“Studies have repeatedly shown that comprehensive

sex education does not lead to earlier onset of sexual

activity”

Sex Education

Sex education, which is sometimes called sexuality education or sex and

relationships education, is the process of acquiring information and forming
attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex
education is also about developing young people's skills so that they make informed
choices about their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting on
these choices. It is widely accepted that young people have a right to sex
education. This is because it is a means by which they are helped to protect
themselves against abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancies, sexually
transmitted diseases and HIV and AIDS. It is also argued that providing sex
education helps to meet young people’s rights to information about matters that
affect them, their right to have their needs met and to help them enjoy their
sexuality and the relationships that they form.
In recent years there has been discussion about what form sex
education should take, and the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an
abstinence based approach as an alternative to a more comprehensive approach.
Despite recent changes in public policy within the United States which has seen a
cessation of federal funding for abstinence only programmes of sex
education, programmes of this kind continue in both the USA, other parts of the
developed world and are even expanding in some of the countries most affected
by HIV and AIDS because of funding made available through
the PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) programme.An abstinence
based approach to sex education focuses on teaching young people that abstaining
from sex until marriage is the best means of ensuring that they avoid infection with
HIV, other sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy. As well as
seeing abstinence from sex as the best option for maintaining sexual health, many
supporters of abstinence based approaches to sex education also believe that it is
morally wrong for people to have sex before they are married. Abstinence
approaches are represented in programmes such as Aspire and True Loves
Waits (both developed in the US), which aim to teach young people that they should
commit to abstaining from sex until marriage.Although not all abstinence education
programmes are the same, they share the fundamental purpose of teaching the
social, psychological, and health gains to be realised by abstaining from sexual
activity. As such, abstinence education tends to include the following teaching
objectives, which are derived from a definition given in Federal Law in the United
States.

Effective sex education also provides young people with an opportunity to explore
the reasons why people have sex, and to think about how it involves emotions,
respect for one self and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies. Young
people should have the chance to explore gender differences and how ethnicity and
sexuality can influence people's feelings and options.They should be able to decide
for themselves what the positive qualities of relationships are. It is important that
they understand how bullying, stereotyping, abuse and exploitation can negatively
influence relationships. Young people get information about sex and sexuality from
a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including
advertising, television and magazines, as well as leaflets, books and websites (such
as www.avert.org) which are intended to be sources of information about sex and
sexuality. Some of this will be accurate and some inaccurate. Providing information
through sex education is therefore about finding out what young people already
know and adding to their existing knowledge and correcting any misinformation
they may have. For example, young people may have heard that condoms are not
effective against HIV or that there is a cure for AIDS. It is important to provide
information which corrects mistaken beliefs. Without correct information young
people can put themselves at greater risk.

Information is also important as the basis on which young people can develope well-
informed attitudes and views about sex and sexuality. Young people need to have
information on all the following topics:
Chapter II : Review of related Literature

Local

MANILA, Philippines - A new sex education campaign in Philippine schools has sparked widespread
debate in Asia's bedrock of Catholicism, where the high birth rate is blamed for desperate poverty.
The United Nations-backed program, which is being piloted this month in primary and high schools,
aims to promote safe sex, limit the spread of HIV-AIDS and prevent unwanted pregnancies.However,
the Catholic Church and powerful conservative crusaders have struck back with a high-profile
campaign to shut down the project, saying it breaks the nation's religion-based moral codes.

Eric Manalang, head of the conservative political party Ang Kapatiran (The Brotherhood) that
"Sex education in schools is not the answer to our population problem and poverty,"

"It promotes promiscuity among children... it does not promote the proper values that we want our
children to receive in schools and we believe sex education should strictly remain a family
affair."Manalang said his party and church had filed a petition in court on Monday requesting an
injunction to stop the program.
He said the chances of the legal bid succeeding were high with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Philippines, as well as various parent groups, supporting the fight.Their legal bid claims the program
impinges on parents' constitutional right to educate their children based on their religious beliefs.
"Issues that are not for children should not be taught in schools," the bishops' conference said in a
statement.While Ang Kapatiran is only a small political party, conservative religious forces led by the
Church hold a lot of sway in the Philippines, where more than 80 percent of the nation's 90-million
people are Catholic.The bishops last year succeeded in blocking a proposed law in parliament that
would have made it easier for the public to access state-funded contraceptives.Nevertheless, the
education department has so far held firm.It says the program is aimed at curbing a population growth
rate of over two percent, among the highest in Asia, and does not promote out-of-marriage sex.The
scheme covers topics such as reproductive systems and cycles, hygiene, pre-marital sex, teenage
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, according to the education department.

Education Secretary Mona Valisno said the teaching modules were designed by professionals,
including psychologists, who made sure the discussions would be educational.
"Sex education will be integrated in other subjects such as science and they are designed to be
scientific and informative," she said."They are not designed to titillate prurient interests."
The United Nations has become embroiled in the controversy because it partly funded the project, and
issued a statement last week rejecting the Church's position.Manalang hit out at the United Nations
Population Fund, the body involved in the project, saying it was interfering with internal Philippine
issues.
But the fund's Philippine director, Suneeta Mukherjee, said opponents of the program had nothing to
fear.
"We are not encouraging people, or children, to have sexual relationships. We are only helping
students handle their sexuality as part of the process of growing up," Mukherjee told AFP."Children at
this age are very sensitive and must be taught by people in authority."She pointed out that HIV was on
the rise among young Filipinos, and many of the nation's poor -- a third of the population lives on less
than a dollar a day -- did not have access to sound education on sexual matters."We just want the
children to make responsible decisions," Mukherjee said.
The United Nations on Friday backed a move by the Philippines to introduce sex education among
primary and high school students that has sparked a row with the influential Catholic church.
The UN stressed that the Philippines was a signatory to an international treaty on the rights of children
that commits member countries to providing proper information to girls and boys about their bodies.
"It is the obligation of the state to ensure that all adolescent girls and boys are provided with accurate
and appropriate information on how to protect their health and practice healthy behaviours," the UN
said in a statement."The United Nations will continue to work with government... to respect, fulfill and
protect the rights of girls and boys to comprehensive information regarding their health and their
bodies.
"Global evidence shows that giving clear, appropriate information to adolescents does not increase
promiscuity but helps them make responsible decisions."The government this week began introducing
its Adolescent Reproductive Health programme in 80 public elementary and 79 high schools.
The scheme will later be expanded nationwide, in what the government said could hopefully reduce
the country's high population growth rate, limit unwanted teenage pregnancies and prevent the
spread of HIV and AIDS.The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines attacked the programme,
warning that it encouraged promiscuity among the youth.The bishops demanded that the government
stop the programme, saying that sex education was better left to parents and taught within the
confines of the home.
The UN on Friday acknowledged that parents played a pivotal role in teaching their children about their
sexuality, but noted that people in authority such as teachers or doctors could explain the process
better.
The government has often locked horns with church leaders over population control issues in this
devoutly Catholic nation of more than 90 million people.In one instance, church leaders called for the
sacking of the health secretary after she launched a campaign to hand out free condoms on
Valentine's Day this year as part of the battle against HIV and AIDS.
One of the ways in which the debate between supporters of abstinence and
comprehensive approaches to sex education has been framed is in terms of which is the most
effective.Although at first glance the evidence can seem confusing, with claims coming from both
groups about the proven effectiveness of programmes embodying their values, when only the most
reliable studies are taken into account the position is clear. There is good evidence, from reviews of
studies and studies of programmes implemented in the US, UK and other European countries and
countries in Africa and Asia, that comprehensive sex education can reduce behaviours that put young
people at risk of HIV, STIs and unintended pregnancy. Studies have repeatedly shown too that this kind
of sex education does not lead to the earlier onset of sexual activity among young people and, in some
cases, will even lead to it happening later.In contrast, there is no such robust evidence for the
effectiveness of abstinence education. Almost all the studies that have claimed to show any positive
outcomes are not well enough designed to sustain these claims so it is not possible to infer whether
they work or not from the research reports.Several academic reviews suggest that abstinence only
programmes generally have no effects on young people’s sexual behaviour. In just a few cases
abstinence only programmes may encourage young people to delay first sexual intercourse in the
short-term. Worryingly, some of these studies also suggest that compared to other young people those
who do receive abstinence only programmes may be less knowledgeable about STDs and less likely to
believe that condoms provide effective protection against them.

Foreign

The movement for sex education, also at times known as sexuality education, began in the United
States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dr. Prince Morrow developed the impetus
for some of the first formal sex education curricula with an emphasis on the prevention of venereal
disease, a focus that had its roots in the scientific social-hygiene and purity movements of the
Progressive Era. In 1905, he established the American Society of Sanitary and Moral Prophylaxis,
focusing on private agencies outside of schools, working with youth on sexually transmitted disease
prevention. For the most part, Morrow's approach to sex education sought to discourage sexual
activity and to emphasize the dangers of sex while also providing instruction about human anatomy
and physiology. During this same time, Margaret Sanger began her pioneering work dispensing birth
control information to young women in New York City.
In 1914, the National Educational Association began to endorse sex education, usually referred to
as sex hygiene, in the schools. The NEA resolution stated that public school sex hygiene classes should
be conducted by "persons qualified by scientific training and teaching experience in order to assure a
safe moral point of view." By the second and third decades of the twentieth century, sex education in
the public schools had become more institutionalized and had begun to shift from the earlier dis-ease
prevention model to a focus on helping young people relate sex to love, marriage, and family life.
There was a strong proscriptive bent to most of these programs—"worthwhile" sexual experiences
were only those that led to mature love and marriage. Sex educators in this era generally
viewed bodily pleasure unto itself as morally dangerous.

In the 1940s, sex education continued to be taught primarily as part of social-hygiene classes and
often existed in classes called "homemaking," "character building," or "moral or spiritual values."
These classes were frequently sex segregated, although sex education specialists debated this issue.

The post–World War II era witnessed a major social movement in support of a more explicit,
normative, and nonjudgmental approach to sexuality education. The development of the Sex
Information and Education Council of the United States in the early 1960s, followed by the American
Association of Sex Educators and a number of other organizations, transformed the teaching of sex
education in the schools. The pioneering work in the fields of human sexuality by Alfred Kinsey and
William H. Masters and Virginia E. Johnson also had an enormous influence in promoting sex education. These
organizations and individuals sought to develop programs that encouraged healthy sexuality to enhance individual
growth and fulfillment. In addition, the women's movement challenged and transformed many previous
assumptions about the teaching of female sexuality.Nevertheless, sex education programs continued to be subject
to considerable controversy. Some religious organizations voiced strenuous objections to teaching young people
about issues such as contraception, abortion, or masturbation, or to framing homosexuality as an acceptable
lifestyle in sex education classes. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, local school boards waged protracted and
divisive battles over the content of sex education curricula. In addition, political conservatives in the United States
sought, at times successfully, to restrict the content of sex education programs and to limit explicit discussions of
birth control in favor of an emphasis on abstinence. These controversies over the content of sex education
curricula took on a more fevered pitch with the advent of the AIDS virus.

Synthesis

Teachers of students with special needs need to be prepared adequately to

teach their students sex education. For years, this has been acknowledged to be an
important area of the curriculum, and there have been concerns about whether
teachers are being prepared for this area of instruction. This study surveyed the
directors/chairpersons of special education teacher preparation programs regarding
the amount and type of coursework on sex education that their students received
during their special education teacher preparation and compared the responses to
responses to the same survey from 1980. Results indicate that students still were
not receiving adequate preparation in the area of sex education, and stress the
need for faculty involved with special education teacher preparation to address
ways to include sex education coursework in their curriculum for teachers in
training.
The importance of the study

For two decades, policymakers have debated the relative merits of

sexuality education that promotes abstinence as the only acceptable form of
behavior outside of marriage and more comprehensive approaches that discuss
contraception as well. The results of several new studies show that these debates
may have had a considerable impact on what is being taught in the classroom;
moreover, they strongly indicate that politicians—in their drive to promote morality-
based abstinence-only education—are out of touch with what teachers, parents and
teens think should be taught.

Importance of the study to the students

Youngsters usually derive information on sex and related subjects from sources like
friends, books, the media comprising advertising, television, magazines and the
Internet. The problem is that these sources may or may not really provide them
correct and accurate information. As such, sex education will help in transferring
authentic info and in the process also correct any misinformation that they may
have apart from adding to their already existing knowledge. Sex education imparted
through schools can prove to be a significant and effective method of bettering the
youngster’s sex-related knowledge, attitude and behavior.Sex education in school is
important because many parents are shy about talking / teaching their children on
this subject.Educating children on sex related issues also requires one to know how
to broach the subject, what information to impart and what to hold back. All these
can be carefully handled by a trained sex educator. It is a fact that more and more
teens these days are engaging into premarital sex. This further underscores the
need for sex education to students. This will help them make better informed
decisions about their personal sexual activities.Many argue that sex education also
helps to lessen risk behaviors in teenagers like engaging in unprotected sex which
result in unwanted pregnancies and STDs.

Importance of the study to the teachers

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 school. In school the interaction between the teacher and young
people takes a different form and is often provided in organised blocks of lessons. It is not as
well suited to advising the individual as it is to providing information from an impartial point of
view. The most effective sex education acknowledges the different contributions each setting
can make. School programmes which involve parents, notifying them what is being taught and
when, can support the initiation of dialogue at home. Parents and schools both need to engage
with young people about the messages that they get from the media, and give them
opportunities for discussion.

Importance of the study to the community

In sex education relevant important and accurate information about sexuality

in both boys and girls are given depending on their age. It will be unfair and criminal
to ignore or push aside the fact that they are aware of their sexuality; in whatever
stage or state they are. Sex education should naturally be integrated into their lives
as they grow up both by the parents, teachers and the society in a very mature
way. Parents should answer their children's questions properly and information
according to their level of exposure and maturity. It will not be appropriate to look
embarrassed or pretend sex never exists. We might be fooling ourselves and
exposing these children to untimely dangerous curiosity. The children must be
taught how to cope and handle their own sexual feeling, use of drugs and urges.
Prior to the time of sex education, parents should develop good communication
with their children. Be their friends, have positive attitude to sex, yourself.Good
relevant sex education provides knowledge, knowledge is information, and
information is confidence. It has been noticed that well-informed children on male
and female Anatomy handle puberty better than the uninformed ones. Sex
education affects a child's attitude positively. Each sex (male or female) becomes
more tolerant of the others behaviour pattern and option. A sexuality oriented child
learns to believe in the quality of men and women, the sacrament of marriage and
parental responsibilities.