Introduction
Education is a broad field for discussing social problems related to inequality, lack of necessary knowledge and racial discrimination. This paper focuses on the dissemination of sex education in conservative states of the US. This type of education is important for the absence of disease (HIV), a positive attitude towards contraception, the reduction of coercion and violence, and the promotion of respect for human rights (Hu & Zhan, 2021; Bodnar & Tornello, 2019).
Discussion
Some scholars frame the question of sex education from a social welfare perspective, emphasising its values for overall social good (Thompson, 2018). The problem arises that sex education is dismissed in some conservative states because of parents’ desire to protect their children from this information. For example, in Arizona, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, and Arkansas sex education is not mandatory (“Abstinence-Only Education States”, 2023). In more liberal states, legislators criticize abstinence-only-until-marriage approach pursued in those conservative states, claiming that progressive knowledge on sexual relations is essential for living in contemporary world (Alemansour et al., 2019). Therefore, such a puzzle can be considered as a problem deserving scholarly discussion.
Significance for Research
The study of sex education policies has both social and academic significance. On the one hand, investigation on challenges and barriers in the implementation of sex education in conservative states may help find some common grounds and understandings between both sides. Changing discourse to a more nuanced sex education curriculum across all states may be a significant achievement (Astle et al., 2021; Kocsis, 2019). On the other hand, academic research will gain new empirical evidence on the policy transfer to certain challenging conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, during the study, it makes sense to construct regression models and find some new variables that may explain the positive impact of sex education (de Castro, 2018). This investigation will allow policy entrepreneurs to find ways to persuade communities to promote lessons of sex education in conservative states and counties.
References
Abstinence-Only Education States. (2023). World Population Review. Web.
Alemansour, M., Donohue, A., Shellum, L., & Thackray, S. (2019). Sex education in schools. The Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law, 20(3), 467-468. Web.
Astle, S., McAllister, P., Emanuels, S., Rogers, J., Toews, M., & Yazedjian, A. (2021). College students’ suggestions for improving sex education in schools beyond ‘blah blah blah condoms and STDs’. Sex Education, 21(1), 91-105. Web.
Bodnar, K., & Tornello, S. L. (2019). Does sex education help everyone?: Sex education exposure and timing as predictors of sexual health among lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual young women. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 29(1), 8-26. Web.
de Castro, F., Rojas-Martínez, R., Villalobos-Hernández, A., Allen-Leigh, B., Breverman-Bronstein, A., Billings, D. L., & Uribe-Zúñiga, P. (2018). Sexual and reproductive health outcomes are positively associated with comprehensive sexual education exposure in Mexican high-school students. PloS one, 13(3), 1-15. Web.
Hu, S., & Zhan, Y. (2021). Research on the practice of sex education in British family and school. Proceedings of the 2021 4th international conference on humanities education and social sciences. Atlantis Press.
Kocsis, T. (2019). A critical analysis of sexuality education in the United States: Toward an inclusive curriculum for social justice. Routledge.
Thompson, S. R. (2018). “Did you like it?”: Adolescent sex education in the United States, 1980-2018. Women’s History Theses, 36, 1-155. Web.