Sex Education in Schools

Sex Education in Schools

To what extent should the schools be responsible for teaching sex education? To what extent should sex education be left to parents? Who should handle education about STDs?
Sexual education cannot be relegated to parents alone. Schools have a responsibility to educate the next generation, including in personal health. Schools also have a responsibility to educate children in societal norms. While parents are free to indoctrinate students at home in whatever religion parents choose, just as parents can educate their children in whatever particular political philosophy parents choose, it is impossible to instill children with a completely objective and values-free education. Just as schools teach students to be good citizens, they also must teach students about responsible sexual practices, including the need for contraception. There is so much misinformation about contraception, particularly given the proliferation of dubious health information on the Internet, students need to learn credible information from medical experts. They should also be taught how to filter out erroneous messages online.
According to Mónica (2002), in a meta-analysis of abstinence-only sexual education programs, no significant reduction in sexual initiation was observed in students who participated in abstinence-focused programs versus those who provided them with appropriate contraceptive education. “The effects of the interventions in promoting abstinent behavior reported in 12 controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the analysis indicated a very small overall effect of the interventions in abstinent behavior” (Mónica, 2002, p.471), Given the need to reduce the prevalence of STDs in society as well as teenage pregnancy, teens should have the full range of options and information available so they can make mature choices. While schools may permit teens to opt out due to personal convictions, they must (just as they must provide mainstream, accepted information about science and history) have a standardized curriculum and sexual education is an appropriate part of that curriculum. All schools make choices about what they must include and exclude as part of the framework of what the average person should know, and knowing how to protect one’s self is an appropriate part of that education.
WC: 320
References
Mónica S. (2002). The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis. Health Education Research, 17(4) 471-481. Retrieved from: https://academic.oup.com/her/article/17/4/471/590928
Learning to Manage Stress for Optimum Health
What did you learn about yourself? What stressors and or “hassles” do you recognize in your life? What measures can you take in order to lower your stress and optimize your health and well-being? How will this enable you to become a more productive student? Do you see a mind, body, soul connection?
Many things stress me in my personal, scholastic, and vocational life spheres. I worry about getting my work done in all of my classes and I also worry about my future earnings prospects. But even more so I worry about my future happiness and the happiness of people I care about. Stress for me revolves around what I can and cannot control. For example, I cannot control the health of my family members who are ill. I know I can control my ability to get my schoolwork done and to perform at a high level at work, as well as my eating and exercise habits. Yet I do not always trust myself to have the will and the time to tick off the boxes on this daily to-do list.
Not all stress is bad, of course: “Everyone experiences a certain amount of stress on an almost daily basis, and it cannot be completely eliminated. Stress becomes a problem when too much is experienced, and it has a negative impact on behaviors, relationships, and health” (Jackson, 2013, par.3). Identifying what I can and cannot control is the first step of stress management. Taking time to stop, rationally observe my thoughts, and, ideally, meditate by relaxing myself and focusing on my breath are all very important components for me in reducing stress. Just telling myself not to stress out is not realistic because some of my fears are real. Instead, I need to take active steps to not be so stressed out. Just like I need a plan to get everything done in my life, stress management requires a plan (although, of course, getting stressed out about not being stressed is counterproductive). The idea of getting stressed out about fitting in my stress management techniques is sadly all too real, given that exercise is an important form of stress release for me, and has been recommended by medical experts as such (Jackson, 2013). Getting to the gym can be a challenge, however!
WC: 330
References
Jackson, E. (2013). Stress relief: The role of exercise in stress management. ACSM’s Health &
Fitness Journal, 17(3): 14-19. Retrieved from: https://journals.lww.com/acsm- healthfitness/Fulltext/2013/05000/STRESS_RELIEF__The_Role_of_Exercise_in_Stress. 6.asp