EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 1

Does Sex Education Have Any Effectiveness on Gender?

Kendall P. Eaton

James Madison University

EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 2

Abstract

Many of people have debated for years whether or not sex education programs are effective.

Studies show that sex education programs do help prevent STDs, STIs, and pregnancies in young

adolescents lives. One obstacle that parents have is that they want their kids to learn about sex

education, but they do not know exactly when and where is the best time and place to learn/teach

it. Once the parents overcome this problem that they are indecisive about, they can help their

children and other children stay protected and teach others about this topic. This research of

whether or not sex education programs are effective on young people can help parents decide

when and where they want their children to learn how to protect themselves from getting or

spreading STIs, STDs, and even to prevent from getting someone or themselves pregnant.

Keywords: Sex Education, STIs, STDs, pregnancies, protect

EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 3

Regarding sex education: no secrets (Albert Einstein, n.d.). Many of parents and

schools do not teach the entirety of sex education because they think their child is not ready or

that if they talk about the topic their kid will go out and have sex. However, these articles on this

topic prove otherwise. Sex education is the instruction on issues relating to human sexuality,

including emotional relations and responsibilities, human sexual anatomy, sexual activity, sexual

reproduction, age of consent, reproductive health, reproductive rights, safe sex, birth control,

and sexual abstinence (Jenny Davis, n.d.). The importance of whether or not sex education

should be taught at home, in school, or both is because people need to teach the younger

generations about this topic when they are younger so that STDs and pregnancies can be

prevented.

Julie Browns article is about how she believes that sex education programs do not work.

She also believes that school is not the place to learn about sex education because proper sex

is dependent on the mental maturity of the child. Julies Becks article is about how sex

education programs are reducing the number of STDs and pregnancies in adolescents and

young adults lives. Her article is also about how women who have less power with male

partners, have higher rates of HIV and STIs. Amanda Chatels article is also about how sex

education programs are working to keep pregnancy and STD rates lower. The article is also

about how some states have addressed to have coerced sex because it has gender equality

when learning about sex education.

These two articles portray similar facts, opinions, and ideas about sex education for both

genders. Julie Becks article is about how sex education programs help decrease the chances

of pregnancies and STDs throughout adolescents and young adults lives. Beck (2015) states,

Ten of the programs had at least one lesson on gender and power, and 80 percent of them saw

significant decreases in pregnancy or STIs compared with a control group (para. 4). As well as

Beck, Amanda Chatels article is about how sex education programs should address gender
EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 4

issues with STDs and pregnancies. Chatel (2015) states, The findings revealed that in the 10

programs that covered gender and power, there was an 80 percent decrease in pregnancy and

STIs, but only a 17 percent decrease in the groups where such topics were not discussed

(para. 2). As an overall thought, gender is very important when it comes to risk factors of STDs,

pregnancies, and sex education.

These two articles have similarities when it comes to talking about sex education programs

are not as effective today. Judie Browns article is about how school is not the place for sex

education programs and that these programs belittle the intimate, affectionate, and monogamous

nature of human sexuality. Brown (n.d.) argues that, 3.2 million teenage girls between the ages of

14 and 19 have one or more of four different STDs, despite millions of tax dollars given to

comprehensive sex education by Planned Parenthood (para. 3). Similar to Brown, Amanda

Chatels article is also addressing how these sex education programs have been lacking and they

need to address the issue by adding gender inequality into them. Chatel (2015) addresses that, We

already know that the sex education system in the United States is severely lacking, the new study

conducted by Population Council suggests that one of the ways in which we can make sex ed more

effective is by addressing the issues of gender inequality (para. 1). Overall, these two articles have

a very strong and emotional effect on people to try to work together to get more effective sex

education programs into the young adolescents lives.

These two articles portray different facts, opinions, and ideas about sex education. Judie

Browns article is about how teenagers have significant amounts of STDs and how school is not

the place for children to learn about sex education. Brown (n.d.) states, 3.2 million teenage girls

between ages 14 and 19 have one or more of four different STDs (para. 3). Different from

Judies article, Julie Becks article is about how sex education programs have helped decrease

the amount of STIs and pregnancy from teenagers. Beck (2015) argues that, Evaluations of 22

sex-education programs for adolescents and young adults, comparing how effective they were

in reducing pregnancy and STIs (para. 3). Brown uses a more personal approach, while Beck
EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 5

uses a more research-based approach to assert their arguments and effectively inform the

reader.

Chatel and Beck have the same approach on this topic, however Brown does not. Just

like Becks article, Chatels article argues that sex education programs have been increasing in

the prevention of STIs and pregnancies in adolescents and young peoples lives. Amanda

Chatel (2015) argues that, The revealed that in the 10 programs that covered gender and

power, there was an 80 percent decrease in pregnancy and STIs, but only a 17 percent

decrease in the groups where such topics were not discussed (para. 2). As stated previously,

Browns article is about how sex education programs do not work and how school is not the

place to about sex education because it comes with maturity within the person. Brown (n.d.)

argues that, We see the results today: more and more teens are becoming pregnant, having

abortions, getting STDs, and yet Planned Parenthood continues to push its sex education

propaganda while America is suffering from it (para. 3). Reading through Brown and Chatels

article shows that they both have different opinions about the topic and how they use it to their

advantage to persuade the reader.

During my research, I learned that everyone is going to either have the same or

different opinions about this topic. However, though some peoples viewpoints might have

changed, mine did not. I still believe that sex education programs do work and that they should

be taught in school, as well as at home, to both genders at a young age. This researches

effectiveness was good because it showed three different opinions, even though two of them

were very similar. This article has a good influence on sex education because it gives a different

opinion than the other two articles. Judie Brown helps contribute to this argument because she

provides a different approach with different factual evidence on this topic. This article helps my

viewpoint on sex education because she gives a strong, emotional opinion to help persuade the

readers to get their kids to learn about this topic to prevent future life changing risks. Julie Beck

helps with this argument by getting to the readers using pathos and logos appeals. Lastly,
EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 6

Amanda, as well as Beck, gives strong, emotional opinions and facts about sex education.

Chatel also gets to the readers by using logos and ethos appeals throughout her article.
EFFECTIVENESS OF SEX EDUCATION 7

References

Beck, J. (2015, April 27). When Sex Ed Discusses Gender Inequality, Sex Gets Safer. Retrieved

November 02, 2017, from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/04/when-sex-

ed-teaches-gender-inequality-sex-gets-safer/391460/

Sex Education - Learn. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://www.all.org/learn/sex

education/

Chatel, A. (2015, April 28). Addressing Gender And Power In Sex Education Makes It More

Effective, Says New Study, So Let's Step It Up. Retrieved November 02, 2017, from

https://www.bustle.com/articles/79568-addressing-gender-and-power-in-sex-education-

makes-it-more-effective-says-new-study-so-lets

Sex education. (2017, November 02). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_education

Albert Einstein. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. Retrieved November 03, 2017, from AZQuotes.com Web

site: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/689681