Sex Ed - What is being taught in schools?

[Shotgun 1]

I don't recall having any type of sex education when I was in grade school or high school (other than from my parents), but that was many years ago...

I'm just wondering - for those of you who have school-aged children or those of you who are teachers (etc.) - what is being taught in schools today regarding sex?

Do your local schools teach only abstinence? Do they focus only on HIV/AIDS prevention? Do they teach a full course on human sexuality? Or do they not teach anything about sex?

And at what grade level do they teach these things?

[DaVinci 0]

Back when I was a kid they had sex ED. My parents had to allow me to attend. It was in the 5th (maybe 4th) grade. This was over 20 years ago.

They taught abstinence, and touched on condoms and AIDS was not yet a big issue.

[lawrocket 3]

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what is being taught in schools today regarding sex?

Look up Amy McElhenney, Pamela Rogers, Debra Lafave, etc.

Kids are being taught plenty...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[ryanocerous 0]

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what is being taught in schools today regarding sex?

Look up Amy McElhenney, Pamela Rogers, Debra Lafave, etc.

Kids are being taught plenty...

When i was in school we weren't taught anything, just preached abstinence to. A lot of good that did! I really don't think that sex education needs to be taught in school, isn't that the job of the parents? i know a lot of parents WONT talk about it with their kids, in fact mine never did... hence lots of experimentation and such. i think that if children were actually educated about it they would have a more responsible outlook on it. and i don't think, 'jesus says your not supposed to' constitutes sex education.

my $0.02

[Andy9o8 2]

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I don't recall having any type of sex education when I was in grade school or high school (other than from my parents), but that was many years ago...

I find that surprising; or maybe, since I don't doubt you, I should say I find it disappointing that your schools didn't teach that. I attended a good public school system in Upstate New York; and for us, formal sex education as part of science and health class began in the 6th grade. For me, that was in the late 1960's. Even my wife, who attended Catholic schools, got formal, in-class sex education (although they didn't start it until high school, which I think is too late, for obvious biological reasons.) She tells an amusing story about Father Whomever telling the class, "A woman's mouth is no place for a man's penis." (I could insert a crack about "little boys" here, but Micro would kick my ass.)

Anyhow, back to the point, I find it appalling that any school would fail to give kids adequate sex education, dealing honestly with the full spectrum of human sexuality issues, including the controversial ones. It's probably one of the most important life skills that should be imparted to adolescents.

[jakee 1,596]

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I really don't think that sex education needs to be taught in school....

i think that if children were actually educated about it they would have a more responsible outlook on it

So which is it?

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[Andy9o8 2]

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I really don't think that sex education needs to be taught in school, isn't that the job of the parents?

No, for the simple reason that if you leave it to the parents, 99% of the time it simply won't happen, even in modern times. Now, I agree that parents should be the foundation for the moral grounding behind sexuality; we teach our kids our moral values about other things, so we should teach them our moral values about sexuality, too. But beyond that, I think there are huge segments of the population for whom if the full range of human sexuality issues are not taught in the schools, they won't be taught in the home, either – and the result will be, among many other things, yet another generation of children having children.

[Royd 0]

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Even my wife, who attended Catholic schools, got formal, in-class sex education (although they didn't start it until high school, which I think is too late, for obvious biological reasons.)

Catholic girls start much too late. Billy Joel, Only the good die young.

[justinb138 0]

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Look up Amy McElhenney, Pamela Rogers, Debra Lafave, etc.

Kids are being taught plenty...

I'll take "Child Molesters That Should Be In Prison" for $400 Alex......

[rehmwa 2]

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Now, I agree that parents should be the foundation for the moral grounding behind sexuality; we teach our kids our moral values about other things, so we should teach them our moral values about sexuality, too.

IMO - the schools should teach health and anatomy and physiology, only for the sex-ed curriculum. The parents are responsible for character training. Guess what? Some parents will be good at it and some will suck. If the schools want to go beyond just teaching facts, make that class optional at the parents' discretion (i.e., you can sign your kid up for it if you want to abdicate that responsibility).

Edit: Those parents that aren't capable of dealing with raising children should have the children removed from the home. Having the schools act as surrogate parents isn't fixing the real problem, it's a dirty one inch bandaid stuck on a bleeding 4 inch gaping hole.

What's up with 'teachers'? They complain about lack of parental involvement, and then insist on curriculums that further isolate the parents from the kids...

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[bch7773 0]

I got taught sex ed in middle school. Basically we discussed how well condoms/birth control/withdrawel/abstainence worked for preventing pregnancy and STDs.

We also were shown pictures of gentitals with advanced cases of STDs... thats an effective case for abstainence

MB 3528, RB 1182

[Shotgun 1]

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I don't recall having any type of sex education when I was in grade school or high school (other than from my parents), but that was many years ago...

I find that surprising; or maybe, since I don't doubt you, I should say I find it disappointing that your schools didn't teach that. . .

I can't say for certain that they didn't teach it. It could be that I just wasn't there when they taught it. (I missed a lot of school.)

My mom gave me a good book on the subject though, when I was around ten years old, and I had access to some health books that had a lot of good information. That seems to have worked out alright for me...

But I do agree that schools should be teaching the science/health part of it.

[Shotgun 1]

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I got taught sex ed in middle school. Basically we discussed how well condoms/birth control/withdrawel/abstainence worked for preventing pregnancy and STDs.

We also were shown pictures of gentitals with advanced cases of STDs... thats an effective case for abstainence

That sounds pretty reasonable.

How long ago was this? And where did you live at the time?

[bch7773 0]

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I got taught sex ed in middle school. Basically we discussed how well condoms/birth control/withdrawel/abstainence worked for preventing pregnancy and STDs.

We also were shown pictures of gentitals with advanced cases of STDs... thats an effective case for abstainence

That sounds pretty reasonable.

How long ago was this? And where did you live at the time?

uhhhh like about 10 years ago. Location was Kansas.... yes, that kansas that says creationism must be taught in schools.

MB 3528, RB 1182

[nerdgirl 0]

I've been surprised by the responses.
Apparently my small-town, rural midwest (Michigan, & yes, it was & is a Republican district) was progressive.

In 5th grade (for me, 1984), we got our first "sex ed." The boys were separated from the girls, we all had to get our parent's permission (& a couple kids did sit out), and we got the "period" talk. That was 5th grade sex ed. It was legendary on the schoolyard til you actually sat through it. (At most 2h.)

7th grade (or maybe 8th, it was middle school) was more the physiology of reproduction - a health class version of sex ed - including the birth process and some STD info. I don't remember abstinence or birth control being a big theme. Again had to have a parent's permission. (5h)

Sometime in high school (9, 10 or 11), we had a more comprehensive sex ed class. Abstinence was emphasized as the only method that worked 100% but all forms of birth control (from pill to IUD to sponge) were discussed. And, the teacher rolled a condom down a banana. I don't recall any mention of homosexuality or AIDS. STDs and the effectiveness of abstinence, and condoms to a lesser degree, was noted. Once again, had to have a parent's permission. (2-5h).

[Shotgun 1]

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uhhhh like about 10 years ago. Location was Kansas.... yes, that kansas that says creationism must be taught in schools.

Funny, when I read your first reply, I looked at your profile - which says you live in Kansas. And I thought, "Oh, he must have lived somewhere other than Kansas at the time." (only because of the creationism thing)

[Shotgun 1]

Wow, that sounds like a pretty good program.

And now that you mention it, I do remember getting the "period" talk at school.

I think that's a good idea about the parental permission. My opinion is that all schools should teach comprehensive sex education, but I understand that some parents don't approve. By requiring parental approval, all schools could teach proper sex ed classes without causing a problem for the parents that don't want their kids learning about sex from the schools. Seems like a pretty fair deal for everyone...

[tbrown 26]

Back in the early seventies we were taught in 10th Grade health class about "how it works", venereal diseases (as they were called back then, which at the time was just gonorhea and syphilis), and how birth control, i.e. the pill, IUDs, condoms worked. That was about it, but for the time was pretty decent I thought. Didn't learn about herpes until college, from reading Newsweek magazine. Took a college course called "Preparation for Marriage" that went into a lot more depth and we had a teacher who propounded the radical idea that condoms should always be worn for casual sex. The first I ever heard about AIDS was an article in TIME magazine about this strange new immune disorder that had killed a few gay men in LA, I was already a newlywed by then.

My kid in high school now has had courses in thhe mechanics and though condoms and "safer sex" are covered, there's also a stiff dose of obstinence (make that abstinence...) mixed in. Fuckin' Orange County Republicans (pun intended....)

As a family we take it all seriously enough that we don't leave it to the schools. We talk about it and bring up topics sometimes, I mean we don't want to sound obsessed either. We make sure our kids know what they need to know. High school kid's big sister is a fountain of information who has dragged her friends to Planned Parenthood on several occasions for pregnancy and STD testing and I know she looks after her little sis' even closer than we do.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !