Sex+Education+and+the+Government

How are Sex Education and the Government related? By Erika Mondschein**

Let's Talk About Sex ** The author of this article believes that the fights over what can and cannot be said in public schools about sex obscure a troubling reality. Also she finds that when talking about sex education in schools many students don’t take it seriously and get left behind. Only one state in the country requires schools to spend any specific amount of time teaching students about sex, one-third don't require any sex education at all. Congress is deciding whether to eliminate abstinence- only programs. It costs about $170 million in annual funding for these programs. The author also believes that public schools are not the right place to teach abstinence. I agree with the author on this article. I think when you talk about sex education many students find it funny and don’t take it seriously. They don’t pay attention to it. I believe that congress shouldn’t take away the sex-education programs because students should be taught it whether they decide to listen to it or not is their choice. With the schools in Rhode Island there should be sex education. All of the students should know about sex so they are prepared. Sullivan, Amy. (March, 23 2009). Lets talk about sex. Retrieved from [] The added cost of new programs detailed in Mr. Obama's budget appendix will swamp the $17 billion of potential savings anticipated from eliminating or cutting back 121 programs. The Obama budget details drastic changes. These changes are in areas as diverse as sex education and arms control. After eight years of former President George W. Bush's conservative priorities. Mr. Bush's program to promote only sexual abstinence to teens. For instance, they would be replaced with a teen-pregnancy prevention program that would discuss contraception. I do not agree with Obama’s new plan. I think there should be a sex educaton program in all the schools in every state. Students need to know about sex so they are prepared for the future. I don’t think there needs to be a program on teen-pregnancy. There are many counselors and other people that female students can talk to if they have questions about teen pregnancy. For Rhode Island schools there should be sex education programs. Weisman, Jonathon. (May, 8 2009). Fleshing out a plan to expand government's role. Retrieved from [] The reality of the present generation is that the majority of American young people will engage in sexual risk-taking behavior prior to high school graduation. Data from the most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) indicate that half of all high school students have engaged in sexual intercourse at some point in their lives, and that percentages rise with increasing grade level - 39% among ninth graders to 65% among high school seniors. One in five students has engaged in sexual intercourse with four or more partners during their lifetime. The government believes that there should be sex education in all schools. There are a lot of statistics that prove that a lot of people have had sexual intercourse before high school graduation. This proves that the government should allow funded programs during school because people are interested in the topic. I agree with the government and that there should be government funded programs for sex education. Many students are having sexual intercourse before they graduate high school so the program would provide the students with more information. It is their decision to decide whether they listen or not but these programs can provide necessary information. I think it would be a mistake for the government to end these programs. Many people find it weird to talk to their parents or friends about sexual intercourse. If someone is teaching a program based on sex maybe most of their questions can be answered. Parket, J.Terry. (12 2001). School-based sex education: a new millennium update. eric digest. . Retrieved from []           Buoyed by $1.9 billion in government funding since 1997 ($1.5 billion of that federal money), abstinence-only education grew from a niche market to a booming industry, with hundreds of curriculums for teachers to choose from. But if the 2000s were abstinence's boom years, the next decade may well be its bust. With Obama's budget for 2010 dropping all abstinence-until-marriage funds from the federal budget, past grantees are left uncertain. Abstinence education came of age in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While only states could take the Title V funds, CBAE grants went directly to community groups, including faith-based organizations <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I agree with this article that the abstinence-only education increases from year to year. Every year there is an increase with people that have sexual intercourse. Even though the Abstinence education programs just started in the 1990’s they shouldn’t end. Many have questions and are scared to ask people they know because they are embarrassed. Abstinence-only education helps decrease the rate of teen pregnancies. Kliff, Sarah. (October, 27 2009). The Future of abstinence. Retrieved from [] <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The debate over whether to have sex education in American schools is over. Parents are generally content with whatever sex education is offered by their children's school. However, this does not mean that all Americans agree on what kind of sex education is best. There are major differences over the issue of abstinence. Fifteen percent of Americans believe that schools should teach only about abstinence from sexual intercourse and should not provide information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraception. Federal funds are now being made available for abstinence programs; in his State of the Union address President Bush called for an increase in the funding. And in spite of the fact that only 15 percent of Americans say they want abstinence-only sex education in the schools, 30 percent of the the principals of public middle schools and high schools where sex education is taught report that their schools teach abstinence-only. Forty-seven percent of their schools taught abstinence-plus, while 20 percent taught that making responsible decisions about sex was more important than abstinence. <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">I think parents should know what their child is being taught in sex education. The parents should be prepared just in case their children come home and start asking multiple questions. I also think that all types of information should be taught in sex education regarding sexual intercourse and condoms. Federal funds should continue to be available for abstinence programs. I also agree there should be an increase in the funding because then more schools can have the chance of having sex education. The government is trying to do all it can to promote sex education in all the schools. They think it is worthwhile and important to have. (February, 24 2004). Sex education in america. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1622610
 * Fleshing out a Plan to Expand Government’s Role **
 * School-Based Sex Education: A New Millennium Update. ERIC Digest. **
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The Future of Abstinence **
 * Sex Education in America **