kuju
January 29th, 2002, 05:49 PM
No you morons, it's NOT sex. if only!
Many of you have known me for quite some time, and you know that one of my favourite things to rant about is the terrible quality of sexual education in high schools. well, finally I'm getting credit for it! The tough part was turning it from a bitchy rant into a formal essay.
The Need for Standardized Sexual Education and Government Funding for Sexual Education Programs
Canada is a culturally variable society, but all adolescents are subjected daily to sexual innuendoes, sexual advertisements, and sexually explicit television shows and movies. With this continuous sexual influence, cultural and religious boundaries are often crossed resulting in a higher rate of pre-marital sex. Regardless of how society turns a blind eye, the fact remains that, on average, Canadians lose their virginity between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. Because the level of sexual health education that adolescents receive varies from school to school, or even from classroom to classroom, it is necessary to standardize the information given to Canadian youths. Without this standardization some adolescents could be taken advantage of by others who are less well-educated, either through their classroom or their culture, and who could be persuaded to think that they do not require protection.
The question of with whom lies the responsibility to sexually educate our youth has persisted for years, and remains unanswered. Traditionally, sexual education has been the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the child, whether in the form of actual communication or ignored as an unclean or perverse topic. In the past, the question of birth control or abortion was never an issue, and sexually transmitted disease prevention was a nonentity. However, in today's modern world one must pay attention and cater to these new societal demands and parents often find it difficult to deal with their children's sexuality objectively. As well, the adolescent is often uncomfortable discussing sexual issues with his or her parents. Ultimately the responsibility of sexual education falls to the educators, and through them, the Government of Canada. In Canada, sexual education classes are often taught by the students' physical education teacher, and not by a qualified professional nurse or health practitioner. Not only is the physical education teacher less likely to have a complete knowledge of STD prevention and contraceptives, but students are less likely to ask him or her questions, even in a private setting because they are uncomfortable asking sexual questions from someone with whom they come in daily contact. Therefore it is necessary to bring in a registered health nurse or professional who has been trained to teach sexual education classes.
For years the concept of 'abstinence-only' sexual education has been prevalent in middle and high schools. There are many flaws in this form of education. Abstinence-only education focuses on refusing sexual intercourse, and on the general negative aspects of sex such as STDs and teenage pregnancies. By being taught only these negative aspects, students can become mistrustful of the education that they receive because they have received the message that sexual intercourse is a wonderful and pleasurable thing from their friends and the media. Furthermore, abstinence-only education does not provide students with information they can use in later years, should they choose to abstain from sex during their adolescence. Finally, studies have shown that abstinence-only education has no significant effect one the average age at which adolescents have their first experiences of intercourse or on the number of STD cases reported.
Although abstinence-only sex education programs do not solve the problem of STDs and teenage pregnancies, they are still based on a fundamental good principle. Delaying adolescents' first experience with sexual intercourse is the surest way to prevent STDs and pregnancies. It is necessary for the government to endorse programs that promote abstinence, and teach the consequences of unsafe sex, but it is equally necessary to teach safe sex topics. Four main topics are necessary in producing sound sexual education. Barrier methods of contraception and STD prevention such as the male and female condoms, diaphragms and cervical caps are the most common types of protection and are generally used with spermicidal lubrication. It is important to teach the proper usage of each of these methods and emphasize the need for continual use. STDs should also be a focus of sexual education programs. It is necessary to teach not only the types of STDs, but also the symptoms, consequences, treatments and prevalence of STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV and HIV/AIDS. Hormonal contraception is also widely used. There are many forms of hormonal contraception such as the contraceptive pill, Norplant and Depo-Provera. In the case of hormonal contraception, it is necessary to explain what they are made of, what they do to a woman's body, how they prevent pregnancy and also side-effects. The final vital part of sexual education is dealing with assault and rape issues. The concept of 'date rape' is sometimes confusing for a young woman, especially if she believes that she has encouraged her boyfriend. Young females need to be taught how to best avoid and cope with rape and assault should the situation arise. With information on these four topics adolescents can make better-informed choices about sex and protection.
As well as the content of the education, funding for sexual education programs needs to be standardized. One study implemented a school-based program called Safer Choices which was designed to increase condom and oral contraceptive use among sexually active students. The cost benefit of this program was processed by taking many factors into account. The cost of teachers, condoms and oral contraceptives was first calculated and was found to be $105 243. Data was then collected on increased condom usage to assess the number of cases of HIV and STDs that were prevented. Out of the three hundred, forty-five students in the study, 0.12 cases of HIV, 24.37 cases of chlamydia and 2.77 cases of gonorrhea were prevented compared to the prevalence of these STDs among adolescents who received regular or no sexual education. A model was also used to assess that the number of pregnancies prevented through the program was 18.5 through the use of condoms, the contraceptive pill, or a combination of both. Finally, the cost benefit ratio was calculated and it was discovered that not only were pregnancies and STDs prevented, but it was less expensive to educate the students than it would have been to diagnose, treat and cure STDs, and pay for abortions. As well, untreated STDs can result in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women, and 20% of fertility problems in both males and females later in life, which would add further costs to government spending. The results of the study stated that of every dollar spent on education and prevention, the government would save $2.65 in medical and social costs culminating in $173 650 saved for three hundred, forty-five students. This study shows that by funding education about preventing sexually-related problems, the government could save money on treating abortions, STDs, and STD-related fertility problems.
Cost is an important factor for sexually active adolescents as well. Condoms have been relatively cheap and easily accessible for years, but hormonal birth control remains expensive and somewhat difficult to obtain. Should a young woman obtain the contraceptive pill from her family doctor the price is approximately twenty dollars a month amounting to two hundred, forty dollars a year. To an adolescent, even this price is too high to pay for birth control. Hormonal birth control can also be obtained at clinics such as Planned Parenthood for a reduced price of seven or eight dollars a month, culminating in eighty-four to ninety-six dollars a year. To an adolescent who is on a tight budget due to a minimum wage job or weekly allowance, this figure is much more reasonable. It is necessary for the government to support and fund organizations similar to Planned Parenthood and to further subsidize hormonal contraception for people below the age of nineteen.
Argument against improved sexual education states that teaching adolescents anything other than abstinence-only education encourages them to become sexually active at younger ages. However, research studies have shown this to be inaccurate. Contraceptive and condom education does not lead to earlier or more frequent sexual activity, but it does lead to a significant increase in the usage of contraceptives and condoms among those who are sexually active. It was also found that the programs that actually distributed the contraceptives were most effective . This shows that sexual education programs would be even more effective if the government supplied contraceptives to the adolescents.
Certainly it is time that the provincial governments of Canada took a more active role in the sexual education of Canada's adolescents. With government regulation of sexual education programs, students across Canada would receive a more standardized education. With government funding, the rate of teenage pregnancies and STDs could be severely minimized. However, it is necessary for the students themselves to act responsibly and use their education to further their sexual health. Too often the attitude towards STDs, sexual assault and teenage pregnancies is 'It won't happen to me' Only when the government of Canada adequately provides and funds sexual education programs, and the students receiving the education act responsibly, will there be an improvement in the overall sexual well-being of adolescents in Canada.
Many of you have known me for quite some time, and you know that one of my favourite things to rant about is the terrible quality of sexual education in high schools. well, finally I'm getting credit for it! The tough part was turning it from a bitchy rant into a formal essay.
The Need for Standardized Sexual Education and Government Funding for Sexual Education Programs
Canada is a culturally variable society, but all adolescents are subjected daily to sexual innuendoes, sexual advertisements, and sexually explicit television shows and movies. With this continuous sexual influence, cultural and religious boundaries are often crossed resulting in a higher rate of pre-marital sex. Regardless of how society turns a blind eye, the fact remains that, on average, Canadians lose their virginity between the ages of sixteen and nineteen. Because the level of sexual health education that adolescents receive varies from school to school, or even from classroom to classroom, it is necessary to standardize the information given to Canadian youths. Without this standardization some adolescents could be taken advantage of by others who are less well-educated, either through their classroom or their culture, and who could be persuaded to think that they do not require protection.
The question of with whom lies the responsibility to sexually educate our youth has persisted for years, and remains unanswered. Traditionally, sexual education has been the responsibility of the parents or guardians of the child, whether in the form of actual communication or ignored as an unclean or perverse topic. In the past, the question of birth control or abortion was never an issue, and sexually transmitted disease prevention was a nonentity. However, in today's modern world one must pay attention and cater to these new societal demands and parents often find it difficult to deal with their children's sexuality objectively. As well, the adolescent is often uncomfortable discussing sexual issues with his or her parents. Ultimately the responsibility of sexual education falls to the educators, and through them, the Government of Canada. In Canada, sexual education classes are often taught by the students' physical education teacher, and not by a qualified professional nurse or health practitioner. Not only is the physical education teacher less likely to have a complete knowledge of STD prevention and contraceptives, but students are less likely to ask him or her questions, even in a private setting because they are uncomfortable asking sexual questions from someone with whom they come in daily contact. Therefore it is necessary to bring in a registered health nurse or professional who has been trained to teach sexual education classes.
For years the concept of 'abstinence-only' sexual education has been prevalent in middle and high schools. There are many flaws in this form of education. Abstinence-only education focuses on refusing sexual intercourse, and on the general negative aspects of sex such as STDs and teenage pregnancies. By being taught only these negative aspects, students can become mistrustful of the education that they receive because they have received the message that sexual intercourse is a wonderful and pleasurable thing from their friends and the media. Furthermore, abstinence-only education does not provide students with information they can use in later years, should they choose to abstain from sex during their adolescence. Finally, studies have shown that abstinence-only education has no significant effect one the average age at which adolescents have their first experiences of intercourse or on the number of STD cases reported.
Although abstinence-only sex education programs do not solve the problem of STDs and teenage pregnancies, they are still based on a fundamental good principle. Delaying adolescents' first experience with sexual intercourse is the surest way to prevent STDs and pregnancies. It is necessary for the government to endorse programs that promote abstinence, and teach the consequences of unsafe sex, but it is equally necessary to teach safe sex topics. Four main topics are necessary in producing sound sexual education. Barrier methods of contraception and STD prevention such as the male and female condoms, diaphragms and cervical caps are the most common types of protection and are generally used with spermicidal lubrication. It is important to teach the proper usage of each of these methods and emphasize the need for continual use. STDs should also be a focus of sexual education programs. It is necessary to teach not only the types of STDs, but also the symptoms, consequences, treatments and prevalence of STDs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, HPV and HIV/AIDS. Hormonal contraception is also widely used. There are many forms of hormonal contraception such as the contraceptive pill, Norplant and Depo-Provera. In the case of hormonal contraception, it is necessary to explain what they are made of, what they do to a woman's body, how they prevent pregnancy and also side-effects. The final vital part of sexual education is dealing with assault and rape issues. The concept of 'date rape' is sometimes confusing for a young woman, especially if she believes that she has encouraged her boyfriend. Young females need to be taught how to best avoid and cope with rape and assault should the situation arise. With information on these four topics adolescents can make better-informed choices about sex and protection.
As well as the content of the education, funding for sexual education programs needs to be standardized. One study implemented a school-based program called Safer Choices which was designed to increase condom and oral contraceptive use among sexually active students. The cost benefit of this program was processed by taking many factors into account. The cost of teachers, condoms and oral contraceptives was first calculated and was found to be $105 243. Data was then collected on increased condom usage to assess the number of cases of HIV and STDs that were prevented. Out of the three hundred, forty-five students in the study, 0.12 cases of HIV, 24.37 cases of chlamydia and 2.77 cases of gonorrhea were prevented compared to the prevalence of these STDs among adolescents who received regular or no sexual education. A model was also used to assess that the number of pregnancies prevented through the program was 18.5 through the use of condoms, the contraceptive pill, or a combination of both. Finally, the cost benefit ratio was calculated and it was discovered that not only were pregnancies and STDs prevented, but it was less expensive to educate the students than it would have been to diagnose, treat and cure STDs, and pay for abortions. As well, untreated STDs can result in Pelvic Inflammatory Disease in women, and 20% of fertility problems in both males and females later in life, which would add further costs to government spending. The results of the study stated that of every dollar spent on education and prevention, the government would save $2.65 in medical and social costs culminating in $173 650 saved for three hundred, forty-five students. This study shows that by funding education about preventing sexually-related problems, the government could save money on treating abortions, STDs, and STD-related fertility problems.
Cost is an important factor for sexually active adolescents as well. Condoms have been relatively cheap and easily accessible for years, but hormonal birth control remains expensive and somewhat difficult to obtain. Should a young woman obtain the contraceptive pill from her family doctor the price is approximately twenty dollars a month amounting to two hundred, forty dollars a year. To an adolescent, even this price is too high to pay for birth control. Hormonal birth control can also be obtained at clinics such as Planned Parenthood for a reduced price of seven or eight dollars a month, culminating in eighty-four to ninety-six dollars a year. To an adolescent who is on a tight budget due to a minimum wage job or weekly allowance, this figure is much more reasonable. It is necessary for the government to support and fund organizations similar to Planned Parenthood and to further subsidize hormonal contraception for people below the age of nineteen.
Argument against improved sexual education states that teaching adolescents anything other than abstinence-only education encourages them to become sexually active at younger ages. However, research studies have shown this to be inaccurate. Contraceptive and condom education does not lead to earlier or more frequent sexual activity, but it does lead to a significant increase in the usage of contraceptives and condoms among those who are sexually active. It was also found that the programs that actually distributed the contraceptives were most effective . This shows that sexual education programs would be even more effective if the government supplied contraceptives to the adolescents.
Certainly it is time that the provincial governments of Canada took a more active role in the sexual education of Canada's adolescents. With government regulation of sexual education programs, students across Canada would receive a more standardized education. With government funding, the rate of teenage pregnancies and STDs could be severely minimized. However, it is necessary for the students themselves to act responsibly and use their education to further their sexual health. Too often the attitude towards STDs, sexual assault and teenage pregnancies is 'It won't happen to me' Only when the government of Canada adequately provides and funds sexual education programs, and the students receiving the education act responsibly, will there be an improvement in the overall sexual well-being of adolescents in Canada.