Rarely is anything black and white. The debates about sexual education in U.S. public schools are no different. While the ideas of abstinence and holistic learning of sex contradict each other at first, they can coexist if one looks at the bigger picture along with its consequences. Thus, while the discourse concerning sexual education in public schools may depict abstinence-only and fully comprehensive sexual education as conflicting ideologies, they are actually quite similar. This is significant because a comprehensive education actually adds to the abstinence message while supporting (instead of shaming) youth and their right to information that could lead to safer and more responsible sexual choices. While the vast majority of …show more content…
Those who agree with him claim that comprehensive sexual education is giving mixed messages to teens and will ultimately lead them to have sex earlier than if it was not talked about. However, this argument is a slippery slope fallacy. Amy Meeks, a Human Sexuality professor at Texas State University, explains that it is illogical to assume “someone who is educated about sexuality will automatically become sexually active” (Arellano) because there are countless other factors involved in the decision to become sexually active. Also rebutting this claim is a recent study by Dr. Laura Lindberg, a principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Institute. The study found no evidence that a comprehensive sexual education led to earlier sexual activity, greater risk taking, or poorer outcomes. In fact, both abstinence and comprehensive sex education significantly increased the age at which teens first had sex. This ultimately led the researchers to conclude that talking with adolescents about sex – before they first have it – is what is most important, regardless of the subject matter (Lindberg). As such, the debate about sexual education in public schools should not be framed as a battle between moral righteousness and liberal sexual attitudes. Comprehensive sexual education simply …show more content…
This bandwagon appeal fallacy does not actually work, however. Contrary to popular belief (and also paradoxically), things become most tempting to do when they are restricted since our freedom is perceived to be threatened. This is a concept taught in psychology classes as “psychological reactance” and may partially explain why states with the most conservative sexual attitudes have the highest teen birth rates. However, if parents and teachers are still not convinced by this, they can be reassured that their voices are extremely important. They can guide us teens into making responsible and healthy choices by simply talking to us with honesty and not treating us like little children. If we ask them questions about sex or contraceptives, it is because we value their advice and know they want what is best for us. Overall, open communication about sex benefits everyone since teens will be more responsible in having sex (if they engage in it at all) and parents will trust their children