluable over life. This basic human right is also a core public health principle that receives strong endorsement from mainstream medical associations, public health and educational organizations, and - most important - parents.

But is it the job of teachers in schools to educate students about sex or is it the job of the parents? According to the National Conference of State Legislatures ,

All states are somehow involved in sex education for public schoolchildren. As of Jan. 1, 2015: 22 states and the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education (20 of which mandate sex education and HIV education). 33 states and the District of Columbia require students receive instruction about HIV/AIDS. 19 states require that if provided, sex education must be medically, factually or technically accurate. State definitions of “medically accurate” vary, from requiring that the department of health review curriculum for accuracy, to mandating that curriculum be based on information from “published authorities upon which medical professionals rely.” Many states define parents’ rights concerning sexual education: 37 states and the District of Columbia require school districts to allow parental involvement in sexual education programs. Three states require parental consent before a child can receive instruction. 35 states and the District of Columbia allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children.

Of course, if it’s taught in schools, how properly are the students being educated? This debate between whether it’s the school’s job or a parent’s job will last for a very long time, and quite frankly it is an area that many parents and teachers may agree. There are parents who do not want their children to be taught sex education in schools, just as there are some teachers who don’t think it is their job to teach it.

On the other side are parents and teachers who agree it should be taught in schools and at home because it is a topic that we all cannot escape. And I’m sure there are a bunch of people in the middle who do not even want to discuss the topic at all and just hope for the best.

The NPR story, called “Beyond The Birds And The Bees: Surviving Sex Ed Today” ( which can be heard here ) inspired me to think about all of the places that the topic of sex comes up in conversation. Sometimes it’s through jokes on television or social media, other times it’s in stories on the news, and most times it’s the center of the conversation on the back of a school bus. Whether it makes us uncomfortable or not, we can’t seem to escape the topic.

In the NPR story, Lena Solow, a teacher of ten years,

Covers the topics you’d expect: how to prevent STDs, pregnancy. But Solow talks about way more than going all the way. “One of my biggest goals as a sex educator is to be sex-positive,” she explains, “to talk about pleasure and to talk about sex not just as something that just makes babies.”

Listening to the story made me blush a little as I drove alone in my car through Massachusetts, and made me laugh a bit when Solow said that when she was a student her sex education class was taught by the physical education teacher and revolved around spelling tests.

Yes, spelling tests. She said,

“I definitely had spelling tests as a big part of my sex-ed when I was in middle school: ‘Spell gonorrhea. Spell gonococcus. Now you pass or don’t pass health.’ Literally, that was what was prioritized.”

She wants her students to have a much more knowledgeable experience, and she also explores topics that are unfortunately still controversial in today’s schools, which is the topic of LGBT students. In the NPR story, Garsd writes,

“Beyond the basics, Solow is delving into topics that many teachers would skirt. Things like tolerance. Solow recently asked her students if they thought LGBT people would feel comfortable at the school. A lot of the kids say they didn’t think so.”

It’s definitely a complicated debate, which will last for a very long time. What are your thoughts?

The opinions expressed in Peter DeWitt’s Finding Common Ground are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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The Importance of Comprehensive K-12 Sexual Education Programs

Tatiana M. Smith, University of New Haven

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current status of existing evidence-based health education programs designed for K-12 students. The content of well-informed K-12 health education programs is intended to clarify definitions and reduce future at-risk and criminal behaviors. This may include evidence-based curriculums encompassing such topics as mental health, sexual education, learning difficulties, sexuality, bullying, suicide, substance abuse, biological puberty, and more. However, the focus here will be on sexual education curriculums for K-12 health education programs. The goal is to evaluate whether existing health programs properly educate K-12 students about recognizing and practicing positive interactions within sexual situations. The intended audience includes legislators and school administrators who effect policy changes in K-12 academic public-school curricula (specifically sex education), with the expectation of enhancing course content to be more comprehensive and to decrease the likelihood of at-risk and criminal behavior in the future, both in the U.S. and perhaps globally (Leung, Shek, Leung, & Shek, 2019).

K-12 Sexual Health Education Programs

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (Morgan & Oudekerk, 2018), from 2017 to 2018, the rate of sexual assault among victims 12-years old or older increased from 1.4 to 2.7 per 1,000 persons. This increasing rate of victimization is in line with recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019). An updated release of the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) data illustrates the risk to male and female victims, between ages 10-17, to be approximately 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 individuals, respectively (Smith, Zhang, Basile, Merrick, Wang, Kresnow, & Chen, 2018).

These data reveal the ongoing threat of sexual offending and violence among youth. The importance of this information is linked to sexual education programs for K-12 students, which is present in less than 30 states (Fay, 2019). Based upon state laws and corresponding education standards, existing sexual education programs discuss healthy relationships, sexual assault, and/or consent in only 11 states and the District of Columbia (Shapiro & Brown, 2018). In sum, the availability and standards of sex education programs in public schools are widely diverse.

The National Institute of Health reports that between 20 and 27 states only require sexual education on topics that include contraception, sex and/or HIV education, abstinence-only, and sexual activity only being acceptable within marriage (Shapiro & Brown, 2018; National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 2020). Furthermore, states provide parental rights concerning the curriculum that public schools enact, including notification of parents, requiring parental consent, and/or allowing parents to opt-out of sexual education on behalf of their children (NCSL, 2020).

Background

The history of sex education in the United States has been widely debated for decades, dating to the 1960s, on whether to become more restrictive or more comprehensive (NCSL, 2020; Planned Parenthood, 2016; Schmidt et al., 2015). Sex education has diverged into separate directions across U.S. schools, when it is present. Research has found that previous approaches intending to provide medically comprehensive information about sexual health are not the most successful at reducing risk-taking behaviors among youth (Planned Parenthood. 2016). Rather, studies have uncovered evidence indicating comprehensive programs are successful when they include health goals, preventive methods, physical/psychosocial risk and protective factors, fostering of safe environments, and the incorporation of active participation and multiple activities throughout the course (Planned Parenthood, 2016; Leung et al., 2019).

Sexual Health Education Curricula

The issue of a widely inconsistent and generally lacking sexual education curriculum, both nationally and internationally, is becoming more and more relevant. Rates of sexual violence victimization are not decreasing, but instead have been increasing, even in the context of substantial non-reporting (Smith et al., 2018; Morgan & Oudekerk, 2018; CDC, 2019). The purpose of drawing attention to the improvement of existing sexual education curricula is to decrease rates of sexual violence victimization in the future. The implementation of evidence-based comprehensive programs has shown positive results in prior studies, in that the risk-taking behaviors of youth decreased (Planned Parenthood, 2016). A review of current state legislation indicates, however, at least half of the nation receives limited to no sexual education in K-12 public schools (Planned Parenthood, 2016; Leung et al., 2019; NCSL, 2020).

This educational gap deprives K-12 students from learning about proper sexual health, healthy sexual interactions, the meaning and importance of consent, healthy relationships, sexuality, gender discussions, the significance of behavior, and more (Shegog, Baulmer, Addy, Peskin, & Thiel, 2017; Schmidt, Wandersman, & Hills, 2015; Shapiro & Brown, 2018; Leung et al., 2019; NCSL, 2020). The lack of action to enact new legislation, which could enhance sex education curricula, reduces the likelihood of declines in sexual victimization, including at the developmental stages for K-12 students (Mallet, 2017; CDC, 2019; Leung et al., 2019; NCSL, 2020; Shapiro & Brown, 2018; Smith, Park, Ireland, Elwyn, & Thornberry, 2013).

Pre-Existing K-12 Sexual Health Education Policies

The American public has been demanding an increased focus in schools on teen pregnancy and unhealthy relationships, but sex education standards vary significantly across states, preventing access to critical intervention tools that would provide more comprehensive sex education for students (Shapiro & Brown, 2018). This unbalanced focus creates vulnerability amongst K-12 students for increased risk of victimization and perpetration.

As previously discussed, sex education is not mandated nationwide, nor is the curriculum consistent across states that have implemented legislation. This disparity continues to impact young adults after graduation, placing them at a higher risk for a variety of social and health problems unknown to them (Fay, 2019). The benefit of updated legislation nationwide, in a comprehensive and uniform manner, would be in producing more informed students who will have the ability to make better decisions (Fay, 2019). Knowledge is power, and nearly half the nation does not have any form of sex education in their K-12 public schools, while the majority of those that have programs focus solely on abstinence, sex within marriage, contraception, and/or medically accurate information (Fay, 2019; Leung et al., 2019; NCSL, 2020).

Despite research showing these restrictive educational curricula to be ineffective, the movement to strengthen legislation on sex education requirements and make programs more comprehensive does not have strong traction nationwide (Fay, 2019; NCSL, 2020; Leung et al., 2019; Smith et al., 2013; Planned Parenthood, 2016). Lack of action by legislators in states with restrictive or non-existent programs suggests there is little desire to change or create policies, despite public health risks (CDC, 2019; Planned Parenthood, 2016; Shapiro & Brown, 2018).

Presently, there are no known specific programs that focus on non-heterosexual orientations, nor do existing sexual education courses give much attention to this topic (Schmidt et al., 2015). Although the majority of sexuality education programs in U.S. schools discuss sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancies, abstinence, and the use of contraception, there is a significant amount of content missing (Schmidt et al., 2015). For instance, such topics as what constitutes a healthy dating relationship, interpersonal violence, consent, and discussion of gender roles often are not included (Children & Families Directorate, 2019; Planned Parenthood, 2016; Schmidt et al., 2015; Shegog et al., 2017).

K-12 Sexual Health Education Policy Options

An initial policy proposal can be modeled after a study that associated professional development of teachers with increases in sexual education content coverage (Clayton, Brener, Barrios, Jayne, & Jones, 2018). This model acknowledges the efficacy of sexual health education for middle and high school students, which could be utilized for policies that provide guidance for K-12 sexual health education (Clayton et al., 2018). The positive impact uncovered in the study suggests that professional development of teachers is essential, as they are more likely to teach an expansive content of sexual health than are teachers without similar experience.

A second policy proposal may be constructed using the Reproductive Health Education (RHE) programs implemented and analyzed through a study focused on middle school students from Lebanon (Mouhanna, DeJon, Afifi, Asmar, Nazha, & Zurayk, 2017). These programs also found positive associations between expanded program content and student outcomes. Furthermore, this study developed a baseline for future research on this issue, to be used in informing future stakeholders and assessing the necessity and implementation of RHE programs in developing countries (Mouhanna et al., 2017).

A third and final policy proposal follows the structure of a peer education program known as Students with a Realistic Mission (SWARM; Butler, Jeter, & Andrades, 2002). This program model was found to be successful in integrating service learning and peer education within the health education curriculum (Butler et al., 2002). The original SWARM program included a focus on drugs, service learning, and healthy living-learning competencies. Additionally, it incorporated student feedback, which had been largely positive but included constructive criticism (Butler et al., 2002). Due to its earlier success and integration into an academic institution, a collaborative approach with education and community aspects likely would be an adaptable policy option for K-12 sexual health education.

Advantages of Each K-12 Sexual Health Education Policy Option

The advantages of the first policy proposal modeled after the combination of professional development of teachers and expanded content coverage in K-12 sexual health education (Clayton et al., 2018) may include:

 Focus on preventing adverse sexual behavior and subsequent consequences.  Professional development specifically targeted to teaching sexual health content.  Focus on teaching four domains (including several specific topics under each domain):

o Human sexuality o Pregnancy prevention o HIV prevention o Sexually transmitted diseases prevention.

 Middle and high school sexual education courses.  Reducing sexual risk behaviors and increasing adult/parental support for school-based sexual health education.  Teachers achieving expertise through preservice training.

The advantages of the second policy proposal, constructed using RHE programs with a focus on middle school students from Lebanon (Mouhanna et al., 2017), may include:

 Advocacy and effective implementations of RHE programs for greater numbers and types of youth.  Tailored interventions for the needs, concerns, and expectations of students.  Young people being educated to make informed decisions for their sexual health.  Expanded health education topics reviewed in school.

Finally, the advantages of the third policy proposal follow the structure of the SWARM program, which provides integrated service learning and peer education in the health education curriculum (Butler et al., 2002), and may include:

 Aspects of the community, peers, youth, and academic collaboration in the health education curriculum.  Primary focus on HIV/AIDS, STD prevention, alcohol, and drug education, with possible incorporation of sexual health education  Student feedback, including thoughtful and constructive criticism.

Disadvantages of Each K-12 Sexual Health Education Policy Option

The disadvantages of the first policy proposal (Clayton et al., 2018) may include:

 The preservice and ongoing educational training required may be a challenge due to issues with training, funding, and administrational support.  This could result in time management issues (i.e., overburdening teachers with requirements and little or no support).  Subjects such as mandating the use of condom instruction and discussing sexual orientation might be challenging.

The disadvantages of the second policy proposal (Mouhanna et al., 2017) may include:

 Lack of generalizability and replication of research on this program.  Variation in culture, attitudes, religion, and political orientation might impact implementation and effectiveness.

The disadvantages of the third policy proposal (Butler et al., 2002) may include:

 Limited research on the continued success of SWARM.  Little research on whether significant challenges have been identified since the initial analysis.

Recommendations for a K-12 Sexual Health Education Policy

An overall general recommendation would be to utilize an evidence-based program to restructure sexual health education in K-12 schools in the United States, with an emphasis on a collaborative approach at the micro and macro levels (Schmidt et al., 2015; Whillier, Spence, Giuriato, & Chiro, 2019). This could include, for instance, collaboration between academics, researchers, legislators, community leaders, and school personnel. Evidence-based curricula have been shown to be successful in U.S. school settings. However, for successful implementation, the curricula cannot be compromised by content and competing academic priorities (Shegog et al., 2017).

Based upon the three proposed policy options, the most effective and realistic option would likely be based on the first policy model. Research successfully associated ongoing professional development of teachers with a current, well developed curriculum in K-12 school-based sexual health education programs (Clayton et al., 2018). Ongoing professional development requirements for sexual health educators, combined with their educational pedigree upon entry into their position, could create a highly informed and comprehensive curricula in K-12 schools.

The addition of qualified sexual health educators and ongoing professional development requirements could aid in implementing K-12 school-based sexual health educational programs nationwide. This may be especially influential for policy legislators and in generating parental support, particularly in areas where sexual health education is presently limited or non-existent. The choice of this recommendation is intended to minimize at-risk behaviors, in addition to reducing both criminal victimization and perpetration.

Annotated Bibliography

Butler, K. L., Jeter, A., & Andrades, R. (2002). SWARMing for a solution: Integrating service learning and peer education into the health education curriculum. American Journal of Health Education, 33(4), 240-244. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ854088 Butler, Jeter, & Andrades (2002) evaluated the program Students with a Realistic Mission (SWARM), which focused on health concerns such as drugs, alcohol, HIV/AIDS, and STD prevention. This article provides the framework for an integrated health education program that could be the basis for proposed legislation for comprehensive sexual education. This framework is especially resourceful as it has a successful history, and feedback had been both largely positive and constructive.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). CDC healthy school. National health education standards. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/standards/index.htm The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides an outline for National Health Education Standards (NHES) that pertain to education frameworks and curricula created for K-12 students. There are eight standards that discuss the required depth of ability students much reach at each stage. Furthermore, there is assistance provided to use characteristics associated with the creation of an effective health education curriculum.

Children and Families Directorate. (2019, May 17). Key messages for young people on healthy relationships and consent: A resource for professionals working with young people. Scottish Government. https://www.gov.scot/publications/key-messages-young-people-healthy-relationships-consent-resource-professionals-working-young-people/pages/3/ The Children and Families Directorate provides a resource for professionals to consult when creating well-informed curricula in sex education for young people. It provides a model created recently by the Scottish Government which is concise and informative, especially regarding legislation and/or curricula that may not have an existing framework to amend or build upon.

Clayton, H. B., Brener, N. D., Barrios, L. C., Jayne, P. E., & Jones, S. E. (2018). Professional development on sexual health education is associated with coverage of sexual health topics. Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 4(2), 115-124. doi: 10.1177/2373379917718562 This article examined sexual health education programs emphasizing the professional development of teachers with a focus on middle and high school health education courses. This study illustrates the importance of comprehensive sexual health education, as it is essential in the prevention of sexual behavior consequences. This structure for professional development associated with school-based sexual health education has proven to be effective, with a positive impact on both the health content covered and the students.

Fay, L. (2019, April 1). Just 24 states mandate sex education for K-12 students, and only 9 require any discussion of consent. See how your state stacks up. The 74 Media: The Big Picture. https://www.the74million.org/article/just-24-states-mandate-sex-education-for-k-12-students-and-only-9-require-any-discussion-of-consent-see-how-your-state-stacks-up/ Fay discusses the attention that sexual education programs in the United States are receiving, both in content and state education requirements. This article further states that during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, lawmakers have been considering legislation related to sex education for K-12 students. It is important to stress that the bills vary in whether the comprehensive nature of the sex education course requirements will be strengthened or restricted.

Leung, H., Shek, D. T. L., Leung, E., & Shek, E. Y. W. (2019). Development of contextually- relevant sexuality education: Lessons from a comprehensive review of adolescent sexuality education across cultures. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(4), 1-24. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16040621 The authors provide a comprehensive review of literature of sexuality education in the United States as well as abroad. This article reviews the policy, practice, training, evaluation, and research associated with the sex education programs in each of the evaluated countries. This highly comprehensive approach illustrates concern over the effectiveness of sexuality programs has been increasing globally, with youth specified as the target population. Furthermore, this review also supports the need for a more informed perspective and curricula that will enhance the effectiveness of these programs.

Mallett, C. A. (2017). The school-to-prison pipeline: Disproportionate impact on vulnerable children and adolescents. Education and Urban Society, 49(6), 563-592. doi: 10.1177/0013124516644053 Mallet presents the significant effect that a punitive school environment can have upon child and adolescent groups, specifically in urban schools. This study examines how certain traits may act as vulnerabilities such as their sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, race, disabilities, and more place these individuals at risk for what has become known as the school-to-prison pipeline. It is important to consider not only academics, but also the environmental factors that may increase an individual’s vulnerability to future criminal victimization or perpetration.

Morgan, R. E., & Oudekerk, B. A. (2019). Criminal victimization, 2018. The Bureau of Justice Statistics. U.S. Department of Justice: Office of Justice Programs. https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv18.pdf This brief provides the most recently collected data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics regarding a range of criminal victimization, such as aggravated assault, sexual assault, robbery, and stranger violence. The authors provide data on the current rate of victimization regarding sexual assault victims from 2017 to 2018, which subsequently suggests a rise in victimization.

Mouhanna, F., DeJong, J., Afifi, R., Asmar, K., Nazha, B., & Zurayk, H. (2017). Student support for reproductive health education in middle schools: Findings from Lebanon. Sex Education, 17(2), 195-208. doi: 10.1080/14681811.2017.1280011 The authors present a study that acknowledges the critical developmental phase of youth can be more vulnerable to risky sexual behaviors and the associated negative health outcomes. This study is significant as it recognizes the importance of school-based health programs that are well-informed, as well as the significance of grade level and exposure to additional health education topics. This design would be a valuable model to replicate, as effective programs enhance positive attitudes and their implementation could be tailored to key interventions with specific individuals.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCLS). (2020, April 1). State policies on sex education in schools. Why is sexual education taught in schools? https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-policies-on-sex-education-in-schools.aspx The National Conference of State Legislators provides updated information as of March 1, 2020 regarding the sex education for public schools in all states. The brief includes summaries of state laws for the medical accuracy in sex or HIV education specifically. However, it does not include the same comprehensive summaries about other sex education programs and their content.

Planned Parenthood. (2016). History of sex education in the U.S. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/da/67/da67fd5d-631d-438a-85e8-a446d90fd1e3/20170209_sexed_d04_1.pdf This Planned Parenthood brief reviews the history of sex education in the United States. This is significant brief, as it includes the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of sexual health, in addition to the curriculums and programs offered nationally and worldwide, including content evaluations, roles of the educators, agency roles, and parental roles. Furthermore, this brief acknowledges the concerns of this education curricula, the evolving differences in understanding sex education, as well as associated goals.

Schmidt, S. C., Wandersman, A., & Hills, K. J. (2015). Evidence-based sexuality education programs in schools: Do the align with the national sexuality education standards? American Journal of Sexuality, 10(2), 177-195. doi: 10.1080/15546128.2015.1025937 This article presents an evidence-based review of sexuality education programs in a sample of 10 schools from the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH). This analysis assesses whether the programs are following a comprehensive education model endorsed by the National Sexuality Education Standards. This review is essential, as it highlights pros and cons of the sexuality education programs based upon the level of comprehensiveness regarding the content.

Shapiro, S., & Brown, C. (2018, May 9). Sex education standards across the states. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2018/05/09/450158/sex-education-standards-across-states/ Shapiro and Brown present a brief that discusses the importance of states moving towards a comprehensive sex education curriculum and current state sex education standards. This brief also highlights the significant diversity in state sex education standards in public schools nationally, but also cautions against focusing on limited topics like teen pregnancy and abstinence. The authors further emphasize the importance of consistent messaging as opposed to the current structure, which may produce inconsistent, confusing, and/or misleading information about sex education.

Shegog, R., Baumler, E., Addy, R. C., Peskin, M., & Thiel, M. A. (2017). Sexual health education for behavior change: How much is enough? Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 8(1), 1-13. This article highlights the importance of an evidence-based program on sexual health curricula at the K-12 education levels. The authors discuss the significant impact of competing academic priorities, such as standardized testing schedules, which do not always enable students to receive effective sexual health curricula through both the quantity and quality of a program’s exposure.

Smith, C. A., Park, A., Ireland, T. O., Elwyn, L., & Thornberry, T. P. (2013). Long-term outcomes of young adults exposed to maltreatment: The role of educational experiences in promoting resilience to crime and violence in early adulthood. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 28(1), 121-156. doi: 10.1177/0886260512448845 This study examines whether educational experiences in adolescence may have any mitigating impact on exposure to maltreatment and/or violence in early adulthood. The authors found that while a high G.P.A. had the most positive association with resilience to crime and violence, that the study’s results were consistent with literature that associates promotion of school achievement to increase resilience in urban youth.

Smith, S. G., Zhang, X., Basile, K. C., Merrick, M. T., Wang, J., Kresnow, M., & Chen, J. (2018). The national intimate partner and sexual violence survey (NISVS): Data brief – Updated release. Atlanta: GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1-25. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), originally collected in 2015 and recently updated in 2018, includes qualitative and quantitative data that relates to current victimization rates. These surveys provide rates that may not have been captured in other data sets to more accurately highlight the risk of sexual violence in the United States among different gender, age, and racial groups.

Whillier, S., Spence, N., Giuriato, R., & Chiro, G. D. (2019). A collaborative process for a program redesign for education in evidence-based health care. The Journal of Chiropractic Education, 33(1), 40-48. doi: 10.7899/JCE-17-31 The authors provide a perspective, not focused on sexual education curricula for K-12 students, which advocates for the importance of a restructured program created through a collaborative process. This supports the need for sexual education to be restructured nationally while acknowledging that this cannot be accomplished nor implemented successfully without collaboration. For instance, a program that is created with research experts, academics, professionals, community leaders, and state officials.

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The World’s Problem With Sex Ed

By Jonathan Zimmerman

March 9, 2015

ONTARIO was thrown into an uproar recently when officials presented the first changes to the province’s sex-education curriculum since 1998. Starting in the fall, second graders will learn about “saying no” and “improper touching”; third graders will be introduced to gender identity and sexual orientation; and seventh graders will learn of the dangers of “sexting” and of sexually transmitted diseases.

The Rev. Charles McVety, an evangelical minister, has led the charge against the new curriculum, calling it “sexually explicit and radical thinking” and a form of indoctrination.

But if you visit the Facebook page for Parents Against Ontario Sex-Ed Curriculum, you’ll find that it is populated less by white conservative Canadians like Mr. McVety than by minorities like Feras Marish, who helped start the page.

Mr. Marish, a Muslim immigrant from Kuwait, told reporters that in his community, sexual relationships outside of marriage are frowned upon, “but now all of a sudden it’s being heavily promoted by schools.” Chinese- and Filipino-Canadians have signed on to his group’s message: “I preserve my right to raise my children following my cultural and religious beliefs, and the curriculum compromises my rights.”

Enthusiasts of globalization often confuse it with liberalization. As people and ideas move around the world, the argument goes, ideals of individual liberty will replace the strictures of inherited tradition.

The story of sex ed suggests otherwise. Globalization has served to curtail rather than expand school-based sexual instruction. The more the world has become interconnected, the more sex ed has come under attack.

Sex ed in the United States dates from the Progressive Era, when groups like the American Social Hygiene Association promoted education as a route to eradicating venereal disease and prostitution. (John D. Rockefeller Jr. was a strong proponent.) Practices across the world varied widely; the early Soviet Union embraced relatively libertine sex ed, viewing traditional propriety as a form of bourgeois pretension, but in Mexico, the Roman Catholic Church led efforts to block nearly all attempts to teach human sexuality in the schools.

What’s distinctive in the last three decades is that immigrants have joined with native-born conservatives across the West to restrict these public-health teachings. As early as 1983, white conservatives in New Zealand warned that sex ed would alienate Maori populations as well as Asian immigrants.

This new alliance against sex ed went global in 1994, when the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo enshrined “reproductive rights” as a goal. “Information and services should be made available to adolescents to help them understand their sexuality,” it declared.

The backlash was immediate. Egypt, the host of the conference, joined with four other Muslim countries in dissenting, saying the ruling “could be interpreted as applying to sexual relations outside of marriage,” as an Iranian delegate explained. Two predominantly Catholic countries, El Salvador and Guatemala, also dissented, as did the delegation from the Vatican, which sent a papal envoy to Iran to coordinate opposition to the conference’s liberal ethos on sexuality.

Even Benazir Bhutto, then the prime minister of Pakistan, and a cosmopolitan with degrees from Harvard and Oxford, offered a rebuke. “This conference must not be viewed by the teeming masses of the world as a universal social charter seeking to impose adultery, abortion, sex education and other such matters on individuals, societies and religions, which have their own social ethos,” she said.

These tensions have played out in immigrant-heavy societies in recent years.

In the Netherlands, native-born Pentecostals and newcomers from Morocco and elsewhere have repeatedly attacked the country’s famously liberal sex-ed curriculum. “It is ironic that public sex ed became acceptable in the Netherlands at the same time as large groups of Muslim immigrants, with ideals of modesty and obligatory innocence, became resident in the country,” a Dutch historian noted in 2003. In 2007, British Muslim representatives condemned sex ed for promoting adultery and homosexuality, with help from a Conservative leader who pointed to the “natural ties of friendship, common outlook and values” between Muslim immigrants and his party. In 2009, when Unesco released sex-ed guidelines that included information on masturbation and contraception, American conservatives called them “culturally insensitive” to minorities. “It’s a kind of one-size-fits-all approach that’s damaging to cultures, religions and to children,” one abortion opponent warned.

Sex educators say that young people are sexual actors, no matter their culture, so schools should help them “make choices” about their bodies. But millions of people see their culture as a bulwark against sex among youth, who should have no choice in the matter.

That’s why schools everywhere should proceed with caution. To be clear, no credible research supports the claim that sex ed makes young people more likely to engage in sex. But we don’t have strong evidence that it consistently reduces teen pregnancy or venereal disease rates, either.

We do know that adolescents get most of their sexual ideas from mass media — and from one another — rather than from schools. So the most promising interventions involve out-of-school peer counseling or text-chat services like ICYC (In Case You’re Curious) and websites like Sexetc.org, which allow teens to gather information free from adult scrutiny.

In an age of globalization, in fact, schools are probably the least likely places for kids to learn about sex. Schools are central for deliberating the values we wish to transmit to our young. But on the subject of sex, we disagree too fundamentally to arrive at anything like a consensus about what adolescents should learn, know and become.

Jonathan Zimmerman , a professor of education and history at New York University, is the author of “Too Hot to Handle: A Global History of Sex Education.”

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Perception of Grade 12 Students on the Inclusion of Sex Education in Senior High School Curriculum

Globally, the issue of sex education has taken the center stage of discussions in health related forum. The need for sex education has always been debated upon and the importance of it to be enshrined in school’s curriculum has also been advocated. In the present era of increased in health related ailments such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and issues of unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, the need for adequate sex education has become more necessary. According to WHO (World Health Organization, 2006), sexuality is a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, practices, and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, ethical, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors. Sex education can be defined as an "education which increases the knowledge of the functional, structural and behavioral aspects of human reproduction (Chan & Jaafar, 2009).” Meanwhile, according to Alford (2001), comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as the best way to avoid self from contacting sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) and unintended pregnancies. At the same time, it also teaches about condoms and other contraception to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and infections with STDs including HIV. Also, according to Trudell (1992), sex education is one of the most controversial and politicized aspects of the school curriculum. It engages adults with distinct cultural, political and economic agendas in heated and acrimonious debates in which student voices are largely unheard. Religious fundamentalist coalitions have had considerable success in creating a climate in which even moderate approaches to sex education can appear radical. Adolescents’ sexuality has become an issue of controversy between the family, school and the church with each of the agents pointing accusing fingers at each other. Most of the adolescents, since they are maturing, are the people who are likely involved when we talk about sexuality. As stated by the United Nations, Philippines ranked first in the regional list of Asian countries that continued to have the greatest number of teenage pregnancies. It is also indicated that one in 10 young Filipina - between 15 and 19 years of age - is already a mother. Der Hor (2014) stated the recent data from the PSA (Philippine Statistical Authority) reveal that every hour, 24 babies are delivered by teenage mothers. According to the 2014 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS) study, around 14 percent of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 are either pregnant for the first time or are already mothers—more than twice the rate recorded in 2002. Among six major economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and is the only country where the rate is increasing, per the United Nations Population Fund. Der Hor (2014) also stated that the reasons for becoming pregnant among teenagers include: unplanned sexual encounters (getting caught up in the moment) and peer pressure; lack of information on safe sex; breakdown of family life and lack of good female role models in the family; and absence of accessible, adolescent-friendly clinics. According to the data and statistics of WHO, there were approximately 36.7 million of people living with HIV around the world at the end of 2015. 76% of all pregnant women living with HIV globally received medicines that prevent transmission to their babies in 2016. PSA found out that one in ten young Filipino women age 15-19 has begun childbearing: 8 percent are already mothers and another 2 percent are pregnant with their first child according to the results of the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Among young adult women age 20 to 24, 43 percent are already mothers and 4 percent are pregnant with their first child Nowadays, youth, especially the students, are especially vulnerable to the corrupting effects of pornography. At primary and secondary school, few of them can be said to be discriminating readers who can sift facts from fiction. They are not fully informed and their reading tastes are not mature, cultivated or trained. Moreover, the information regarding sex and sexuality is no longer a preserve of a chosen few. It oozes from every pore of society, from the television radio, pop music, magazine and novels. These sources are easily accessible to and captivate the youth. Adolescents are curious of everything. Most of the time, this curiosity leads them to bad things. Their attitude, interests, appearance and behavior are heavily influenced by their peers. Cleofe (2016) said that at their young age, they are already engaged in a relationships with their opposite sex. Some of them, lack knowledge on handling their relationship and fail to set boundaries. They fall into the traps of temptation when they get too emotionally attached to their partners.

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Introduction: The premarital sex knowledge and consequences among adolescents was the subject of the research presented. Premarital sex issues are bombarding and it is an emerging topic, though adolescents are not being serious about it, they will be in great trouble in near future if they did not get adequate knowledge about this topic as premarital sex consequences rates are increasing day by day in all over the world like STIs, adolescence pregnancy, guilt, depression, stress, loss of self-respects etc especially on young adolescents. Methods: It was descriptive, cross-sectional study. Simple random sampling lottery method was used for obtaining 141 samples from higher secondary school. Self-administered questionnaire was distributed among adolescent to obtain their responses regarding premarital sex. Results: Out of 141 respondents, the study revealed that 87.2% responded premarital sex to be inappropriate. While 34% responded the cause of having premarital sex is due to lack ...

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Background. In order to achieve a change among teens' sexual behavior, an important step is to improve our knowledge about their opinions concerning relationships, love and sexuality. Methods. A questionnaire including topics on relationships, love and sexuality was distributed to a target population of 4,000 Filipino students from third year high school to third year college. Participants were obtained through multi-stage sampling of clusters of universities and schools. This paper concentrates on teens aged 13 to 18. Results. Students reported that they obtained information about love and sexuality mainly from friends. However, they valued parents' opinion more than friends'. They revealed few conversations with their parents on these topics. A majority of them would like to have more information, mainly about emotion-related topics. Almost half of respondents were not aware that condoms are not 100% effective in preventing STIs or pregnancies. More girls, compared to boys, were sensitive and opposed to several types of sexism. After adjusting for sex, age and institution, the belief of 100% condom effectiveness and the approval of pornography and sexism were associated with being sexually experienced. Conclusion. There is room for further encouraging parents to talk more with their children about sexuality, specially aspects related to feelings and emotions in order to help them make better sexual choices. Indeed, teens wish to better communicate with their parents on these issues. Condoms are regarded as safer than what they really are by almost half of the participants of this study, and such incorrect knowledge seems to be associated with sexual initiation.

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The reproductive and sexual health of adolescents is an important health concern and a focus of global attention. In Sri Lanka, a lack of understanding about adolescent reproductive and sexual health needs is a matter of national concern. A survey was undertaken to examine the sexual knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of school going adolescents in Sri Lanka. A random sample of schools was selected from one district. Data were collected by a self-completion questionnaire and analysed using SPSS. Response rate was 90%. 2020 pupils (26% boys, 74% girls) aged 16-19 years (mean=16.9) participated, the majority Sinhalese (97%). Most reported a good parent-child relationship (88%). A minority (34%) discussed sexual issues with parents. Health professionals were the preferred source of sexual information (32%) rather than parents (12.5%) or friends (5.6%). Less than 1% demonstrated satisfactory sexual and reproductive knowledge levels. 1.7% were sexually active (30 boys vs 5 girls), the m...

Comprehensive sexuality education topics: what to cover from early childhood - 18+

This CSE Topics overview accompanies our overall programme standards - Putting the C in CSE. It describes Plan International’s vision of sexuality, learning and the healthy development of children, adolescents and young people. It seeks to clarify the different domains or topics of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) that need to be included, and for which approximate age group. The information is arranged into three sections: 1) Knowledge: what children, adolescents and young people will understand; 2) Attitudes: what children, adolescents and young people will appreciate and recognise; 3) Skills: what children, adolescents and young people will be able to do.

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IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES

The Importance of Sexual Health Education

Teenagers face many difficult decisions when it comes to sexual health and their future. With access to so much information online and the growing presence of social media, teens are exposed to an array of information regarding sexual and reproductive health 1 . And while many teens turn to social media for trusted information, we also know there is a presence of misinformation as platforms are unregulated. So, how do we address this?

One way is through in-person educational courses with trusted sources to provide accurate and timely information for youth on sexual health. With this approach, teens can have access to reliable information that will enable them to make informed decision on their sexual health. According to The National Coalition for Sexual Health, youth are more likely to practice safe sex, delay a sexual relationship, and minimize the risk for an unplanned pregnancy after having received sexual health education 2 . That is why National Health Foundation is proud to provide sexual health education courses across Title 1 schools in South and East Los Angeles.

The Be a Successful Teen Acting Responsibly (Be a STAR) program is a 10-week course, where participants learn a variety of topics regarding sexual health, relationships and academic success. Courses are tailored for high school youth and provide community resources to help students prepare for a successful future both personally and academically. In 2019, 139 students graduated from the program.

“Be a STAR is an amazing program. You learn so much [about sexual health] and Ms. Lauren is super amazing!” Jenny H., Be a STAR participant.

In March of 2020, NHF adapted to the Stay-at-Home order by providing virtual classes that were open to the public. Within weeks, the Be a STAR virtual program grew from 6 participants to 45, demonstrating the need for programming that supports sexual and reproductive health among teens. Even graduates from prior NHF groups reached out to participate in the program.

Pregnant & Parenting Teens

While teens served by the Be a STAR program face many challenges, parenting teens, have a unique set of needs. Parenting teens are more likely to drop out of high school, with only 53% of teen moms graduating high school after having their child 3 . To support this population, NHF provides tailored education for young parents through our Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program (PPT). This 12-week evidence-based curriculum covers crucial topics like time management, budgeting and sexual health, with an emphasis on resources and information parents need to advocate for themselves and their families.

Through a series of focus groups, surveys, and informal interviews Program Coordinator Lauren Brunet and Program Manager Grace Cotangco identify key barriers to pregnancy prevention and academic success ranging from family planning, to relationship issues, to childcare access. By identifying these areas, NHF provides specialized courses and resources to address these needs.

“NHF helps our students by providing an education that supports body autonomy and empowers young people to make the right choices to support their lives. Lauren, our NHF educator, provides a space for my students to ask questions and learn.” Tanya Lentz, Teacher at McAlister Central High School.

Moving Beyond Educational Resources

While NHF values the importance of skills development, we also understand that parenting teens have immediate needs for items such as diapers and other essentials. Through our partnership with Baby2Baby, NHF is able to donate diapers, wipes and baby formula to students as incentives for participating in the program. As such, NHF is able to meet immediate needs, while also fostering investigative skills that enables young mothers to make informed decisions for themselves and their families.

Despite challenges faced during the pandemic, in 2020, NHF’s education programs have continued to provide critical resources and support.

i. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/teenagers-and-young-adults-learn-sexual-health-through-social-media

Ii. https://nationalcoalitionforsexualhealth.org/data-research/audience-profiles/document/adolescentbackgrounder-final.pdf, iii. data point: half of 20-to 29-year-old women who gave birth in their teens have a high school diploma. (2018, february 14). retrieved from: https://childtrends.org/half-20-29-year-old-women-gave-birth-teens-high-school-diploma.

Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/05/16/new-rshe-guidance-what-it-means-for-sex-education-lessons-in-schools/

New RSHE guidance: What it means for sex education lessons in schools

R elationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is a subject taught at both primary and secondary school.

In 2020, Relationships and Sex Education was made compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.

Last year, the Prime Minister and Education Secretary brought forward the first review of the curriculum following reports of pupils being taught inappropriate content in RSHE in some schools.

The review was informed by the advice of an independent panel of experts. The results of the review and updated guidance for consultation has now been published.

We are now asking for views from parents, schools and others before the guidance is finalised. You can find the consultation here .

What is new in the updated curriculum?

Following the panel’s advice, w e’re introducing age limits, to ensure children aren’t being taught about sensitive and complex subjects before they are ready to fully understand them. 

We are also making clear that the concept of gender identity – the sense a person may have of their own gender, whether male, female or a number of other categories – is highly contested and should not be taught. This is in line with the cautious approach taken in our gu idance on gender questioning children.

Along with other factors, teaching this theory in the classroom could prompt some children to start to question their gender when they may not have done so otherwise, and is a complex theory for children to understand.

The facts about biological sex and gender reassignment will still be taught.

The guidance for schools also contains a new section on transparency with parents, making it absolutely clear that parents have a legal right to know what their children are being taught in RSHE and can request to see teaching materials.

In addition, we’re seeking views on adding several new subjects to the curriculum, and more detail on others. These include:

Suicide prevention
Sexual harassment and sexual violence
L oneliness
The prevalence of 'deepfakes’
Healthy behaviours during pregnancy, as well as miscarriage
Illegal online behaviours including drug and knife supply
The dangers of vaping 
Menstrual and gynaecological health including endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and heavy menstrual bleeding.

What are the age limits?

In primary school, we’ve set out that subjects such as the risks about online gaming, social media and scams should not be taught before year 3.

Puberty shouldn’t be taught before year 4, whilst sex education shouldn’t be taught before year 5, in line with what pupils learn about conception and birth as part of the national curriculum for science.

In secondary school, issues regarding sexual harassment shouldn’t be taught before year 7, direct references to suicide before year 8 and any explicit discussion of sexual activity before year 9.

Do schools have to follow the guidance?

Following the consultation, the guidance will be statutory, which means schools must follow it unless there are exceptional circumstances. 

There is some flexibility w ithin the age ratings, as schools will sometimes need to respond to questions from pupils about age-restricted content, if they come up earlier within their school community.

In these circumstances, schools are instructed to make sure that teaching is limited to the essential facts without going into unnecessary details, and parents should be informed.

When will schools start teaching this?

School s will be able to use the guidance as soon as we publish the final version later this year.

However, schools will need time to make changes to their curriculum, so we will allow an implementation period before the guidance comes into force.   

What can parents do with these resources once they have been shared?

This guidance has openness with parents at its heart. Parents are not able to veto curriculum content, but they should be able to see what their children are being taught, which gives them the opportunity to raise issues or concerns through the school’s own processes, if they want to.

Parents can also share copyrighted materials they have received from their school more widely under certain circumstances.

If they are not able to understand materials without assistance, parents can share the materials with translators to help them understand the content, on the basis that the material is not shared further.

Copyrighted material can also be shared under the law for so-called ‘fair dealing’ - for the purposes of quotation, criticism or review, which could include sharing for the purpose of making a complaint about the material.

This could consist of sharing with friends, families, faith leaders, lawyers, school organisations, governing bodies and trustees, local authorities, Ofsted and the media. In each case, the sharing of the material must be proportionate and accompanied by an acknowledgment of the author and its ownership.

Under the same principle, parents can also share relevant extracts of materials with the general public, but except in cases where the material is very small, it is unlikely that it would be lawful to share the entirety of the material.

These principles would apply to any material which is being made available for teaching in schools, even if that material was provided subject to confidentiality restrictions.

Do all children have to learn RSHE?

Parents still have the right to withdraw their child from sex education, but not from the essential content covered in relationships educatio n.

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113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for gender roles essay topics? This field is hot, controversial, and really worth exploring!

🔝 Top 10 Gender Topics
📝 Gender Essay: Writing Tips
🏆 Gender Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

✍️ Gender Argumentative Essay Topics

❓ research questions about gender roles.

In your gender role essay, you might want to focus on the issues of gender equality in the workplace. Another exciting option is to write about gender stereotypes in education. Finally, you can elaborate on how traditional gender roles are changing.

In this article, you’ll find a list of gender argumentative essay topics, ideas for papers on gender and society, as well as top gender roles essay examples.

🔝 Top 10 Gender Roles Topics

Gender stereotypes and the way they affect people
Fighting gender stereotypes and sexism
Gender equality in the workplace
Gender stereotypes in education
Gender schema theory
Is gender socially constructed?
Social learning theory and gender
Gender roles and sexual orientation
Body image and gender
Social gender construction in the media

📝 Gender Roles Essay: Writing Tips

Essays on gender roles present students’ understanding of the similarities, differences, and aspects of gender roles in society.

Writing gender roles essays helps learners to understand the significance of topics related to gender roles and the changes in societal norms. Students should be highly aware of the problems associated with traditional gender roles. For example, there are many periods in world history, in which people did not have equal rights.

Moreover, some aspects of gender roles may be associated with discrimination. To make an essay on this problem outstanding, you should discuss the problem in detail and present your points clearly. A useful tip is to develop a good structure for your paper.

Before starting to work on the paper, you should select the problem that is most interesting or relevant to you.

Gender roles essay topics and titles may include:

The history of gender roles and their shifts throughout the time
Male and female roles in society
Gender roles in literature and media
How a man and a woman is perceived in current society
The causes and outcomes of gender discrimination
The problem of ‘glass ceiling’
The problem of social stratification and its outcomes
The revolution in the concept of gender

After selecting the issue for discussion, you can start working on the essay’s structure. Here are some useful tips on how to structure your paper:

Select the topic you want to discuss (you can choose one from the list above). Remember to pay attention to the type of essay you should write. If it is an argumentative essay, reflect on what problem you would want to analyze from opposing perspectives.
Gender roles essay titles are important because they can help you to get the reader’s attention. Think of something simple but self-explanatory.
An introductory paragraph is necessary, as it will present the questions you want to discuss in the paper. Remember to state the thesis of your essay in this section.
Think of your gender roles essay prompts. Which aspects of the selected problem do you want to focus on? Dedicate a separate section for each of the problems.
Remember to include a refutation section if you are writing an argumentative essay. In this section, you should discuss an alternative perspective on the topic in 1-2 paragraphs. Do not forget to outline why your opinion is more credible than the alternative one.
Avoid making the paragraphs and sentences too long. You can stick to a 190 words maximum limit for one paragraph. At the same time, make sure that the paragraphs are longer than 65 words. Try to make all sections of the body paragraphs of similar length.
Check out examples online to see how you can structure your paper and organize the information. Pay attention to the number of paragraphs other students include.
Remember to include a gender roles essay conclusion. In this paragraph, you will discuss the most important claims of your paper.
Do not forget to add a reference page in which you will include the sources used in the paper. Ask your professor in advance about the types of literature you can utilize for the essay.

Do not forget that there are free samples on our website that can help you to get the best ideas for your essay!

🏆 Gender Roles Essay Examples & Topic Ideas

Gender Roles in Antigone Essay This will be seen through an analysis of the other characters in the play and the values of ancient Greeks. Indeed this central character appears to be at odds with the inclinations of the other […]
Gender Roles Set in Stone: Prehistoric and Ancient Work of Arts In the prehistoric and ancient works of art, the representation of women and men reveals a massive imbalance in gender equity that favors men over women.
Gender Roles in “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams In the play The Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams has written the story of the Wingfield family that lived in St Louis during the 1940s.
Conflict of Gender Roles in Munro’s “Boys and Girls” Munro’s “Boys and Girls” is a story about a puzzled girl who struggles to find the balance between the battles of her inner female-housewife side, like her mother, and a boyish character who likes to […]
Gender Roles in The Yellow Wallpaper & Trifles The two texts; the short story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins and the play ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell strategically illustrate this claim since they both aim at attracting the reader’s attention to the poor […]
Gender Roles: Changes From the Late 1800’s to Today The definition of who is a male or a female depends on the types of gender roles one was exposed to during the early ages. In today’s society, we have a greater number of women […]
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Gender Roles in the 19th Century Society: Charlotte Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper However, the narrator’s developing madness can also act as the symbolical depiction of the effects of the men’s dominance on women and the female suppression in the 19th-century society.”The Yellow Wallpaper” was first published in […]
Gender Roles Inversion: The Madonna Phenomenon At the same time partial narrowing of the gender gap in the context of economic participation did not lead to the equality of men and women in the field of their occupations.
Gender Roles and Stereotyping in Education Teachers should be trained to give clear and useful instruction to students on the issue of gender roles in modern society.
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Gender Roles and Body Image in Disney Movies In this research, attention will be paid to gender roles and body images of Disney princesses to understand the popularity of the franchise and its impact on child development.
Changing Gender Roles in Families Over Time The division of labor and traditional gender roles in the family usually consists of men doing the work while women take care of the children, other relatives, and housekeeping.
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Gender Roles in South Korean Laws and Society At the same time, all custody is traditionally granted to husbands and fathers in a case of a divorce” though the anxiety about the high divorce rate and the nasty endings of relationships is more […]
Cohabitation and Division of Gender Roles in a Couple Cohabitation is perceived in the society as the form of relationships which is an effective alternative to the traditional marriage because of focusing on the principles of flexibility, freedom, and equality, but few couples can […]
The Concepts of Gender Roles and Sexuality by John Money and Judith Butler These categories of feminists are united in the belief of existence of many children and little sex. This paper explains the concepts and ideologies relating to gender roles and sexuality.as advocated by John Money and […]
Gender Roles: From Prehistoric Era to Modern Society Since each gender was assigned a particular role in the past due to the differences in the biological makeup between a man and a woman in the prehistoric era, the modern process of communication between […]
Gender Roles in Brady’s and Theroux’s Works In the satire “Being a Man” by Paul Theroux, the author demonstrates to readers the essence of how a particular manifestation of masculinity is extolled in American society.
Evaluating Gender Roles in Nursing The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives on the experience and gender roles of male and female students, as well as how they think about their future professional roles.
Women’s Gender Roles in American Literature The stories written by Constance Woolson Fenimore, Mary Wilkins Freeman, and Jaqueline Bishop highlight the harmful gender roles and discrimination that still remains a major topic for disputes and illustrate the fate of oppressed women.
Aspects of Gender Roles and Identity The breadth of her practice in transgender issues suggests that every choice Bowers makes is ethical, requiring her to be respectful and highly responsible.
Gender Roles, Expectations, and Discrimination Despite Isaac being the calmest boy in the school, he had a crush on Grace, a beautiful girl in the school who was from a wealthy family.
Gender Roles in Social Constructionism The reality, in the view of sociologists, is a social attitude in connection with which a personality is formed that adapts to the requirements of the world.
Gender Roles and Stereotypes in Straightlaced Film One might conclude that gender neutrality and abstraction in offices are only a cover to maintain the basis of gender injustice.
Gender Roles and Body Images The media has one of the most widespread and significant effects on how we perceive men and women. It is incorrectly assumed that men are the cultural norm, while women stay invisible and underrepresented by […]
Biology and Gender Roles in Society Thus, it may be more convenient for society to justify the imposition of certain gender roles on men and women using biology-related arguments, which, in reality, are more related to culture and social development.
Children’s Views of Gender Roles Today, both parents and teachers see the positive impact of the attempts to integrate anti-biased gender-related education on young children as they get more freedom to express themselves and grow up less aggressive.
The Construction of Gender Roles However, it is wrong to consider women exposed to the domestic work powerless, as they have the opportunity to informally or implicitly influence men and the decisions they make.
Sociology of the Family: Gender Roles Thus, the societal predisposition and notion that women are lesser in the community should be abandoned, and greater emphasis should be placed on the critical functions they perform in the household. These assertions, equivocations, and […]
Femininity and Masculinity: Understanding Gender Roles The understanding of how gender roles are portrayed in the media and the general perception of the expected behavior for men and women communicated non-verbally in the society is the basis on which children build […]
Injustice Within Strict Gender Roles There is still no clear answer to how a person can find his or her destiny and place in the world, and understand the opportunities and prospects, considering the opinion of the dominant number of […]
Gender Roles and How People Perceive Them However, all of the survey participants indicated that their families would be inclined to differentiate between the toys for a child based on the latter’s sex and the corresponding perceived gender role.
Gender Roles in TV Commercials and Values in the Society Each of them will watch, code, and analyze the TV commercials separately; at the end of the procedure, their results will be compared in order to ensure the inter-observer reliability of the chosen research method.
Toxic Masculinity and Gender Roles: New Aspects in Discussions Between Men and Women It is believed that men have to be silent and invincible warriors who exercise power due to their status of a man.
Gender Roles in Contemporary Society The conditions of life are tough and it is presumed that only men are able to carry out such hardships and limitations of a soldier life.
Gender Roles in ‘Mr. Green’ by Robert Olen Butler Green Butler uses the character of the grandfather to develop the theme of gender roles within the culture. The character of the grandfather is extremely sound for the cultural beliefs the author conveyed through all […]
Culture and History: Gender Roles Over the Past 50 or So Years It is not that there were no women in the workforce; it was just that she had to choose one over the other, juggling the two was quite rare and unheard of.
Gender Roles and Sexuality in Media: Cosmopolitan & Maxim The woman portrayed in these sites is supposed to look ‘hot’ and sexy in order to be attractive to a man.
The Problem of Gender Roles in Society Based on Plays by Glaspell and Ibsen The men in the play are constantly showing their self-importance, they are trying to act like real detectives, and they do not even realize that Mrs. But, all of a sudden, the moment of repaying […]
Social Element in Gender Roles I learned of the origins of gay and lesbian studies, as well that of the confining of such studies in earlier times to specific institutions.
Equality: The Use of TV to Develop Our Gender Roles In this sense, when it is the men who predominantly work outside of the home, they will usually see the home as a place of leisure and so use the TV as a source of […]
Family Unit and Gender Roles in Society and Market The role of molding the infant into an adult belonged to the family in the ancient society. In the past, the father was expected to be the breadwinner of the family.
Gender Roles and Social Classes in Wartime The message is as simple as “The women of Britain say ‘Go.’” It points to the role of both men and women in wartime.
The Necessity for Gender Roles The potential change from the elimination of the differences in gender may affect every perceived part of one’s life. Such factors as one’s occupation, status, and appearance may also contribute to the creation of stereotypes.
Changing Gender Roles Between Boys and Girls In the twenty-first Century, girls have greatly stepped up and assumed some of the roles that were considered to be boy’s while boys have done the same leading to an interchange of roles.
Nomadic Society’s Gender Roles and Warrior Culture On the one hand, it was clear that the 1100s and the 1200s included the period of male power. It was wrong to assume that all women were similar and treat them in the same […]
“Beside Oneself” by Judith Butler: Gender Roles Following the views of the author, who states that choice in the formation of gender and sexuality is not transparent, and a key role is still played by others in the form of expectations and […]
Gender Roles in Couples and Sex Stereotypes Altogether, the last reconsiderations of the nature of relations promoted the appearance of numerous debates related to the role of partners and their right to be the leader.
Understanding the Social Element in Gender Roles When saying that gender is a binary construction, one implies that there are two genders, namely, the masculine and the feminine one, and two corresponding types of social behaviour, which are predetermined by the existing […]
Gender Roles in Tango: Cultural Aspects However, one should not assume that the role of women in tango is inferior because they create the most aesthetic aspects of this dance.
Gender Roles in Toy Stores According to Fisher-Thompson et al, two of the major differentiating factors in toys for girls and boys are color and nature.
Discussing Gender Roles in the Interaction Perspective It is the purpose of this issue to discuss the concept of gender roles using the sociological perspective of symbolic interaction.
Women in Hip-Hop Music: A Provocative and Objectified Gender Roles It is one thing that men want women to be in music videos and play a particular role, but women are willing to participate in the videos.
Content Analysis of Gender Roles in Media In the critical analysis of the article, the point of disagreement is that of under-representation of women in the media. How do the media subordinate and relegate roles of women in society?
Effects of Media Messages about Gender Roles Media articles, such as the Maxim Magazine and the Cosmopolitan Magazine, socialize individuals to believe that women are very different from men as regards to dressing, behaving, and eating.
The Change of Gender Roles This similarity is one of the most important to focus on the structure of the narrative. In both plays, the main actions of the characters are not directly described by the authors.
Gender Equality: Male Dominance The simple reason is that gender inequality exists in affluent societies wherein women are free to do what they want, have access to education, and have the capacity to create wealth.
“The Odd Women” and “Women in Love”: Evolving Views of Gender Roles An effort is also made to track the changes of the roles of women in the social fabric in the Victorian era by considering The Odd Women by George Gissing written in 1893.
Gender Roles: Constructing Gender Identity In the course of the twentieth century and at the threshold of the twenty-first century, the images and roles of gender have constantly been changing.
Analysis of the Peculiarities of Gender Roles Within Education, Families and Student Communities Peculiarities of gender aspect within the education system and labour market Attitude for marriage of men and women as one of the major aspects within the analysis of gender roles Family relations as a significant […]
Ideology of Gender Roles In the world of literature, ideology has played a vital role in depicting the condition of the society. In this scenario, Kingston reveals that the men out-live their roles in the society, and they are […]
Concepts of Gender Roles As a result of these, the war on gender inequality and sexism has failed, because of the failure of these agents of change to promote gender equality and eliminate discriminative notions held by the society.
Gender Roles in the United States Over the Last Century The men’s perception towards this idea was negative, and this consequently resulted to a conflict with the men claiming that the roles of the women were in the kitchen.
Fashions, gender roles and social views of the 1950s and 1960s Fashion was highly valued and this can be seen in the way the clothes worn by the wives of the presidential candidates in America hit the headlines. In the 1950s, the role of housekeeping and […]
Cheating, Gender Roles, and the Nineteenth-Century Croquet Craze The author’s main thesis is, “Yet was this, in fact, how the game was played on the croquet lawns of the nineteenth century?” Whereas authors of croquet manuals and magazines emphasize so much on the […]
Gender Roles in Cartoons Though the males are portrayed to be logical, but it is shown that the females are more successful because of simple blunders or miscalculations which males fail to understand, females are able to beat males […]
The Industrial Revolution Impact on the Gender Roles The population growth combined with the increased productivity of small parts of the country and the migration of the now landless people in search of work opportunities led to the phenomena of urbanization.
How Does Aristophanes Represent Gender Roles in Lysistrata?
Are Gender Roles and Relationships More Equal in Modern Family Life?
How Do Children Develop Gender Roles?
Does Men’s Fashion Reflect Changes in Male Gender Roles?
How Did Colonialism Resonate With Gender Roles and Oppression?
Are Gender Roles Damaging Society?
How Did Revolutions Affect Gender Roles?
Are Gender Roles Defined by Society or by Genetics?
How Have Family Structure and Gender Roles Changed?
Are Gender Roles Fluid When Dealing With Death and Tragedy?
How Do Gender Roles Affect Communication?
Are Gender Roles Natural?
How Do Gender Roles Affect Immigrants?
Are Gender Stereotyped Roles Correct?
How Do Gender Roles Affect the Physical and Emotional Health?
Have Gender Roles Played a Big Part in the History?
How Do Gender Roles and Extroversion Effects How Much People Talk?
What Are Gender Roles? How Are They Defined?
How Are Gender Roles Predetermined by the Environment?
What Drives the Gender Wage Gap?
How Has Gender Roles Changed Over the Last Centuries?
What Factors Influence Gender Roles?
How Have Gender Roles in Japanese Theatre Influenced and Affected Societal View on Homosexuality and Masculinity?
What Society Norms for Gender Roles Should Be Conceived?
How Have Traditional Gender Roles Been Stressful?
What Was Distinctive About Gender Roles in the Nineteenth Century?
How Has Hegemonic Masculinity Set Ideas of Gender Roles?
How Do Media and Politics Influence Gender Roles?
Where Does the Truth on Gender Roles Lie in Nahua and Mayan Civilizations?
How Radical Are the Changes to the Gender Roles in Carter’s “The Company of Wolves”?
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‘It is our duty:’ Understanding Parents’ Perspectives on Reproductive and Sexual Health Education

Amanda cameron.

a South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA

Ellie Smith

b College of Public Health and Human Sciences, Oregon State University, St. Corvallis, OR, USA

Nicholas Mercer

c Department of Political Science, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA

Beth Sundstrom

d Department of Communication, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, USA

South Carolina ranks 16 th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy. The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA) does not require medically accurate, unbiased, culturally appropriate materials, and varies greatly in compliance and implementation. This study aimed to better understand parents’ perspectives in one county in South Carolina regarding reproductive and sexual health education. A total of 484 parents responded to a qualitative questionnaire, collectively representing 798 students. Researchers conducted a thematic analysis to organise data. Main themes identified include comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a duty; dispelling the myth of abstinence-only education; and the value of comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Parents described teaching reproductive sexual health education in public schools as a ‘duty.’ Furthermore, parents rejected the idea that abstinence-only education is effective and believed reproductive and sexual health education should be taught without the influence of religion. Parents valued inclusive reproductive and sexual health education, covering a robust set of topics. Findings from the study provide evidence for the need to update current reproductive and sexual health education materials and legislation to meet parental demands and reduce youth sexual and reproductive health disparities.

Teenage pregnancy often results in negative outcomes for women, infants and communities including poorer educational, behavioural and health outcomes compared to children born to older parents ( Hoffman and Maynard 2008 ). Despite recent declines in teenage pregnancy, including an eight percent decrease from 2014 to 2015, the USA faces higher rates of teenage pregnancy than other high-income nations ( CDC 2016 ; Finer and Zolna 2016 ). Lower socioeconomic status and education levels for teenagers and parents may contribute to increased incidence of teenage pregnancies ( Penman-Aguilar et al. 2013 ). In 2015, teenage pregnancy cost US taxpayers 3.7 billion dollars, including costs for publicly funded nutrition, health care, and childcare assistance programmes ( Frost et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, teenage pregnancy contributes to increased rates of incarceration, a cycle of lower educational attainment, and unemployment for teenage parents and their children ( CDC 2016 ; Hoffman and Maynard 2008 ).

South Carolina, USA

In South Carolina, the teenage birth rate decreased by nine percent from 2015 to 2016. However, South Carolina ranks 16 th in the USA for highest rates of teenage pregnancy ( Martin et al. 2018 ). The public burden of teenage pregnancy costs South Carolina taxpayers an estimated $166 million annually ( SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2018 ). Further, South Carolina reports high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), ranking 7 th in the nation for rates of Chlamydia and 9 th for gonorrhoea, and over half of all South Carolina high school students (aged 14-18 years) reported having sex in 2017 ( CDC 2017 ; South Carolina Department of Education 2017 ).

South Carolina, along with 36 other states, mandates HIV or reproductive health education ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act (CHEA), Title 59 Chapter 32, requires comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education be taught in public schools. The CHEA mandates that grades Kindergarten to 5 (i.e children aged 5-10 years) receive comprehensive health education; grades 6-8 (aged 11-13 years) receive comprehensive health education, including instruction on STIs; and at least seven hundred and fifty minutes of reproductive health and pregnancy prevention education be taught at least one time during the four years of high school. According to CHEA, ‘reproductive health education’ is defined as ‘instruction in human physiology, conception, prenatal care and development, childbirth, and postnatal care, but does not include instruction concerning sexual practices outside marriage or practices unrelated to reproduction except within the context of the risk of disease’ ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). Furthermore, abstinence must be ‘strongly emphasized.’ ( South Carolina Legislature 1988 ).

However, CHEA remains outdated by not requiring medically accurate, culturally appropriate and unbiased health information, the exclusion of information on gender and sexual minorities (i.e., non-heterosexual), and previously purposed amendments fail sufficiently to incorporate these requirements ( Orekoya et al. 2016 ; South Carolina Legislature 1988 ). For example, proposed amendments advocate for the inclusion of defining ‘medically accurate’ health information, but not ‘culturally appropriate’ or ‘unbiased’ health information (e.g., without the influence of religion). Furthermore, large variations persist in materials and implementation of education curricula across the state and school districts ( Orekoya et al. 2016 ).

The most recent state-wide survey on reproductive and sexual health education, conducted in 2005 among registered voters of South Carolina, found over three quarters of participants believed reproductive and sexual health education should emphasise abstinence-only education. Nearly all (88.4%) of the participants indicated the responsibility to teach reproductive and sexual health education falls on parents ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). However, half of all participants indicated the number of reproductive and sexual health education should increase, and 70% believed the number of teenage pregnancy prevention programmes should increase in South Carolina ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). A more recent focus-group study involving parents found parents desire a collaborative process, including a larger role from schools, to implement teenage pregnancy prevention programmes in South Carolina public schools ( Rose et al. 2014 ).

Despite these previous findings, no changes have been made to CHEA since its introduction in 1988. CHEA’s outdated and limited standards, coupled with a conservative culture, may contribute to higher rates of poor health outcomes for South Carolina’s youth ( Guttmacher Institute 2018 ; Orekoya et al. 2016 ). Research indicates parents may not be equipped with accurate, comprehensive knowledge to teach reproductive and sexual health education solely in the home ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ), therefore implementing medically accurate, unbiased school-based sexual education curricula may improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health outcomes.

Comprehensive School-Based Reproductive and Sexual Health Education

Parents of adolescents indicate a need for comprehensive school-based sexual education in order to reduce teenage pregnancies and empower youth ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Howard et al. 2017 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ). Previous studies describe the benefits of comprehensive sexual education policies, including decreased incidence of teenage pregnancy, ( Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty 2008 ) delay of sex initiation, ( Kirby 2008 ) increased condom and contraceptive use, ( de Castro et al. 2018 ; Kirby 2008 ) and more accurate sexual health knowledge ( Grose, Grabe, and Kohfeldt 2014 ). Current school-based sexual education policies are often outdated ( Greslé-Favier 2010 ), vary largely by state ( Santelli et al. 2017 ), and emphasise abstinence-only sex education, which does not decrease incidence of teenage pregnancy ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). Moreover, studies suggest abstinence-only reproductive and sexual health education does not delay initiation of sexual debut, ( Kirby 2008 ; Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty 2008 ) and may contribute to higher rates of teenage pregnancy due to lack of contraceptive counseling ( Stanger-Hall and Hall 2011 ). This necessitates a comprehensive, inclusive understanding of stakeholders’ (i.e., parents of students) perspectives and opinions regarding school-based reproductive and sexual health education.

Survey data from previous studies indicate parents of children and young people overwhelmingly value school-based comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education that includes information on contraception, ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ; M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Grose, Grabe, and Kohfeldt 2014 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ) relationships and gender identity ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Simovska and Peter 2015 ). Focus group studies, including those with parents, teachers and school stakeholders, found reproductive and sexual health education curricula and teenage pregnancy prevention programmes should detail the ‘real life,’ honest consequences associated with sexual activity, include age appropriate materials, and should be standardised in delivery ( M. Eisenberg et al. 2012 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Murray et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, parents detail how their own lack of sexual health knowledge creates an impetus for schools to teach these subjects ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ). Not only should reproductive and sexual health education address the needs and wants of parents, but also diverse groups of individuals, including gender non-conforming, lesbian, gay bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) community members who otherwise remain marginalised from heteronormative reproductive and sexual health education materials ( Hobaica and Kwon 2017 ).

Purpose of the Study

This study was conducted in Charleston County on behalf of the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council (CCTPPC). CCTPPC is a nonprofit organisation aiming to reduce teenage pregnancy and improve the quality of life in the Charleston community. To achieve its mission, the council provides teen age pregnancy data, community resources, contraceptive access, and effective teenage pregnancy prevention programmes ( CCTPPC 2019 ). Community events held by CCTPPC found a common theme that parents felt their voices were not heard and frustration regarding the lengthy and late timing school board meetings, making it difficult to even attend.

In 2015, despite unanimous approval from the health advisory committee, the Charleston County school board rejected a new Making Proud Choices! comprehensive sex education curriculum. In 2016, the Charleston County School Board rejected a curriculum that would have allowed seventh and eighth graders to learn about pregnancy prevention techniques, including birth control methods and effective condom use, with their parents’ permission ( Pan 2016 ). Most recently, parents were upset to find out that the health advisory committee (mandated by CHEA) is required to have three clergy members, as compared to only two health professionals, two parents, two teachers, two students and two other persons not employed by the local school district ( Schiferl 2019 ).

Few existing studies exploring views on school-based reproductive and sexual health education offer qualitative or open-ended data from parents alone, thus limiting the representation and understanding of parents’ perspectives, opinions and values regarding school-based reproductive and sexual health education ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Murray et al. 2014 ). Furthermore, updated findings are needed in order to address the modern desires of South Carolina parents that may not be properly represented in older studies. Qualitative research provides in-depth insight into participants’ understandings. Against this background, the purpose of this study was to better understand the parental opinions related to sexual health education in Charleston County, South Carolina public schools. We expect findings to identify practical opportunities to meet the needs of parents and ultimately improve adolescent and teenage sexual health outcomes.

This qualitative study was part of a larger research project investigating the opinions of parents in Charleston County about preferred reproductive health education topics. A qualitative questionnaire was developed with open-ended questions designed to elicit in-depth and rich responses. Through the strategic use of open-ended questions, researchers elicited robust responses and stories from participants suitable for qualitative analysis ( O’Cathain and Thomas 2004 ). Further, scholars suggest that web-based surveys offer the potential to increase participation from diverse, hard-to-access, and marginalised populations, who are often understudied ( McInroy 2016 ; Wright 2005 ). Open-ended text responses were analysed using thematic analysis ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). The University of South Florida institutional review board (IRB) approved this study.

Data collection

Eligible participants included parents and caregivers with at least one child attending a Charleston County public school. Potential respondents were recruited through email, web-based listservs, social media (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) and word of mouth. Examples of the different social media pages and listservs included local churches, the Ryan White Program, the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the YWCA, Communities in Schools, multiple Charleston Mom Facebook groups and many other social media pages parents might frequent (posted by individual accounts as well as those of relevant organisations).

Recruitment materials included unbiased language to encourage participation: ‘Do you have a child attending Charleston County Public Schools? We want to hear from you! Please take 3 minutes to complete this survey on parental opinions related to reproductive health education in public schools.’ There was no compensation provided to participants. Researchers encouraged participants to share the survey with other parents in Charleston County, creating a ‘snowball’ sampling approach, meaning current study participants recruit additional participants to ‘keep the ball rolling’ and facilitate ongoing recruitment ( Berg and Lune 2012 ). Participants completed an anonymous, self-administered, online questionnaire through REDCap, a secure web application. espondents provided brief demographic details to ensure responses represented a diverse segment of the population. Computer IP addresses were limited to one submission to minimise multiple attempts from the same participant during the data collection period. Participants provided informed consent to proceed to the questionnaire, which respondents completed in approximately 5-15 minutes.

Exploratory open-ended questions were developed in collaboration with the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council and a review of the literature to facilitate inductive qualitative data analysis. . Sample questions included “The South Carolina Comprehensive Health Education Act requires that reproductive health in public schools emphasise abstinence as the first and best option for youth. Do you think that public schools should also teach youth about contraception and condoms as methods to prevent unwanted pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (including how to use these methods correctly)? Why or why not?”, and “Which of these topics (e.g., male and female reproductive anatomy, abstinence, parenting responsibilities, physical changes associated with puberty, STIs, HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse/rape, negotiation skills, contraception, condoms, pregnancy and childbirth, sexual orientation/gender identity) do you believe should be part of school-based sex education programmes, and what do you think is the earliest grade level at which it should be taught?”

In addition, participants were reminded that researchers were interested in parental opinions related to reproductive health education in public school and were encouraged to use as much space as they needed to share relevant details.

Data analysis

Thematic analysis methodology was used to offer a robust, thick description of these data, meaning a detailed and complex description of participants’ subjective experiences with appropriate context ( Braun and Clarke 2006 ). Thematic analysis offered a recursive process to identify, analyse and report themes. Qualitative data analysis software HyperRESEARCH 3.7.3 was used to assist the analysis. Researchers followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phases of analysis, including (1) familiarisation with the data, (2) generating initial codes, (3) searching for themes, (4) reviewing themes, (5) defining and naming themes, and (6) producing the report. This process involved seeking repeated patterns of meaning across the open-ended textual responses ( Braun and Clarke 2006 ). Initially, the analytic process included description and organisation to reveal patterns in the data. Similar to a codebook, researchers defined and refined a thematic map, which provides a visual conceptualisation of patterns in the data, including the relationships between codes ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). Figure 1 shows the final three main themes and subthemes.

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Design based on Braun & Wilkinson, 2003

A total of 484 participants responded to the survey. Participants reported an average age of 41.25 ± 15.97 and overwhelmingly self-identified as female (n = 438, 90.5%) and white (n = 412, 85.1%), which is considerably larger than the 48% of white students represented in Charleston County School District. A smaller portion of the respondents self-identified as Black/African American (n = 43, 8.9%), much lower than the 38% of black students in Charleston County School District ( Charleston County School District 2019 ).

Most participants self-reported an Associate’s Degree or higher for level of education obtained (n = 450, 93%), while the remaining participants reported an education level of a GED or lower (n = 29, 6%), reflective of Charleston County where 91% of adults report their education level as higher than a high school diploma ( US Census Bureau 2018 ). The majority of participants indicated they had one child (n = 236, 48.8%) enrolled in a Charleston County public school, followed by two children (n = 194, 40.1%), three children (n = 44, 9.1%), four children (n = 8, 1.7%), and five children (n = 2, 0.4%). Participants represented 496 (62.1%) elementary school students, 163 (20.5%) middle school students, and 112 (14%) high school students. Overall, the sample represented a total of 798 students enrolled in Charleston County School District, which serves 49,820 students. See Table 1 for all participant demographic characteristics.

Demographic Characteristic

Note. Frequencies that do not sum due to “prefer not to answer” response.

Three themes, with related subthemes were identified regarding parental attitudes toward sex education in Charleston County public schools: 1) Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty: Right, Obligation, Duty; Effective, Evidence-Based, Age-Appropriate Education; and Not Always Taught at Home; 2) Dispelling the Myth of Abstinence-only Education: Religion; ‘Real World;’ and Stigma; and 3) The Value of Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education: Male and Female Reproductive Anatomy; Bodily Autonomy, Consent, and Health Relationships; and Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation. Results include representative quotes chosen to best reflect patterns and themes in the data as well as to honor the unique voices of participants, therefore each comment is from a different participant.

Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty

Right, obligation, and duty.

Participants viewed teaching comprehensive sex education as a public school’s obligation to students. One 38-year-old mother with a graduate degree said, ‘we have an obligation to inform youth of the options available.’ Many participants indicated that students had the right to knowledge about their bodies and withholding education was not only a disservice, but also harmful. According to another 63-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘not telling [students] about contraception and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention is pure negligence.’ Most participants believed that providing knowledge about sexual health-related topics can empower students to take control of their health.

Participants also invoked duty as a reason to provide comprehensive sex education. According to one participant, a 45-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘South Carolina ranks in the top #5 out of 50 states with the highest incidence of Chlamydia and gonorrhoea. We need to educate our youth.’ Another 43-year-old mom with a graduate degree noted the correlation that ‘the states with abstinence-only sex education have the highest rates of pregnancy.’ Participants understood comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education as a student’s right, which could reduce rates of STIs and teen pregnancy.

Effective, Evidence-based, Age-appropriate Education

In addition to the right to education, parents suggested comprehensive sex education should comprise effective, scientific, evidence-based and age-appropriate material. According to one 32-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘data show that comprehensive sex education is more effective than an abstinence-only approach at reducing the rates of teen pregnancy and STIs.’ Parents regularly reaffirmed that comprehensive sex education is proven effective in reducing rates of STIs and teenage pregnancy.

Overall, participants favoured comprehensive sex education, but some had concerns about its implementation. For example, one 39-year-old mother with a graduate degree, although comfortable with comprehensive sex education, warned ‘all of these topics should be approached in a developmentally appropriate way.’ In addition to concerns about age-appropriateness, some participants were concerned about the qualifications of instructors teaching sex education. According to one 34-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘anything related to medicine (like contraception) should not be taught in schools by teachers that have NO medical background to be able to discuss the risk factors associated with different types of medicine.’ Although participants expressed concerns, parents also recognised the benefits of comprehensive sex education as effective when appropriately implemented.

Not always taught at home

Many participants expressed the importance of teaching evidence-based, comprehensive sex education because it is not always taught at home. One 41-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree stated, ‘I would guess that a lot of children might not have the benefit of a responsible adult helping them become properly educated in this area.’ According to one 39-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘although I think abstinence is best, there are some who will be sexually active, and parents may not be teaching proper methods at home.’ Regardless of personal views on abstinence, participants felt an obligation to implement comprehensive sex education as part of the public-school curriculum because students may not receive this education at home.

Dispelling the Myth of Abstinence-Only Education

Participants viewed the religious beliefs of others as a barrier to comprehensive sex education in schools. Some participants were frustrated by what they viewed as an encroachment of religion concerning the inclusion of sex education in schools. One 42-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘keep religion out of our public institutions and teach children about the human body, biology, reproduction and STDs.’ According to a 54-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘our kids and teens deserve better than religious lies that are not based on evidence or facts.’ For these participants, religion played a disproportionate role in the conversation around sex education in schools.

On the other hand, many participants cited their personal religious views as the basis for their support of comprehensive sex education. One 43-year-old mother with a graduate degree said:

As a Christian parent, I hold the view that the tension of ‘freedom and responsibility’ is the best way to raise children, but the natural consequence of sex is likely conceiving a baby, so in my view prevention and education is in order for a healthy society.

Many participants recognised the tension between religious teachings of abstinence, and the practical responsibility of creating a ‘healthy society,’ which requires comprehensive sex education.

In addition to religion, participants described the impact of media and popular culture as a reason for comprehensive sex education in schools. One 35-year-old mother with a graduate degree said, ‘the reality is that teens have sex, and I prefer my son understand how to protect himself and his partner from pregnancy and diseases.’ Many participants viewed sex as an inevitability for teenagers, and abstinence-only education depended on the myth that teenagers do not engage in sexual activity. Another 47-year-old mother with a graduate degree cited the media as a reason for comprehensive sex education in schools, stating ‘teens are sexually active. Promiscuity is all over mainstream television, magazines and the internet.’ Most participants recognised abstinence as unrealistic for students, and abstinence-only education as ineffective.

Participants described the need to diminish the stigma surrounding sex education. According to one 40-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘we have to stop making sex a taboo topic. Kids are full of false ideas because no one is providing them with accurate information.’ Many participants advocated for comprehensive sex education in schools to correct misinformation and address the stigma around sexual health-related topics. Other participants discussed stigma and the need for education in the context of their own histories. One 36-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree described how they, ‘grew up in an upper-class religious household, as did my friends. I started having sex at 14. My friends were all having sex around me.’ Despite an upbringing in a conservative environment, this same participant engaged in sexual activity as a young person and advocated for comprehensive sex education in schools in order to teach safe practices and help young people make better decisions.

The Value of Comprehensive Reproductive and Sexual Health Education

Male and female reproductive anatomy.

Several participants noted the importance of teaching anatomy, including the use of scientifically accurate language, as a key component of comprehensive sex education curricula. One 38-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘I think that it is super important for kids to know their anatomy and what happens with it. The correct terms are so important.’ Another 42-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree said, ‘I think it is important to also teach children that what they are feeling and how their body is changing is normal [emphasis by participant].’

Bodily Autonomy, Consent, and Healthy Relationships

Participants expressed support for a variety of topics in comprehensive sex education curricula regarding individual bodily autonomy. According to one 36-year-old mother with a graduate degree, ‘I believe sexual abuse prevention should be taught to all ages in a developmentally appropriate way.’ Participants also supported teaching about healthy relationships, ‘I believe sex ed should also include a HUGE [emphasis by participant] component about consent.’ Participants who expressed concerns over comprehensive sex education in schools were also in favour of topics related to bodily autonomy, according to a 45-year-old mother with a graduate degree: ‘abstinence should be promoted in a way that does not reinforce gender norms but rather emphasises respect between individuals.’ Despite different viewpoints about comprehensive sex education, participants believed that students should be taught about their right to control their own body.

Contraception and STIs

Another topic addressed by participants included contraception and STIs. Participants expressed interest in comprehensive sex education including discussions about birth control. According to one 51-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘we must…educate our children on the proper birth control methods to prevent unwanted pregnancies.’ This sentiment was echoed by another 51-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree saying, ‘I wish all girls could receive free birth control implants at age 13! They should at least be given as much information as possible about sex and birth control.’

Support for contraceptive information was stressed regardless of gender, ‘I have a teenager and stress the importance of using condoms to him…It would be nice to have this advice reinforced at school.’

STIs were also noted as an important topic to be included in comprehensive sex education in order to address misinformation. According to one 46-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘I’ve heard friends of my kids say they didn’t know they could get oral herpes from just kissing or other STIs from just “touching.”‘ One 39-year-old father with a bachelor’s degree explicitly outlined the need for this information stating, ‘knowledge is power, and a formalised curriculum including effectiveness and application of various birth control and STI prevention methods empowers our children.’

Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

Participants varied in their opinions regarding gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in schools. Despite differing viewpoints, participants discussed reducing stigma as a reason for discussing these topics. According to one 31-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree:

Teaching about sexual orientation and gender [identity] at a young age can help destigmatise and de-mystify it all, making it easier for children…to speak to their peers and transition when they’re ready.

Some participants had mixed feelings about gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in school. According to one 35-year-old mother with an associate degree:

Not sure how I feel about school addressing sexual orientation or gender identity, but I realise it is a conversation one must have. My kids are still very young, so I am still grappling with how to handle this on the most basic level for such discussions.

For most participants, there was a tension between recognising that students should learn about gender identity and sexual orientation and the need for the conversation to be developmentally appropriate.

Even participants who were uncomfortable with schools teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation expressed support and inclusion for LGBTQ students. According to one 52-year-old mother with a bachelor’s degree, ‘sexual orientation should not be a school topic, it should be taught by parents…That being said, sexual orientation should not be a putdown in any school setting, nor should such bullying be tolerated.’ This same participant was opposed to gender identity and sexual orientation being taught in schools while wanting to ensure students with non-normative identities were included and not subjected to bullying.

Four hundred and eighty-four parents, representing a total of 798 students, responded to a questionnaire aimed at understanding parental attitudes toward sex education in local public schools. Participants believed public schools have a duty to teach comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Findings show that reproductive and sexual health education curricula should be effective, evidence-based, science-based, age-appropriate and taught by trained teachers or instructors. Many participants perceived a lack of reproductive and sexual health education being taught at home, resulting in an obligation to include reproductive and sexual health education in a school setting. Participants rejected the idea of abstinence-only as an effective approach to reproductive and sexual health education. Many participants cited the impact of religious beliefs, the reality of adolescent sexual activity, sexual content in media, and stigma on discussions of sexual and reproductive health topics. Finally, most parents agreed that reproductive and sexual health education should include a robust set of topics including reproductive anatomy, bodily autonomy and consent, contraception and gender identity and sexual orientation.

Reproductive and Sexual Health Education as a Duty

Parents believed schools are obligated to provide effective, evidence-based, and age-appropriate reproductive and sexual health education. This reinforces previous research suggesting parents believe schools need to ‘do more,’ including teaching about STI prevention, condom use and contraceptive methods ( Tortolero et al. 2011 ). This finding also supports research suggesting parents lack the necessary, in-depth knowledge to effectively teach myriad sexual health topics to their children at varying ages within the home ( Elliott 2010 ; Heller and Johnson 2010 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ).

This assertion by parents for trained sexual health education instructors in schools coupled by lack of adequate in-home instruction from parents establishes an imperative, or ‘duty,’ for school-based sexual health educators to deliver effective, age-appropriate sexual health education. It offers an updated perspective on findings from a 2005 survey of South Carolina residents, of a similar demographic composition (72% white, and 59% female), that indicated parents and/or legal guardians should hold the responsibility to teach reproductive and sexual health education ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). Mandating the comprehensive coverage of sexual health topics in public schools through policy may close the knowledge gap created by limited or absent in-home instruction, protect students and reduce sexual health disparities experienced by youth across age groups. This finding also supports the updating of CHEA to create a more standardised administration of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education to ensure students receive adequate information regardless of parents’ teaching.

Effective Abstinence-Only is a Myth

Parents perceived effective abstinence-only reproductive and sexual health education as a myth. This finding supports research that indicates abstinence-only education does not reduce teenage pregnancy rates ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). Curricula should be comprehensive, developed without the influence of religious beliefs, recognise the reality of media influence on adolescent sexual behaviour, and attempt to normalise sexual and reproductive health discussions. This finding extends previous research indicating parents believe school-based reproductive and sexual health education should cover the ‘realities’ and the potential consequences of risky sexual behaviours among adolescents ( Murray et al. 2014 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ). Research suggests equipping adolescents with the necessary skills to navigate and communicate sexual health decision making and sexual encounters contributes to healthier relationships ( Decker, Berglas, and Brindis 2015 ; Elliott 2010 ; Orekoya et al. 2016 ). Incorporating ‘real world’ influences and consequences into reproductive and sexual health education may normalise sexual health discussions and empower youth to make positive sexual and reproductive health decisions.

Parents’ stated need for unbiased reproductive and sexual health education (i.e., without the influence of religion) demonstrates that South Carolina’s reproductive and sexual health education legislation (CHEA) requires further reform in order to meet the modern desires of South Carolina parents. Stimulating policy change by improving CHEA via standardising and mandating the provision of unbiased school-based reproductive and sexual health education holds the potential to optimise educational materials and instructor time and efforts in order to ameliorate adolescent sexual health disparities. It is imperative, however, that updated amendments to CHEA not only define ‘unbiased’ health information, but also include training for reproductive and sexual health educators to ensure unbiased, culturally appropriate delivery of education materials.

Reproductive and Sexual Health Education is Inclusive

Parents value inclusive, comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education. Reproductive and sexual health education curricula should include age-appropriate discussions of male and female reproductive anatomy, bodily autonomy, consent, healthy relationships, contraception, and gender identity and sexual orientation. This finding mirrors previous research showing that parents value comprehensive reproductive and sexual health education beyond abstinence-only, including information on contraception, relationships and gender identity ( M. E. Eisenberg et al. 2008 ; Johnson-Motoyama et al. 2016 ; Simovska and Peter 2015 ; Tortolero et al. 2011 ).

Beyond this, these qualitative findings provide novel insight to specific topics parents value in reproductive and sexual health education materials that may not be covered in previous survey studies, including gender identity and sexual orientation, bodily autonomy and consent. Parents believed including information on gender identity and sexual orientation can destigmatise these topics, challenging previous survey data that indicate over half of South Carolina residents surveyed do not want information on ‘homosexuality’ included in school-based reproductive and sexual health education ( Alton, Oldendick, and Draughon 2005 ). This further revidences the evolving views of South Carolina. CHEA should be updated to not exclude information on ‘alternative sexual lifestyles’ in order to address materials that parents of children within the public-school system desire to be taught.

Parents expressed concern that they lack comprehensive understanding of issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation, emphasising that these topics should be covered in school-based reproductive and sexual health education. Participants suggested addressing these topics may reduce misunderstandings and bullying and contribute to creating a safe space in public schools. This parental perspective contributes to previous research among sexually diverse youth who believed inclusive reproductive and sexual health education may contribute to a better sense of community and potentially safer sex practices ( Hobaica and Kwon 2017 ; Snapp et al. 2015 ). In-depth understanding of parents’ values and reasoning for the inclusion of specific topics demands reproductive and sexual health education materials be complete, including sexual orientation and gender identity, to ensure the wellbeing and safety of all students.

Limitations

Several limitations exist in the present study. Survey data obtained includes insights from South Carolina parents from within one county, therefore generalisability to other regions of South Carolina and the USA i limited. Although the study surveyed a select group of Charleston County residents (i.e., parents with children in public schools), participant demographics (e.g., race and gender) may not fully represent or reflect those of all Charleston County residents. Future research should seek to include more diverse participants, including men and parents of colour. In addition, qualitative data obtained via surveys may not address parents’ thoughts and opinions as comprehensively as other qualitative methodologies. Future studies should employ other qualitative methodologies including in-depth interviews or focus groups to add more in-depth understanding of parental perspectives of reproductive and sexual health education.

Future Implications

Study findings offer novel and updated insights to the perspectives, opinions, and values among parents for school-based reproductive and sexual health education materials, topics and implementation. In particular, they evidence the critical need to increase oversight and documentation of the reproductive and sexual health taught to youth in schools to ensure realisation of current and future policies. Abstinence-only and other outdated sexual and reproductive health policies and curricula do not contribute to lower rates of teenage pregnancy ( Carr and Packham 2017 ). The 1988 CHEA policy is 31 years old and, as indicated in previous studies and the current study, the perspectives and needs of parents and students evolve over time, therefore CHEA must be updated. For example, CHEA currently requires information that is ‘age-appropriate,’ but allows the school board to determine what is deemed age-appropriate, without consideration of parental perspectives. This study provides insight to parental views of ‘age-appropriate’ sexual and reproductive health topics and explicit information parents wish to be included in updated school-based reproductive and sexual health education policies.

Future research should also examine the qualifications and training of reproductive and sexual health education teachers and instructors to ensure effective presentation of updated curricula. These results should guide the Charleston County School Board, and potentially South Carolina legislation, to ensure the needs of parents and students are met to reduce sexual and reproductive health disparities faced by South Carolina youth.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank members of the Women’s Health Research Team at the College of Charleston and the Charleston County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Council for their support and collaboration on the project.

This project was supported, in part, by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the US National Institutes of Health under Grant Number UL1 TR001450. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health

Declaration of Interests

The authors have no conflicts of interests to report.

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Facts About Sex Education. Sex education is high quality teaching and learning about a broad variety of topics related to sex and sexuality. It explores values and beliefs about those topics and helps people gain the skills that are needed to navigate relationships with self, partners, and community, and manage one's own sexual health.
Three Decades of Research: The Case for Comprehensive Sex Education
School-based sex education plays a vital role in the sexual health and well-being of young people. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of efforts beyond pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of three decades of research on school-based programs to find evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education.
Sexuality Education
Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. ... Healthy Relationships, and Personal Safety. Topics are presented using performance indicators—what ...
PDF NATIONAL SEX EDUCATION STANDARDS
The National Sex Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12 (Second Edition) were developed by the Future of Sex Education (FoSE) Initiative, a partnership between Advocates for Youth, Answer, and SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change that seeks to create a national dialogue about the future of sex education and to promote the
Comprehensive sexuality education
Well-designed and well-delivered sexuality education programmes support positive decision-making around sexual health. Evidence shows that young people are more likely to initiate sexual activity later - and when they do have sex, to practice safer sex - when they are better informed about sexuality, sexual relations and their rights.
Sex Education In School Essay
The second essay is a short essay on Sex Education In School of 150-200 words. These are suitable for students and children in class 6 and below. Long Essay on Sex Education In School 500 Words in English. Below we have given a long essay on Sex Education In School of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants.
Sex Education in the Spotlight: What Is Working? Systematic Review
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) "plays a central role in the preparation of young people for a safe, productive, fulfilling life" (p. 12) [ 17] and adolescents who receive comprehensive sex education are more likely to delay their sexual debut, as well as to use contraception during sexual initiation [ 18 ].
Effectiveness of Sex Education in Adolescents
The adolescence is the time. during which the personal and sexual identity develops [. 1. ]. Sexuality takes into account. aspects such as sex, gender identity, gender roles, sexual orientation ...
PDF Sex Education in the United States
1 • History of Sex Education in the U.S. — Abridged Sex Education in the United States — Abridged The primary goal of sexuality education is the promotion of sexual health (NGTF, 1996). In 1975, the World Health ... and the limited time allocated to teaching the topic. The goal of the Standards is to "provide clear, consistent, and
Opinion
The World's Problem With Sex Ed. By Jonathan Zimmerman. March 9, 2015. Share full article. 325. ONTARIO was thrown into an uproar recently when officials presented the first changes to the ...
PDF "Sex Education: Level of Knowledge and Its Effects on Sexual ...
This presents that majority of the senior high school students have no sexual partners with a frequency of 684 out of 846 and a mean percentage of 80.85. Moreover, there are 93 (10%) respondents who had 1-2 sexual partners followed by. 45 (5.32%) who had 3-5 and lastly 24 (2.84%) who had more than 5 sexual partners. 3.
Perception of Grade 12 Students on the Inclusion of Sex Education in
Introduction: The premarital sex knowledge and consequences among adolescents was the subject of the research presented. Premarital sex issues are bombarding and it is an emerging topic, though adolescents are not being serious about it, they will be in great trouble in near future if they did not get adequate knowledge about this topic as premarital sex consequences rates are increasing day ...
Full article: "It goes beyond the fundamentals of sex and education
School-based sex education is a sensitive topic that divides opinions. This research focuses on the 2015 curriculum reform on sex education in Ontario and especially on the public online commenting on it. It was considered an interesting example of how educational reforms arouse debate and how the media can influence opinions. The data ...
Informative essay, thesis, and outline on sex education in schools
Topic sentence: Sexual education should be taught in schools for various beneficial reasons. Supporting detail 1: For one, it can help reduce teenage pregnancy rates. Studies have shown that teenagers who receive sex education are more likely to delay having sex and to use contraception when they do have sex. This can lead to fewer teenage ...
Effectiveness of relationships and sex education: A ...
"Sex education aims to reduce risks of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behaviour, equips learners with life skills, and reduces the high level of drop out and unwanted pregnancies. ... The topics developed from the survey included: diversity of sexual attraction, love, breaking up, sexting, gender and sexual diversity. SIECUS: 2
UNFPA EECA
Comprehensive sexuality education's basis in human rights and gender equality also reduces the risk factors related to various kinds of violence, including school-related gender-based violence, partner violence, homophobia and bullying. 4. How to enjoy healthy and equal relationships. Learning how to communicate with potential partners about ...
Comprehensive sexuality education topics: what to cover from early
It seeks to clarify the different domains or topics of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) that need to be included, and for which approximate age group. The information is arranged into three sections: 1) Knowledge: what children, adolescents and young people will understand; 2) Attitudes: what children, adolescents and young people will ...
PDF A Parent's Guide to Understanding Sex Education in Your School
sex education is taught, by whom, and what topics are addressed? Also ask for a copy of the district's sex education policy. Give it a grade. With policy in hand, see how it stacks up against policy best practices using this checklist ... sex education is taught, the number of lessons, and number of minutes per lesson. Add it up. Most teens
Kaz: Sex education should start with consent
Consent can be a tricky topic to talk about in sex education curriculums, but it doesn't have to be. In this hilarious and relatable talk, sex educator and TED Fellow Kaz offers a fresh look at teaching young people about the core principles of consent -- and shows how demystifying this topic leads to healthier and more satisfying relationships for people of all ages.
How to Write Topic Sentences
Step 2: Make an essay outline and draft topic sentences. Next, you should make an outline of your essay's structure, planning what you want to say in each paragraph and what evidence you'll use. At this stage, you can draft a topic sentence that sums up the main point you want to make in each paragraph. The topic sentences should be more ...
The Importance of Sexual Health Education
That is why National Health Foundation is proud to provide sexual health education courses across Title 1 schools in South and East Los Angeles. Be a Star. The Be a Successful Teen Acting Responsibly (Be a STAR) program is a 10-week course, where participants learn a variety of topics regarding sexual health, relationships and academic success.
New RSHE guidance: What it means for sex education lessons in schools
Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) is a subject taught at both primary and secondary school. In 2020, Relationships and Sex Education was made compulsory for all secondary school pupils in England and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools. Last year, the Prime Minister and Education Secretary brought ...
113 Gender Roles Essay Topics & Examples
Gender roles essay topics and titles may include: The history of gender roles and their shifts throughout the time. Male and female roles in society. Gender roles in literature and media. How a man and a woman is perceived in current society. The causes and outcomes of gender discrimination.
'It is our duty:' Understanding Parents' Perspectives on Reproductive
For example, one 39-year-old mother with a graduate degree, although comfortable with comprehensive sex education, warned 'all of these topics should be approached in a developmentally appropriate way.' In addition to concerns about age-appropriateness, some participants were concerned about the qualifications of instructors teaching sex ...
Examples of "Sex-education" in a Sentence
Most sex education classes are similar in scope. 0. 1. Advertisement. There will probably be a lot of nervous laughter some days in your sex education class. 1. 1. Browse other sentences examples. The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage.