While it may seem that teaching sex education reveals a heated debate from previous generations, the actuality is that for many parents and communities, it remains a highly controversial issue. If our generation fails to educate the younger generation, our prosperity will be left to pay the price. Opponents to sex education feel that the courses themselves authorize this movement. First and foremost, sex education in public schools deems to be a duty of the American school system. With the growing rate of sexually transmitted diseases [STDs], healthy sexual behaviors and teen pregnancies in today's society, sex education is more important than ever. .
Teens get most of their important information about sex from, "parents, peers and the media"" (Brown, 2008). Brown (2008) reports alarming statistics regarding teens and STDs, stating that "roughly seventy-five per cent of sexually transmitted infections occur in young people". Our youth needs to be knowledgeable and have a better understanding of the risk of having unprotected sexual intercourse. While some STDs may be treated with antibiotics others may be considered "a gift that keeps on giving". Additionally, children become sexually active at an earlier age; "sixty-six per cent of American high school students have had sex by their senior year " (Masland, 2013). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also reported that a large percentage of sexually transmitted infections [STIs] will occur in people under the age of 24 (2012). STDs are caused by infections that are passed from one person to another during sexual contact. These infections often do not cause any symptoms. Medically speaking, infections are only called diseases when there are symptoms involved. That is why STDs are also known as "sexually transmitted infections." But it's very common for people to use the terms "sexually transmitted diseases" or "STDs," even when there are no signs of disease (NCSL, 2014).