Day 11: The lack of sex ed in high schools

Sexual education remains a controversial topic of conversation years after first being introduced. Sex ed has undeniable benefits that promote the safety and protection of those it educates. Whether the student has an active sexual life or not, teaching safe sex can prevent unplanned pregnancy and the spread of STIs. It is helpful when introduced early in middle school but even more productive if it is accessible to high school students. So why are there more middle schools teaching sex ed than high schools?

“I was taught sex ed throughout middle school during science class,” sophomore Katherine Franca said. “I don’t know why they don’t teach it now. That doesn’t make any sense.”

The Health Information Project is a group organized by upperclassmen to educate freshman on the dangers they might face in high school, some of them being teen pregnancy, sex and STIs. Though it is informative, it only educates freshman, which leaves three grades without any type of mandatory sex ed class.

“I don’t think HIP should just be for freshman,” sophomore Isabella Guzman said. “It’s a good thing freshman are being taught what they can do to stay safe, but other grades need it just as bad as they do. I think it should be for all grades, just taught to fit the maturity level of each grade.”

There are currently 18 states in the US that do not require sex ed in schools, one of them being Florida. Some states, including New York require sex ed as a graduation requirement and require that sex ed classes include information on condoms and contraception. The New York State Education Department requires one semester of comprehensive health education for all students in middle school and in high school. The same NYSED regulation requires HIV/AIDS instruction for every student, every year.

Even within states that do not require sex ed, individual districts can choose to offer the coursework. To date, 23 states have rejected Title V State Abstinence Education Grant, a program that funds and promotes abstinence education. No states outright ban sex ed, but most leave it up to local officials. With high schoolers not getting proper sex ed comes huge potential risks. According to a study done by AIDSVu, in 2013 Miami Dade County reported 25,669 cases of HIV/AIDS. The most commonly reported STI in the U.S. corresponded with the most common STI among adolescents: chlamydia.

“STDS are a huge danger of having unprotected sex,” Guzman said. “If people knew more about them maybe they could be prevented.”

Another risk is unplanned teenage pregnancy. According to the CDC, the teen births rate in Miami Dade County is 30 out 1000 girls ages 15 through 19. In states that require sex ed and classes about contraception usage, unplanned teen pregnancy and birth rates are significantly lower than states which do not require sex ed and contraception classes.

“Often time high schoolers don’t have access to the [contraception] adults have access to which is why it’s more dangerous for teens,” sophomore Katharine Elson said. “[Pregnancy] is also more shamed in highschool so people are reluctant to ask for help. And you can’t get condoms and birth control and Plan B. It’s legal but it’s not easy [to] access.”