OPINION: Sex education should be taught in public schools

In many households the ”sex talk” is dreaded by parents, and often times when children ask, “Where do babies come from?” the question is just brushed over or they are just straight up lied to. There is a difficult line to find when talking about this topic with kids. If they are too young, the information won’t be understood and they could end up saying obscene things to their peers. However, if they aren’t informed, they may end up making poor decisions in the future.  

Idaho’s legislative policy on family life and sex education states: “…the primary responsibility for family life and sex education, including moral responsibility, rests upon the home and the church and the schools can only complement and supplement those standards which are established in the family.” The decision as to whether or not any program in family life and sex education is to be introduced in the schools is a matter for determination at the local district level by the local school board of duly selected representatives of the people of the community.  

This is not how it should be, Sex education is very important, and if it’s just left for people to learn along the way of their development. there will be information holes, or things they learn too late. This is why it should be mandatory for sex education to be taught in school. 

Sex education obviously teaches students what sex is, but it also teaches them how to go about it safely, what healthy relationships look like and about their own bodily functions. 

Many of my peers growing up were too scared to go to the store to purchase condoms or get on birth control. They didn’t fully understand the risks of not having these resources. Several also would not be able to afford these, and would not be able to ask their parents to help get them. However, there are often clinics where you can go to in order to get free condoms as well as cheap, or even free, birth control that you can get without parental consent. Students should all be taught where to get these resources. Failure to get these items and use them correctly can result in unplanned pregnancy as well as the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. 

People often believe that this is a bad idea, that just giving our condoms and birth control will just make more kids have sex. They believe kids should be taught “Abstinence. Abstinence. Abstinence.” However, young people will be having sex if they’re taught abstinence or not, so it’s important that these resources are easy to access so that they do so safely. 

For young people who aren’t fully informed, it’s hard for them to know what relationships involving sex should look like. They don’t form boundaries and oftentimes don’t realize when they are being abused. This can be detrimental to their relationships in the future. Sex education should also teach about consent and rape. This does not mean just teaching our daughters what to do and wear to not get raped, but also teaching our sons not to rape and what consent looks like. 

It’s important to know how our sex organs work as well as how the opposite sex’s organs work. It is necessary for knowing whether something is natural or if you should seek care from a healthcare professional. 

Rose Owens can be reached at [email protected]