CONTROVERSY > Should 11-Year-Olds Be Taught How to Use a Condom?
SodaHead Living
2011/08/26 21:16:58
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Yeah. You read that right.
We don't know how sex education classes are nowadays, but ours consisted of a scary video of some woman in labor going through what looked like the most painful experience of her life and a stern "Don't have sex before marriage!" talk from our school principal.
But it looks like times have changed -- in New York City at least. The metropolitan city is reforming the way they look at sex education and will begin implementing a more controversial curriculum starting this year.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, for starters, public middle schools and high schools in the city will be given lessons on how to successfully use a condom and a talk on the appropriate age for sexual activity.
The sex talk we can understand, but a tutorial on how to use a condom? At eleven years old?! That seems a bit excessive.
The brand new mandate is a part of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's strategy to improve the quality of life for black and Latino teenagers who, according to city statistics, are far more likely to have unplanned pregnancies and get STD's compared to their white peers.
“It’s obviously something that applies to all boys and all girls,” Linda Gibbs, deputy mayor for health and human services, told the New York Times. “But
when we look at the biggest disadvantages that kids in our city face, it is blacks and Latinos that are most affected by the consequences of early sexual behavior and unprotected sex.”
Do you think New York's sex education mandate is a step in the right direction?
We don't know how sex education classes are nowadays, but ours consisted of a scary video of some woman in labor going through what looked like the most painful experience of her life and a stern "Don't have sex before marriage!" talk from our school principal.
But it looks like times have changed -- in New York City at least. The metropolitan city is reforming the way they look at sex education and will begin implementing a more controversial curriculum starting this year.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, for starters, public middle schools and high schools in the city will be given lessons on how to successfully use a condom and a talk on the appropriate age for sexual activity.
The sex talk we can understand, but a tutorial on how to use a condom? At eleven years old?! That seems a bit excessive.
The brand new mandate is a part of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's strategy to improve the quality of life for black and Latino teenagers who, according to city statistics, are far more likely to have unplanned pregnancies and get STD's compared to their white peers.
“It’s obviously something that applies to all boys and all girls,” Linda Gibbs, deputy mayor for health and human services, told the New York Times. “But
when we look at the biggest disadvantages that kids in our city face, it is blacks and Latinos that are most affected by the consequences of early sexual behavior and unprotected sex.”
Do you think New York's sex education mandate is a step in the right direction?
Top Opinion
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☆The Rock☆ * AFCL* The Sher... 2011/08/27 21:29:16
"TimeTo Put Bible Studie To
Put God Back In All Public Schools"
Those 2 sentences can't be put in the same post
My son is 18 and grew up perfectly fine. Condom use was covered in his middle school sex education class it brought up some good discussions at home and zero problems.
But then again, it is much easier to provide a remedy, than to cure the cause. What is this world coming to?
What moron thought of that anyway? Some people in this world are SICK! Did they consult a child psychologist first before deciding this? I'm a psychology major and I say NO!! to this TERRIBLE IDEA!!
Great. Now I'm scared about strting middle school tomorrow.
Parents have a moral duty to teach their children what the need to know, and to teach them the difference between good sense, morality and mere preference. I might prefer that my child remain celibate until marriage, but she NEEDS to know to be responsible, whenever she takes the plunge. To that end, I teach her as she is ready and shows interest, and we have never had the whole awkwardness that you face when you think you can wait to have "the talk". It just doesn't work that way.
having sex & not confiding in parents, SO i'd rather they learn the correct information than listen to
friends who don't even know how to wash their ears. THIS is the truth people.
The only reason there are any humans on the planet at all is because of sex. Obviously humans on(&animals;, plants too) are genetically predisposed to have sex. And the changes in puberty that ready a females body for a pregnancy can begin as young as NINE YEARS OLD!! As a mother, I want my kids to have the best lives they can without the complications and health risks that one stupid decision can create-im not happy to have my kids know about sex, or other matters deemed 'adult', but I'm more unhappy picturing pregnant 11 year olds and kids with a whole life ahead of them being on treatments for lethal diseases that result in painful and horrific deaths.
ETA: Better safe than sorry concerning children who, whether you like it or not, are often able to make babies at that age.
Greg P.
if parents were doing such a great job of educating thier kids on sex and expressing their views and values on sex, how come we still have a such a high rate of kids becoming pregnant, having abortions, and STD's. Including, but not limited to, HIV and AIDS????
Yes it should be up to a parent, but let's face it folks, not enough parents are doing the right thing.There are not enough paretns out there talking openly and honestly about sex and values. There just isn't., yet no one wants to admit that. and the only ones that suffer for our stubborness are the kids. That's the problem.
Turning a blind eye and/or wishing the situation remain a private affair is not doing what's right for all children Kids whose parents do not have open and honest conversations about sexuality are more likely to be the ones that are placing themselves in harms way, and who encourage others kids to do the same. Kids are constantly bombarded with mixed messages from their peers/media/entertainment and even their own parents, who might tell them sex is bad, but don't give any information on the subject or the opposite, by setting the wrong examples by being promiscuous themselves and/or having lots of baby daddy's/baby mamas, but no spouse to speak of, with no means to care for...
if parents were doing such a great job of educating thier kids on sex and expressing their views and values on sex, how come we still have a such a high rate of kids becoming pregnant, having abortions, and STD's. Including, but not limited to, HIV and AIDS????
Yes it should be up to a parent, but let's face it folks, not enough parents are doing the right thing.There are not enough paretns out there talking openly and honestly about sex and values. There just isn't., yet no one wants to admit that. and the only ones that suffer for our stubborness are the kids. That's the problem.
Turning a blind eye and/or wishing the situation remain a private affair is not doing what's right for all children Kids whose parents do not have open and honest conversations about sexuality are more likely to be the ones that are placing themselves in harms way, and who encourage others kids to do the same. Kids are constantly bombarded with mixed messages from their peers/media/entertainment and even their own parents, who might tell them sex is bad, but don't give any information on the subject or the opposite, by setting the wrong examples by being promiscuous themselves and/or having lots of baby daddy's/baby mamas, but no spouse to speak of, with no means to care for any of them themselves...
Bottom line is that it is better to have well educated kids, who are able to make good decisions based on factual knowledge about sex and their own bodies, and who have a foundation based on strong values and moral beliefs ...