Why is sexual education taught in schools?

Why is sexual education taught in schools?

 


A 2011 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) survey indicates that more than 47 percent of all high school students say they have had sex, and 15 percent of high school students have had sex with four or more partners during their lifetime. Among students who had sex in the three months prior to the survey, 60 percent reported condom use and 23 percent reported birth control pill use during their last sexual encounter.
Sexual activity has consequences. Though the teen birth rate has declined to its lowest levels since data collection began, the United States still has the highest teen birth rate in the industrialized world. Roughly one in four girls will become pregnant at least once by their 20th birthday. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish high school and are more likely than their peers to live in poverty, depend on public assistance, and be in poor health. Their children are more likely to suffer health and cognitive disadvantages, come in contact with the child welfare and correctional systems, live in poverty, drop out of high school and become teen parents themselves. These costs add up, according to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, which estimates that teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $9.4 billion annually.
Adolescents are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Young people ages 15 to 24 represent 25 percent of the sexually active population, but acquire half of all new STIs, which amounts to 9.8 million new cases a year. About 3.2 million adolescent females are infected with at least one of the most common STIs. Human papillomavirus is the most common STI among teens; some estimates find that up to 35 percent of teens ages 14 to 19 have HPV. Girls age 15 to 19 have the highest rates of Gonorrhea and the second highest rate of Chlamydia of any age group. Young males also get STIs, but their infections often are undiagnosed and unreported because they are less likely to have symptoms or seek medical care. The most recent data available, in 2000, indicates the estimated direct medical costs for treating young people with sexually transmitted infections was $6.5 billion annually, excluding costs associated with HIV/AIDS. In 2011, approximately 24 percent of new HIV diagnoses were young people age 13 to 24.

2015 Sex Education Legislation

State	Bill/ Summary/ Status
Arizona	HB 2476 Amends existing law to allow school districts to provide sex education unless a parent provides written permission for a student to opt out of instruction. Requires that school districts provide sex education that is medically accurate and age- and developmentally appropriate in grades kindergarten through 12. Creates additional requirements for sex education, including teaching the benefits of delaying sexual activity and the importance of using effective contraceptives to prevent unintended pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Education requirements also include information to support students in developing healthy relationships and skills such as communication, critical thinking and decision making. Requires the Department of Education, among other things, to develop list of appropriate curricula and create rules for instructor qualifications. Introduced.
California	AB 329 States the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would review and update the current sexual health education curriculum that is provided to pupils in schools to reflect the advances in age-appropriate sexual health instruction, including, but, not limited to, healthy relationships and dating violence. Introduced. AB 517 Amends the State Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act that authorizes school districts to provide sexual health education that include HIV/AIDS prevention education. Requires district that elect to provide education taught by outside consultants, or elect hold to an assembly to deliver such education by guest speakers, to request written permission from a pupil's parent or guardian. Prohibits a student's attendance without such permission. Authorizes related alternative education. To Assembly Committee on Education. AB 827 Adds to additional laws related to requirements for school districts that offer comprehensive sexual education. Requires a school district that elects to offer comprehensive sexual education to also provide information on local resources for counseling for sexually transmitted diseases. To Assembly Committee on Education
Colorado	SB 77 Creates a parent’s bill of rights that includes the ability of a parent to withdraw their child from an activity, class or program that includes any material or activities to which he or she objects on the basis that it is harmful. Objection includes that the materials or activities question beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion. Passed Senate; To House Committee on Public Health Care & Human Services.
Georgia	HB 406 Provides for age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education in kindergarten through grade 12. Also provides that professional learning and in-service training may include programs on sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention. To House Committee on Education; Read second time.
Hawaii	HB 459 / SB 395 Amends existing sexuality health education law to specify additional requirements for information that helps students form healthy relationships and communication skills, as well as critical thinking, decision making and stress management skills, and encourages students to communicate with adults. Requires all public schools to implement sex education consistent with these requirements beginning in 2016-2017. Allows written permission by a parent or legal guardian to opt out of sexuality education. Allows the Department of Education to make modifications to ensure age-appropriate curricula in elementary school. Requires the Department to maintain a public list of curricula that meets requirements of law and to create standards for instructor qualifications. House version: Passed House; to Senate Committee on Education. Senate version: Referred to Committee on Education and Committee on Health; Subsequent referral set for Committee on Ways and Means. HB 595 Amends existing sexuality health education law to specify additional requirements for information that helps students form healthy relationships and communication skills, as well as critical thinking, decision making and stress management skills, and encourages students to communicate with adults. Allows written permission by a parent or legal guardian to opt out of sexuality education. Allows the Department of Education to make modifications to ensure age-appropriate curricula in elementary school. Requires the Board of Education to collaborate with the Department to maintain a public list of curricula that meets requirements of law. Requires the Department to create standards for instructor qualifications. Referred to House Committee on Health; Subsequent referral set for Committee on Education. SCR 29 Resolution encourages the Board of Education to amend its policies to require health education in public middle schools and to clarify sexual health education requirements, including that parents can opt their children out of sexual health education. Also encourages the Board of Education and Department of Education to rescind a ban on condom distribution for all public school students. Referred to Committee on Education; Subsequent referral set for Committee on Ways and Means.
Indiana	SB 497 Requires the state Department of Health and the Department of Education to cooperatively identify and report to the General Assembly appropriate academic standards and curricula concerning health education and sex education. The standards and curricula must be evidence based, age appropriate and must use established medical principles. Referred to Senate Committee on Education and Career Development.
Kansas	HB 2199 Requires parental consent for sexuality education and provides that sexuality education materials will be available for parental review. Also requires the boards of education of each school district to adopt policies and procedures related to sexuality education, including prohibiting the distribution of materials to any student whose parent has not consented. Referred to House Committee on Appropriations.
Kentucky	HB 231 Requires school districts, public schools or family resource and youth services centers that offer human sexuality education to use science-based standards with age-appropriate, culturally sensitive and medically accurate information. Information includes, but is not limited to abstinence education and contraception. Mandates the option for parent or guardian to opt out from human sexuality education and for content to be available for review upon request. Does not require school districts, public schools and family resource and youth services centers to provide human sexuality education. Also allows the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to refuse federal funding that requires teaching abstinence-only programs. If state funds are appropriated for human sexuality education, requires the Cabinet to meet the same science-based, age-appropriate, culturally sensitive and medically accurate standards as above. Any organization receiving state funds that offers human sexuality education or pregnancy prevention services must also use the same standards. Referred to House Committee on Education.
Mississippi	HB 318 Creates the Mississippi Comprehensive Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act, which requires the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health to develop certain programs and strategies promoting pregnancy prevention and providing information on the consequences of unprotected, uninformed and underage sexual activity. Programs and strategies include counseling and education about postponing sexual activity, information about consequences of pregnancy and parenthood, and medically accurate information about contraceptive options. Failed; Died in Committee.
Missouri	HB 353 Amends laws related to sex education in schools. In addition to existing criteria of medically and factually accurate, requires that curricula must also be age appropriate and based on peer review. Adds stipulations to cover certain topics, including helping students develop critical thinking, decision making, and stress management skills in order to support healthy relationships. Specifies that curricula promote communication with parents. Also adds to curricula information on sexual predators, internet safety and consequences of inappropriate text messaging. Introduced. SB 61 Creates the Teen Dating Violence Prevention Education Act to provide students with the knowledge, skills and information to prevent and respond to teen dating violence. Authorizes school districts and charter schools to provide teen dating violence education as part of the sexual health and health education program in grades seven through 12 and to establish related curriculum or materials. Also allows age-appropriate instruction on domestic violence. Referred to Senate Committee on Education.