The Mycenaean

Safe sex is not being taught well enough to help teens avoid unwanted pregnancies. Parents and schools do not properly educate teens on the dangers of sex, and also how to stay protected.

If the sex education course was taught more in depth, then it could help them understand what to do to be safe. 

Although teen pregnancies have decreased compared to the 1990s and earlier, there are still young teenagers who are unaware of how to have safe sex.

Schools Not Teaching About Sex

Because schools do not teach enough, some teens may not know the possible dangers of unprotected sex.

 

This is because they are uneducated on how to have safe sex and may not have access to the resources needed for safe sex.

Emma, senior, said, “The sex education course needs to be taught more for most grade levels to properly educate teenagers on what can occur.”

As for most Wake County schools, there is some sex education taught in middle schools but lightly covered how to have it safely.

Learning from the Course

Most education courses in the nation go over three main concepts: Human Development, Relationships, and Personal Skills.

The Human Development section covers instruction on puberty, anatomy, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It focuses mainly on the human body’s growth for each gender.

The Relationship section goes over self, family, friend, and romantic relationships. The idea is to talk about how each relationship is different and the meaning of each one.

The Personal Skill section is about communication skills, boundary setting, negotiation, and decision-making. It goes over how to act towards others and make the best decisions for themselves.

Ethan, junior, said, “The big thing I learned from the sex ed course was how my body was developing, and I remember going on a field trip that went over puberty.”

Emma said, “I learned how to use condoms, and that abstinence is the best way to protect myself.”

Ava said, “I learned that STDs are very common and there is a variety of them. And I learned that birth control isn’t as effective as people think they are.”

The course covers several topics and teens always learn something from it.

First Understanding of Sex

Many teenagers first learn about the concept of sex from their parents in the well-known puberty talk. The age when they are told varies from family to family.

In this talk, parents explain to their child how their body is changing and developing into a mature state. They often briefly talk about sex as well to help build a sense of idea for them to understand.

Ava, a senior, said, “My mom gave me the puberty talk when I was 6, but I didn’t understand most of what she said.”

“When I was 14, she talked to me about how to have safe sex,” said Ava.

As for Emma, she said, “I learned about what sex was and how to have safe sex when I was 6 scrolling through the dark sides of YouTube.”

“My parents never talked to me about puberty or sex, so I found out about it on my own,” said Emma.

Despite parents giving their voice on the matter, an actual education course would be more beneficial to the proper understanding of sex.

Should Parents be Aware?

Becoming sexually active as a teenager may appear as a scary idea because they feel the need to keep it hidden, but that may not be the case.

If parents were informed if their child was having sex, then they would be able to provide the needs to keep them safe. Parents could provide condoms, birth control, or other meds to help prevent pregnancy.

Ethan said, “I think parents should be informed if their child is sexually active because I would be provided with the resources I need to be safe. And it also creates a sense of strong trust between us.”

Emma said, “If it’s a safe parent, then I do believe they should be aware. If they [the parents] aren’t safe, then I would keep it secret from them but still, tell a trusted adult, so you can be provided with your needs.”

Teens who keep it a secret may have a hard time getting the assets they need to be safe.

(Names changed for privacy reasons)