by Jim J Jones

Created on: May 29, 2009

Let's face the facts: teens know what it is, they want it, and they really don't know enough about it to do it safely. Yes, I'm talking about SEX. America has fallen victim to a plague of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's) and teen pregnancy, and there is only one way to dig ourselves out of this hole: sex education. America needs sex education because those parents who are involved enough in their child's life to be aware of the changing behaviors during puberty only rarely have the guts to have "the talk", for fear of awkwardness and the potential of alienating the child. For this reason, it is up to schools and teachers to start telling kids what sex is before the kids find out for themselves.

Primary school teachers have to begin explaining to their students that their "private parts" are not just there for decoration, but that they will soon develop into potent tools. If used appropriately and safely, they can eventually achieve the height of physical and emotional pleasure with these tools. But if used improperly, these tools can ruin their lives or possibly kill them. It is vital that children learn early on what sex is, because that takes away from the mystery that surrounds it, and reduces the likelihood that children will unwittingly stumble over it on their own.

Middle school teachers have a different task entirely. Their students will soon begin, or have already begun, the permanent physical and emotional changes that result from puberty. The attraction to the opposite sex (or occasionally, one's own sex) is setting in, and teachers play a critical role in guiding students in the right direction. Teachers have to make clear to the students that these changes are not unnatural or weird, but that they are normal and must be accepted as part of development.

The truly difficult job is that of the high school sexual education teacher (a job which, regrettably, does not exist at many schools). The critical importance of Sex Ed to high school students cannot be understated. For all the admirable efforts of the "Abistinence-Only" community, statistics tell us they have not only failed, they have actually harmed the situation. Teens who go through abstinence-only education are no less likely to have sex than their properly educated peers, but they are far less likely to use protection when they have sex. High school sex ed teachers must teach students the risks of sex (STD's, pregnancy, etc.), how to avoid those risks (the Pill, condoms, etc.), and how be safe around the opposite sex (drink only drinks you yourself opened at a party, and other such rules).

If the onslaught of sexually transmitted diseases does not stop, it will continue to spread from the whopping 25% of Americans currently infected to the other 75%, costing obscene amounts in health care costs, lost earnings, and destroyed families. The teen pregnancy epidemic must also be ended, both by promoting safe sex practices and by working to change American culture to discourage teen pregnancy. The only way these goals can be accomplished is with improved sex education in schools.

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