Introduction
Sexuality is part of the learning process and students should be introduced to the various sexuality approaches early enough in life. One of the most proven and effective sexuality education approaches in schools is Comprehensive Sex Education. It is significantly challenging to introduce sexuality lessons to teenagers especially at the tender age of 12-15 but the need is too great compared to the risk. To effectively deal with sexuality issues including self-identity and acceptance, the issue must be faced fearlessly to save teenagers from harm’s way. This essay will analyze a sexuality education approach promoted by Advocatesforyouth.
A type of sexuality education discourse: contemporary
The comprehensive sex education approach is a contemporary strategy that has provided teachers and parents with a breakthrough in regard to this problem. There have been other approaches that the federal government has engaged in overtime but they have since failed. For instance, the abstinence approach rolled out by the federal government in 1997 was a major waste of time and valuable resources (advocatesforyouth.org). While the call for abstinence is a noble course, the comprehensive sex education approach brings onboard a more realistic approach to sex education. It adds on to the abstinence calls a broader approach advocating for contraceptives and condoms. The government has also adopted this approach with the understanding that the best approach is one that yields results. In this discourse, the idea is to theoretically explore sex, gender, and sexuality frameworks to create awareness among teenagers (Kaschak & Tiefer, 2014). This is the most recent strategy that has gained much popularity especially due to its success in various levels. However, Jones (2011) argues that the religious unyielding stands on the issue of morality may not work out in favor of this approach.
Assumptions made about youths
Several assumptions are made when dealing with youths and sexuality and these assumptions have had negative implications on them. For instance, the use of vocabularies as a way of shielding a child from the realities of sex is an assumption that youths are generally unaware of. This has however been proven not to be the case going by the statics presenting facts about sexuality among youths. According to Jones (2011) using other vocabularies as a way to shield youths from sexual issues questions the truth. In addition, there is the assumption that youths do not get physically aroused and if they do, they do not understand what is happening to their bodies (Barr, Moore, Johnson, Forrest, & Jordan, 2014).
However, the fact remains that youths especially kids in the age bracket 5-11 are aware of the sexual aspect of their lives (Barr et al., 2014). The only meaningful way to help them sail through this period of confusion and hormonal chaos is by helping them understand and accept themselves. This is how sex, gender identity, orientation, culture, race, and social classes are constructed according to Jones (2011). According to him, sexuality is a productive lesson for youths and it is very important for their lives. It is highly unlikely that by introducing a sexuality education program there will an aspect of arousal and pleasure to it. The program will be reducing many social and moral issues from occurring rather than the opposite effect.
An ideal sexuality subject
The comprehensive sex education approach is an ideal sexuality subject that runs with the interest of the child at the core of its framework. The greatest success that this approach has shown is its ability to help the youth to delay their sexual active stages for longer (Gubrium & Shafer, 2014). In addition to this very profound advantage, the approach also helps youths to reduce the frequency of their sexual activities which is a very good measure to deal with sexuality issues. When the frequency of sexual activities is on a declining scale, the resulting effect will be a similar impact on the number of sexual partners (Khubchandani, Clark, & Kumar, 2014). In the long run, reduced sexual activities will lead to a reduced number of sexual partners which will effectively reduce sexuality problems entirely. Comprehensive sex education is highly recommended because even research has proven its effectiveness. According to research, youths at the age of 5-11 and are receiving a comprehensive sex education are 50% less likely to experience early pregnancies than those who have been taught the abstinence approach only (Advocatesforyouth, 2009).
Conclusion
This approach is a very effective strategy that has had tremendous success over the last decade and in most regions of the world. The approach is good because it has a broad spectrum of dealing with sexual challenges. Using comprehensive sex education, so many calamities are avoided including unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Sticking to abstinence is a misguided approach especially in the 21 century where sexuality has become an open topic unlike in the olden days. Possible impacts of using this approach are both positive and negative. While promoting contraceptives may sound like promoting sex among young people, it is also an effective measure of preventing unwanted pregnancies and diseases.
Reference
Barr, E. M., Moore, M. J., Johnson, T., Forrest, J., & Jordan, M. (2014). New evidence: data documenting parental support for earlier sexuality education. Journal of School Health, 84(1), 10-17.
Gubrium, A. C., & Shafer, M. B. (2014). Sensual sexuality education with young parenting women. Health education research, 29(4), 649-661.
Advocatesforyouth (2009). Comprehensive Sex Education: Research and Results. Web.
Jones, T. (2011). A Sexuality Education Discourses Framework: Conservative, Liberal, Critical, and Postmodern, American Journal of Sexuality Education, 6(2), 133-175.
Kaschak, E., & Tiefer, L. (2014). A new view of women’s sexual problems. New York, NY: Routledge.
Khubchandani, J., Clark, J., & Kumar, R. (2014). Beyond controversies: Sexuality education for adolescents in India. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 3(3), 175.