EDITORIAL: Students talk ‘The Talk’
Value of sex education classes in Texas high schools questioned by staff
The current rise in syphilis outbreaks, especially amongst college students, raises serious questions as to whether or not students have taken anything from the awkward and sometimes scary sex education classes we were forced to sit through in our younger years. Just like back in the day, we separated the boys and girls to share their experiences of what, if anything, they learned in those classes.
-The Girls-
Most of us have experienced that uncomfortable moment in high school when we had to learn about sex in health class. The topic was already embarrassing to begin with, but discussing it in front of your friends and possibly your crush in class? Talk about awkward.
With the recent outbreak of syphilis amongst college students, the educational information we received during our health classes in high school has us wondering if the sex education provided in school really helped us make the right and safest choices in regard to sex.
Of course, both men and women have different opinions about the topic. Depending on the school district, sex education provided in high schools can be quite helpful, especially when we were taught the importance of having protected sex to avoid contracting a sexual disease or to avoid becoming pregnant. Most schools encourage abstinence, but some schools offer students additional information with a parent’s permission.
For females, there is a deeper meaning behind sex. It’s an emotional connection with their partner. We are taught to believe that sex should only be for a couple who are in love with each other. It helps to strengthen and deepen the relationship and make a stronger commitment with each other.
What sex education failed to teach us was the fact that the culture that surrounds us can definitely impact the thoughts and decisions we make in life. The world is a fast-paced place where everyone is always on the go.
Women’s lifestyles have changed drastically from those of past generations. Women are more independent in this day and age than ever. Women are buying their own homes and cars; they even hold CEO positions for major corporations. Women are making more money and earning more college degrees than in the past.
It seems as though our culture embraces independence amongst females. With independence comes the freedom to make your own choices in life. Once we are out of high school, our culture has accepted the fact that having one-night stands are common nowadays for women as well as for men.
Less and less women are having children than ever. The Centers for Disease Control reports that the U.S. birth rate has decreased to the lowest level since data has been available. Women are focusing on their careers more and postponing child rearing to enjoy their life to the fullest, sometimes indefinitely.
The use of birth control is also increasing, although birth control or implants do not help prevent STDs. In fact, they don’t always prevent pregnancy. The safest protection for sexually active males and females in a non-monogamous relationship is still a condom.
No matter how much emphasis a school puts into its sex education classes, women are the sole decision makers of their lives. At some point, they are going to have sex with or without protection. It’s all up to them.
It’s a personal choice and decision that a female makes for herself. The sex education received at Texas schools can help with those decisions when we are taught to care for ourselves as women and to take care of our bodies to remind us of our value as women and the importance of being safe.
– The Boys –
The ‘sex talk’ always seemed to revolve around the negative and terrifying consequences of what sex could potentially bring, such as STDs and teen pregnancies. In other words, it was meant to invoke fear in us at a young age. We do not seem to remember any positive aspects regarding sex. It was like an anti-Nike slogan: just don’t do it.
We remember the large, cold and musty science rooms packed with teenage boys more interested in sports and the girls next door than whatever the presenter had to say about sex. We remember laughing at the one kid brave enough to actually ask a question that our ignorant selves were also wondering. We remember snickering and squirming through every second of the entire presentation. It was an hour chock-full of excruciating punishment.
We started our long journey through sex education with a slide show that unveiled all the lovely surprises that STDs could potentially bring to one’s life and genitalia. To a bunch of horny teenage boys, a vow of abstinence was a viable life choice after that experience. The horrifying images were burned into our retinas as we were made aware of the potential threats that awaited any of us willing to engage in unprotected sex.
If you do not remember these grotesque images, Google search STDs and take a gander. But that brings up other questions. Do people really remember those talks? Were those talks even effective? The current rise in syphilis, especially within the Houston area, leads us to believe the answer to both questions is no.
Another thing to take into account is the embarrassment factor that comes with sex education courses. The unfortunate truth is, many students are simply too embarrassed or afraid to stand up and ask the important questions involving sex. They are more willing to take their own chances than to be laughed at by a group of their peers.
Most of us tried our best to unlearn everything we were taught as soon as we stepped out of those doors. We tossed it all out, relying on friends and family to enlighten and educate us with their past experiences and endeavors about sex.
To us, those sex “education” classes were just a way out of whatever “actual” class we were in at the time. At that age, and even now, many guys still feel invincible and actively ignore the very real repercussions they face when dealing with unprotected sex. In other words, the mentality of ‘it would never happen to me’ has become the all-too-common phrase heard amongst college students.
For those of us who went to parochial schools or who came from a very strict, sheltered or disciplined household, there might not have even been a sex education program. Sex was purely meant for procreation between a man and a woman, a gift from God, not to be tampered with until the rings were tightly secured onto newlywed fingers.
The way we remember sex education being taught – or not taught, as the case may have been – is not a viable way to educate anyone, especially students, about sex. This fact has become evident with the increase in STDs and teen pregnancy statistics across the country. Trade the fear factor slides and off-handed threats for open dialogue and honesty. The old way isn’t working; we have the numbers to prove it.
