Sex-ed in schools

[biguy732]

Okay - I have to ask this question. I am always amazed by some of the questions that are asked by people in this forum. And without getting nasty, some of these are very basic questions that any adult should know the answers to, or at least if they finished high school and took a sexual education class would know the answers. Regardless of whether or not the school took on the topic of vaginal, anal, or oral sex, wasn't everyone taught about safe sex, what communicable diseases are out there, and how to protect yourself? As well as the repercussions of some of these STD's and that they are either incurable or fatal?

[loki81]

not really... no sex-ed whatsoever in my Catholic, all-boys high school.

I did have sex ed in grammar school (public school) but it didn't really extend beyond pregnancy/AIDS prevention. I don't recall any discussion of STD's other than HIV/AIDS.

[panda29]

I graduated from a public high school in 1972, at that time there was
no such thing as sex ed classes !!

[chub23lauderdale]

I had sex ed in high school but after the teacher had us watch a movie of a hairy 1970's chick giving birth and it was very graphic my body went to class but my mind checked out for the rest of the year

[KaraBulut]

Here's the general facts about "sex education" in the US:

TEENS' REPORTS OF FORMAL SEX EDUCATION

• In 2006–2008, most teens aged 15–19 had received formal instruction about STIs (93%), HIV (89%) or abstinence (84%). However, about one-third of teens had not received any formal instruction about contraception; fewer males received this instruction than females (62% vs. 70%).
• Many sexually experienced teens (46% of males and 33% of females) do not receive formal instruction about contraception before they first have sex.
• About one in four adolescents aged 15-19 (23% of females and 28% of males) received abstinence education without receiving any instruction about birth control in 2006–2008, compared with 8–9% in 1995.
• Among teens aged 18–19, 41% report that they know little or nothing about condoms and 75% say they know little or nothing about the contraceptive pill.

School Health Policies and Programs

• In 2006, 87% of U.S. public and private high schools taught abstinence as the most effective method to avoid pregnancy, HIV and other STDs in a required health education course.
• Sixty-five percent of high schools taught about condom efficacy and 39% taught students how to correctly use a condom in a required health education course.
• Seventy-six percent of high schools taught about the risks associated with teen pregnancy as part of required instruction, and 81% taught about the risks associated with having multiple sexual partners.
• In 2006, public school districts were more likely to require pregnancy prevention to be taught in high schools than in elementary or middle schools (86% vs. 27% and 70%, respectively).
• Similarly, public school districts were more likely to require instruction on STI prevention in high schools (87%) than at the elementary and middle school levels (33% and 77%, respectively).

Source

Sex Ed for minors does a piss-poor job of covering straight stuff. I've never heard of any public school that addresses anal sex or gay sex.

What this forum does is not just address things that aren't covered in the average sex education class. The forum also reinforces what they may already know, but they need reassurance and direction about what to do.

[Corny]

^ this is scary ..

[Laufey]

Here all schools nationwide have to teach it to kids aged 14.

They go really far trying to scare them about STD's. I remember seeing photos of penises with puss and herpes. They also had HIV positive people visiting the class.

The word abstinence never came up. I guess they don't see it as a realistic method.

[KaraBulut]

The word abstinence never came up. I guess they don't see it as a realistic method.

It's not realistic. If it were, most of us wouldn't be on this earth.

During the George W Bush years, part of the political paybacks from Bush to the social conservatives who voted for him was to write federal legislation that mandated abstinence as the cornerstone of sex ed in the US. At it's peak, the US government funneled about $175 million dollars per year to fund abstinence-only education. The materials that were funded discouraged use of condoms to prevent HIV, saying that condoms were "porous".

In 2010, the mandates for abstinence-only education were loosened at the federal level, however they still exist at the state level, particularly in the southern US. If you want to know which states, take a look at the teenage birth rates- it's those states with the highest teenage birthrates that that still teach abstinence-only education.

[Laufey]

Not surprising that they would ignore the statistics so they can continue to preach their moral issues.

[blublud]

Back in my day, there was no such thing as sex education in the schools. Little or none from the 'rents either. So, we learned from the school of hard knocks, on the street, and mostly from messing around with our buds, which we had no clue was gay cuz that wasn't talked about either. Nor, was the term "gay" coined yet. Of course, there was no HIV back then either. Yay the good old bareback days.

[AlmondMilk]

I don't remember, but I know in elementary school we watched a video about puberty. I don't remember anything about condoms and whatnot. In middle school we only had one health class, and he briefly talked about STDs. This reminds me of that scene in Mean Girls o.o

[biguy732]

Thanks everyone - I guess that even though I was at a Catholic school our teacher went above and beyond the call of duty to really educate us on what can happen out there. Not that he was being a perv or anything but he explained about what you can get from a simple BJ, especially if you are not the first BJ of the night for the person giving them. Abstinence was taught but they were also being realistic about what we were going and not going to do - more about what we were doing, really. Like I said - I am just horrified by some of the questions that I see here, and that makes me even more horrified about what precautions are NOT being taken out there.

[KaraBulut]

Like I said - I am just horrified by some of the questions that I see here, and that makes me even more horrified about what precautions are NOT being taken out there.

Don't be horrified by the questions- there are no stupid questions when it comes to one's health and the health of one's partners.

It is reasonable to be horrified by the lack of precautions and the same problematic thinking that has been the issue for many, many years.