Slut Shaming In America

In 1913, sex education became a topic that was found to be an important education tool. Since then, this form of education has been a hot and debatable topic among many Americans. The original reason for sex education classes was to reduce problems such as sexually transmitted illnesses and prostitution. In recent years, abstinence has become the focus of sex education curriculum. Abstinence means refraining from sex completely. Although, it is the only one-hundred percent way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, abstinence-only instruction should not be the only form of sex education taught. Our youth need to know about all aspects of sex. This intails how to protect them if they choose to become sexually

Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard

Policies should be put in place to make the young adults better educated, in all areas of physical intimacy. Under the abstinence-only approach students are given no information about contraception, and other ways of preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. We should educate the best habits of prevention, and state that abstinence is the best way to prevent unplanned pregnancy or the spread of STD’s.

Abstinence only education is hindering the lives of teens in today’s world. Schools should stop teaching abstinence only education since, it increases the rate of teens having sexual relations with other people, it does not give students adequate lessons on preventing STDs, and the rate of teen pregnancy is higher for students who receive abstinence only education. As a nation we need to help teens protect themselves with this topic and most importantly approach it with caution. Many schools believe that abstinence only education is the most effective way to instruct students on the topic of sex when it clearly is not.

Not only does abstinence only education exclude adolescents of various sexualities, but it fails to regard the health of teenaged girls as well. The repression of female representation in health courses has contributed to the magnification of the gender stereotypes, where women are ideally portrayed as pure vessels if they remain virgins until marriage. Therefore, young girls should remain chaste and pubescent boys naturally have a rampant sexuality due to their uncontrollable hormones. Traditional gender roles are then reinforced, disregarding female sexuality thus alienating them within their health courses since they are not educationally included. This form of instruction censors out necessary sexual guidance concerning their respective reproductive health. For example, details about contraception, abortion, human sexuality, and sexual assault specifically concerning females are neglected within the classroom. Health courses have long-established condoms as the popularized and primary way of having protective sex. But what school boards don’t incorporate in their curricula is that there are various methods of contraception, precisely for women. For example, there are birth control pills, hormone implants, cervical caps, and vaginal rings. Although these preventative measures do not safeguard for STI and HIV contraction, they can decrease the likelihood of having an unintended pregnancy by ceasing ovulation or preventing sperm flow in the vagina by increasing the hormones

England, P., & Bearak, J. (2014). The sexual double standard and gender differences in attitudes toward casual sex among US university students. Demographic Research, 30, 1327.

Comparatively, college students are not actually having sex like the media has made them out to be. In fact, many college students do not even engage in sexual intercourse for the reason that they are not that interested in having a high number of hook ups while in school. Interestingly, the baby boomers generation feels that the committed relationships have been replaced with the “friends with benefits.” aIn the same fashion, the media has also been confusing older adults about the way the young people are living their love lives. The authors say that the young people are balancing fun and risk through sexual experimentation. Even though society has been more acceptable to women’s sexual liberation, they are still double standard issues that remain unchanged. For instance, one of the interviewees stated in the article that men can have sex with many women without being judged, while women are judged harshly for their high sexual body count. Another double standard situation is that men tend to care more for their girlfriend’s sexual satisfaction than their hook up

Numerous individuals believe abstinence education is the essential key to “reducing out-of –wedlock childbearing, preventing sexually transmitted disease, and improving emotional and physical well-being among the nation’s youth” (Rector). In addition, 2010 study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows that over 60% of teens believe sex should be reserved for marriage. Because of these numbers, abstinence education supporters believe it should be the go to sex education curriculum. Given that, abstinence

In the study reported by Paula England and Jonathan Bearak in the article, “The Sexual double Standard and Gender Differences in attitudes Toward Casual Sex among U.S. University Students”, they describe this double standard

Reports display that abstinence-only curriculums do not decrease sexual intercourse by adolescent students. The United States Division of Health and Human Services publicized a report of abstinence curriculums. The authors revealed that conclusions from the study provided no indication that abstinence curriculums applied in elementary and middle schools are successful in decreasing the rate of adolescent or teenagers having sexual relations. Actually, teenagers did not benefit from all of the work and the millions of dollars that have been used into these curriculums. An additional study by Peter Bearman of Columbia University shows that over eighty-five percent of middle and high school students who vow to remain virgins until

Being a teenager and spending a lot of time on social media and the internet, I have noticed that recently social standards between men and women are being brought up. Although women now are more independent and have more equal rights than the past, the way that society views and judges women is something that has not progressed. A few months ago, I saw a Tweet that talks about how girls who have sex numerously are seen as sluts, but guys are often praised or seen as cool for the same reason. After that, I noticed other posts on social media discussing slut-shaming. According to nobullying.com, slut-shaming is the act of making a girl or woman feel guilty about certain sexual behaviors that deviate from societal norms as well as women who wear

Slut shaming and victim blaming are sexual harassment. They are far worse to young women’s self-image and esteem than mere name-calling. The word “slut” and the demonization of victims of sexual violence only reinforce the belief that men are allowed to be sexual beings and women are not. It’s society’s way of saying men can be young, make mistakes, learn from them, and be promiscuous or sexually experiment and not only be spared judgment, but be applauded for

As we discussed in class, in today’s society there is a heavy emphasis put on abstinence only sex education. Sex education is not mandatory in many states and only 37 states require abstinence only education at least to be taught with 26 of those states having to stress abstinence first and foremost. Abstinence only sex education often uses fear and scare tactics to discourage sexual behavior- essentially trying to scare kids into not having sex. The thing about this form of sex education, is that it has been proven to not work. Federal policy has provided a lot of funding for abstinence only education. Programs led by abstinence only ideology ignores young people’s basic human right and the fundamental public health principle of a balanced and knowledgeable sex education. In these programs, as we learned in lecture, anatomy and sexually transmitted disease

Controversy is rampant regarding the sexual education of grade school children. Some insist that it is prudent to educate children on this subject beginning as early as kindergarten. Others strongly disagree that earlier education has any effect at all on teen sex and pregnancy and, therefore, abstinence should be the focus. Lastly, we have those who believe advocating abstinence is appropriate, but agree that a more in depth sexual education is also necessary for those who are going to have sex anyway despite our best efforts to teach them otherwise.

Coinciding with the onslaught of the new millennium, schools are beginning to realize that the parents are not doing their job when it comes to sexual education. The school system already has classes on sexual education; these classes are based mainly on human anatomy. Most schools do not teach their students about relationships, morals, respect, self-discipline, self-respect, and most importantly contraceptives. Everyday students engage in sexual activity, many of them with out condoms. This simple act jeopardizes these students' futures and possibly their lives. An increasing amount of school systems are starting to combine messages involving abstinence from sexual activity,