Lively Women

Sex-Ed: Abstinence Only, or Full Disclosure?

by Kristen King on October 19th, 2007

It’s an issue of social responsibility as well as ethical, and it doesn’t appear that a resolution will be coming any time soon. It’s complex and multifaceted. It’s highly controversial. It’s sex ed.

Part of the problem is that there are a lot of unanswered questions about sex education. Who’s responsibility is it? When does someone else step in if that party isn’t getting the job done? Who decides what qualifies as getting the job done? At what age should sex ed begin? Should abstinence be the only curriculum, or should kids learn about safe sex, too? Should it be a political issue? And are the stakes higher as a result of the staggering effects of teen pregnancy in the US?

An op-ed piece by Amanda Robb in yesterday’s New York Times  blasts abstinence-only education as being ineffective and as teaching “patently false information.” What do you think? Would kids be better off without abstinence-only sex ed? Should sex ed be mandatory? When should it begin? How long should it last? Leave your opinions in the comments.

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POSTED IN: Body, Controversial issues, Prevention, Public policy, Real life, Sex