Education
Comprehensive school sexuality education includes teaching and learning about social, cognitive, physical, and emotional concepts of sexuality based on a curriculum. It enables learners to develop knowledge, values, skills, and attitudes toward understanding health and well-being as far as sexuality is concerned. Comprehensive school sexuality education also promotes respectful sexual and social relationships. On the other hand, abstinence-only education includes teaching learners to abstain from sexual activities before marriage and excludes information regarding the role of sexual protection measures like condoms.
Summary for Each Side
Comprehensive School Sexuality Education
- Comprehensive school sexuality education empowers learners to make informed decisions regarding sexuality and relationships (UNESCO, 2018)
- Comprehensive school sexuality education helps address the health and well-being of learners by providing emphasizing values such as equality, empathy, responsibility, non-discriminatory, and self-discipline (UNESCO, 2018)
- It increases learners’ knowledge and enhances their attitudes toward reproductive and sexual health and behaviors (UNESCO, 2018)
- According to UNFPA (2018), comprehensive school sexuality education allows learners to safeguard and advocate for their health, dignity, and well-being
- Comprehensive school sexuality education is vital to combatting violence, discrimination, and abuse and promoting respect for diversity (STRASBOURG, 2020)
- Comprehensive school sexuality education prevents teens from falling prey to online sexual extortion, cyberbullying, and other sexual exploitation practices
- It helps reduce the stigma and discrimination related to certain gender identities and sexual orientations (STRASBOURG, 2020)
Abstinence-Only Education
- Abstinence-only education helps reduce emotional attachment issues
- Abstinence-only education affects marginalized students and ethnic/racial minorities, and LGBTQ students (Hoefer & Hoefer, 2017)
- Abstinence-only education is medically inaccurate and compromises learners’ healthy sexual development (Wind, 2017)
- Abstinence-only education is not effective in reducing incidences of STIs, HIV, and pregnancies among teens (Guttmacher Institute, 2021)
- Abstinence-only education does not equip learners with information about STIs, contraceptives, and health communication that they need to go through these experiences
- It is unfavorable and isolating for children and teens who have been forced into sexual practices
- Abstinence-only education promotes guilt, fear, judgment, and shame around sexuality (Guttmacher Institute, 2021)
Side of Debate that I favor – Comprehensive School Sexuality Education
Comprehensive school sexuality education is more effective and popular than abstinence-only education. Comprehensive sexuality education provides learners with age-appropriate information regarding sexuality, enabling them to make informed decisions about their sexual health and well-being. On the other hand, abstinence-only education emphasizes inspiring children and teens to desist from sexual activity until marriage. However, many studies and expert opinions have proven abstinence-only education medically inaccurate and ineffective. One of the primary benefits of comprehensive school sexuality education includes empowering teens to make informed decisions regarding their sexual health, well-being, and relationships. Learners receiving comprehensive school sexuality education are prepared to understand and discuss consent, navigate through sexual behaviors and experiences, and protect themselves from STIs, HIV, and pregnancies. UNESCO (2018) maintained that comprehensive school sexuality education promotes values such as non-discrimination, equality, responsibility, and self-discipline.
On the other hand, abstinence-only education limits sexual information and encourages teens and children to desist from sexual activity until marriage. However, Guttmacher Institute (2021) argued that abstinence-only education is ineffective in addressing HIV, STIs, and pregnancies. Wind (2017) also claimed that abstinence-only education could interfere with learners’ sexual health knowledge and development. It does not allow learners to understand significant information regarding sexual health communication, STIs, and contraceptives. Abstinence-only education isolates marginalized groups, including LGBTQ, because it does not recognize the complexity of human sexual life.
Comprehensive school sexuality education is fundamental to combatting discrimination, violence, and abuse (STRASBOURG, 2020). It promotes respect for diversity and reduces the stigma associated with sexual orientations and gender identities. Comprehensive school sexuality education prevents adolescents from sexual exploitation practices and cyber-bullying. On the other hand, abstinence-only education can promote fear, shame, and guilt on sexual health practices. Hoefer and Hoefer (2017) argued that abstinence-only education does not provide sufficient information for teens on protecting themselves against STIs and HIV. It is worth noting that comprehensive school sexuality education does not encourage teens to engage in sexual practices, but it educates them about the significance of maintaining healthy sexual practices, including using contraceptives.
Comprehensive school sexuality education is a vital public health tool providing adolescents with knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about their sexuality. It comprises topics, such as community skills and promote sexual relationships. UNFPA (2018) noted that comprehensive sexuality education promotes human rights; for example, it minimizes teenage pregnancies, protecting adolescents’ rights to education. Comprehensive school sexuality education helps adolescents and children understand what is normal. It provides adolescents and children with significant information about maintaining a good hygiene. The approach provides a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages learners to respect diversity. On the other hand, abstinence-only education can spread harmful stereotypes and discrimination, which can negatively impact mental health and well-being of learners.
In conclusion, comprehensive school sexuality education provides children and adolescents with accurate sexual health information. It allows learners to make informed decisions regarding their sexual health and relationships. It reduces stigma and discrimination related to certain gender identities and sexual orientations. On the other hand, abstinence-only education is medically inaccurate and compromises learners’ healthy sexual development and does not equip learners with information about STIs, contraceptives, and health communication that they need to go through these experiences.
References
Guttmacher Institute. (2021, April 28). Federally funded abstinence-only programs: Harmful and ineffective. Guttmacher Institute. https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/abstinence-only-programs
Hoefer, S. E., & Hoefer, R. (2017). Worth the wait? The consequences of abstinence-only sex education for marginalized students. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 12(3), 257–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/15546128.2017.1359802
STRASBOURG. (2020, July 21). Comprehensive sexuality education protects children and helps build a safer, inclusive society. Commissioner for Human Rights. https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/comprehensive-sexuality-education-protects-children-and-helps-build-a-safer-inclusive-society
UNESCO. (2018, February 15). Why comprehensive sexuality education is important. Www.unesco.org. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/why-comprehensive-sexuality-education-important
UNFPA. (2018). Comprehensive sexuality education. Unfpa.org. https://www.unfpa.org/comprehensive-sexuality-education
Wind, R. (2017, August 22). Abstinence-only-until-marriage programs are ineffective and harmful to young people, expert review confirms. Guttmacher Institute. https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/abstinence-only-until-marriage-programs-are-ineffective-and-harmful-young-people
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