Persuasive Essay Sample: Schools Should Require Students to Take Comprehensive Sex Education

Most teenagers chose to go against what adults advise, for rebellion makes for a much sweeter adventure. This urge mixed with teen hormones and a lacking sex education curriculum causes only unfortunate situations. The majority of schools in America do not require Sex Education whatsoever, but in 37 states that do provide it, it must include abstinence (“Abstinence-Only States 2022”). The basic idea is that abstinence is an infallible procedure when preventing unwanted pregnancy and STIs. This way of teaching is more traditional as opposed to the alternative. Comprehensive sex education is a more modern approach that teaches all facets of human sexuality; the curriculum provides information on sexual rights and responsibilities, contraception, anatomy, and sexually-transmitted infections (“Sex Education”). All schools should require students to take comprehensive sex education because it prevents unwanted pregnancy and STIs, avoid misinformation regarding the LGBTQ+ community, and provides a more realistic approach to purity. 

Comprehensive sex education allows students to properly learn how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy and STIs more effectively and efficiently. In a study conducted about how types of sex education affect pregnancy prevention, it was concluded that there are more unwanted pregnancies in areas where sex education is centered on abstinence; states which teach specifically about pregnancy prevention and sexuality have lower teen birth rates in contrast (Fox). The rebellious nature within teenagers is triggered when they are told to simply not participate. This makes for an extremely unsafe environment, physically and mentally. While teenagers should not inherently be encouraged to participate in sexual activity, it is unrealistic to think that they will not participate at all. Though it is not completely foolproof, condom use is a simple concept to teach and is a way to prevent STIs. Abstinence-only education discourages the use of contraceptives with an “all or nothing” agenda (Keller). In contrast, comprehensive sex education includes evidence-based and age-appropriate information that avoids unsafe and uneducated choices. Young adults have been found to acquire half of the annually contracted STIs, even though they only account for 1/4 of the sexually active population (Keller). Minority groups, both race and sexual identity, are more commonly susceptible to STI’s due to discrimination; they are stripped of their access to quality health care and they do not get the opportunity to go through a scientifically accurate and reliable sex education course (Keller). If all students were given access to comprehensive sex education, they would know the necessary to make the safest decisions for themselves. 

Abstinence-only education compromises the safety and overall well-being of teens who identify within the LGBT+ community. 5 states’ curriculum goes as far as to explicitly push for heterosexuality, rather than educate children on how to be as safe as possible in their skin (“Oklahoma”). Dysphoria is sparked within queer students, for they are exclusively told not to embrace who they are, and their only choice is to then turn to unsafe means of sex education. Erin LaBar, a high school student in Oklahoma, states that “The lack of discussion and education about the human body is appalling, and the silence does nothing for the natural curiosity of teens; it only leads to them turning to the worst option for answers- the internet.”. It is common knowledge that the internet is filled with misinformation and that young people are very impressionable; this combined with a painfully uninclusive sex education program has the potential to be both physically and mentally damaging for queer students. For example, Oklahoma’s poor excuse for a sex education program simply includes an hour-long speech once per year over HIV/AIDS. Once again, LaBar comments on the curriculum…

(The sex education curriculum) specifically states “homosexual activity” as a source of AIDS, something that has been used as harmful and incorrect propaganda against LGBT+ people since the AIDS pandemic in 1981. What it means to say is “unprotected sex,” which was not thought to be needed for gay intercourse until it was found to be the reason for spreading the virus. It is blood boiling to see misinformation still be implemented by an outdated and harmful “no homo” law that Oklahoma still has in schools.

The misinformation on such a major disease is not only wrong for queer students, but it puts all students in danger and it must stop. Comprehensive sex education provides scientifically accurate and age-appropriate information which will teach all young adults about the safest information for them, regardless of sexuality or race. 

Purity culture, based mainly within Christianity, spreads the idea that one’s value lies on how pure one is. They are taught that their connection with God is compromised if they chose to participate in sexual activity; this ideal is unhealthy and damaging to the mental health of teens. Standards of purity today require that one may not participate in any type of sexual activity before marriage, reflecting the abstinence-only viewpoint; in reality, the Bible states that sex was created not only to procreate but also as an act of pleasure for the man (Dominguez). It is absurd for one to uphold such high standards due to their beliefs, and yet overlook the truth within the source material. In purity culture, the majority of the time, it is women who are to blame for being impure, even though any type of sexual activity involves two people (Dominguez). Women are seen not as people, but temptresses who must resist any type of sexual advances, for her value as a woman and a wife rely on her sexual purity. This not only encourages teens to “slut shame” women, but it also teaches that there is only one acceptable life path and creates unattainable gender standards. Teens who grow up in an environment that enforces purity culture are taught to feel shame and ignorance for urges that simply come with growing up; this problem would be solved if they were instead taught to embrace these urges and cope with them most safely and effectively. 

Though many argue that teaching comprehensive sex education would encourage hypersexual activity and irresponsibility, however, this type of sex education simply provides the age-appropriate, scientifically accurate information necessary information that teens need regarding every aspect of human sexuality.