Poll Sex Education

[Ghostrider]

how to operate an machine gun and how to fire it when the hostile liberals attack.

"Hostile liberals"? Is that the new politically correct term for "zombies"?

 

[cjp]

1. Does not compute. I'm not registered as a voter for the US, if that's what you mean. I think every citizen >= 18 yo can vote here in the Netherlands, maybe with a few exceptions, so there's not really such a thing as registration (except for citizenship itself). If you want to include other countries in your poll, 'yes' would probably be closest to the truth, otherwise 'no'.

2. Yes
3. I looked up the US school system. That's ages 11-14, right? My answer is yes, and you should probably start even earlier. Maybe not with all aspects though, but basically you should start educating before the kids start exploring for themselves (driven by hormones etc.). Not to prevent them from exploring, but to prepare them and keep it safe.

4. I think parents should have the most important role here, but as kids spend so much more time at school than with their parents, I still say yes here. But a school should really stick to the facts. Emotional aspects are often coupled to cultural values, and a school (especially a public school), like other authorities such as the government, should not try to enforce any but the most essential cultural patterns. I don't think emotional aspects should be part of graduation tests.

5. Yes, of course. Is there no consensus about this? (*scrolling through other posts*)

 

[Linguofreak]

Yes, I am.
No, it shouldn't be required for graduation.
No, it causes more problems than it solves.
No, school isn't a damn support group. People learn stuff like that by themselves.
Yes.

Also, people actually get taught that abstenance is a viable idea? That must result in a lot of very frustrated and angry teenagers.

Well, if they've got Orbiter to distract them, they won't be frustrated and angry, and the nerd factor should make abstinence viable if it isn't already.

---------- Post added at 00:15 ---------- Previous post was at 00:12 ----------

5. Yes, of course. Is there no consensus about this? (*scrolling through other posts*)

It's pretty much unanimous so far. I'm the closest thing to a unanimity breaker, but still gave what amounts to a qualified yes.

 

[Sherrif of Nottingham]

One of those threads again...

Yes, registered voter; and voted a few days ago...

Yes: health is our sex education, but it is only 1 chapter of 12, definitely needs to have more time spent on it. Our teachers only tell us not to have sex, and here are the diseases you WILL get.

Yes: think of this; Hand a kid a gun loaded and with no safety on, don't tell him how to use it at all. What is the kid now capable of? If the kid does not know how to use it he may try and figure it out on his own, with absolutely dire consequences. If he knows what the gun is, how to use it and what it is capable of doing, then he knows when to use it, and when to put the gun down.

Yes and No: They need to because parents aren't anymore, but they really shouldn't bring up the matter at all. (Mostly Yes)

Yes: Our teachers get fired for teaching of protection, between the hours of 6:00 am to 4:00 PM they are not allowed to speak of these things to children. Its funny that the only real sex ed class is held around those hours completely under the radar of the Administration.

 

[Arrowstar]

3. I looked up the US school system. That's ages 11-14, right?

Technically it's from ages 4-5 to upwards of 18, if you only include the compulsory education. University systems are also funded by their state, but attendence is non-mandatory.

 

[Moonwalker]

1. Yes.

2. No.

3. No.

4. No.

5. Yes and no.

I can tell from my own experience and school-career that sexual education was absolutely not required the way it took place. Sex is an individual experience, still more the emotional part of it. Much like religion/belief as well. Those things have no place as an obligatory subject in school in my point of view. But clarification regarding the risks and potential outcomes of sex (diseases and becoming mother as a teenager) should be an obligatory part of early biology lessons.

The sexual clarification I got by my parents and in school was useless and boring. I got better sexual clarification by friends and together with my first girlfriend which also was my last one for now (for 13 years, going to enter the 14th year soon). To be honest, sex never was a thing that interested me that much like aviation and space flight for example. Sounds trange but I don't want to lie. That's that.

 

[Unstung]

1. Yes.

2. No.

3. No.

4. No.

5. Yes and no.

I can tell from my own experience and school-career that sexual education was absolutely not required the way it took place. Sex is an individual experience, still more the emotional part of it. Much like religion/belief as well. Those things have no place as an obligatory subject in school in my point of view. But clarification regarding the risks and potential outcomes of sex (diseases and becoming mother as a teenager) should be an obligatory part of early biology lessons.

The sexual clarification I got by my parents and in school was useless and boring. I got better sexual clarification by friends and together with my first girlfriend which also was my last one for now (for 13 years, going to enter the 14th year soon). To be honest, sex never was a thing that interested me that much like aviation and space flight for example. Sounds trange but I don't want to lie. That's that.

Hm, I'm with your thoughts.

 

[Hielor]

Technically it's from ages 4-5 to upwards of 18, if you only include the compulsory education. University systems are also funded by their state, but attendence is non-mandatory.

"Middle school" specifically is what he was referring to, which is 11-14 in the US (usually).

I can tell from my own experience and school-career that sexual education was absolutely not required the way it took place. Sex is an individual experience, still more the emotional part of it. Much like religion/belief as well. Those things have no place as an obligatory subject in school in my point of view. But clarification regarding the risks and potential outcomes of sex (diseases and becoming mother as a teenager) should be an obligatory part of early biology lessons.

The sexual clarification I got by my parents and in school was useless and boring. I got better sexual clarification by friends and together with my first girlfriend which also was my last one for now (for 13 years, going to enter the 14th year soon). To be honest, sex never was a thing that interested me that much like aviation and space flight for example. Sounds trange but I don't want to lie. That's that.

Not all children are like you in their attitude toward sex.

Particularly in high school, where you have such a wide range of ages and maturity levels (13-14 on the low end, 18-19 on the high end), minors are exposed to cultures and emotions which may be far above their maturity level. The younger ones may be drawn into activities about which they really have no understanding, and they may trust the statements of the older ones (which may be false and engineered specifically to get into their pants). This is where the sex ed in school comes in: to arm students with the facts, so they are less likely to run into problems stemming from not knowing the facts.

 

[gimp1992]

Yes to all.

 

[Runibl]

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. Yes.

 

[vejiita]

1. Are you a registered voter?
Yes, in Canada (you didn't specify if it was US only)

2. Should sexual education classes be required for graduation from public high schools?
Yes

3. Should sexual education classes be taught in public schools as early as middle school (grades 6 to 8)?
Yes

4. If sexual education classes are required, should they cover the emotional aspect of sex (in addition to the biological)?
Yes

5. If sexual education classes are required, should methods for protected sex (such as condom usage) be taught in addition to abstinence?
Yes, in fact I don't believe "abstinence" is a method for protected sex.

 

[Poscik]

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Yes.
4. Yes.
5. Yes.

 

[Vanguard]

Here is Canada, at least in my school, sex ed started in Grade 4. In Grade 4 & 5, a registered nurse went over the biological aspects of the female and male anatomy. Really it covered the basic names (ovaries, testicles, etc), but nothing was really said that lead to the kids understanding that Tab A inserted in Slot B. So, really the biological side without the reasoning =)

Grade 6 covered the Tab A -> Slot B stuff. The condom wasn't covered until Grade 8. Knowing that most kids are having sex under the age of 15 though, I'd bump that to 6 or 7 now.

All in all, I can say having gone through this stuff in early/middle school, 100% of it led me to do smarting things rather than stupid things, (and even then, I did some stupid things =)

1. Are you a registered voter?
Yes, in Canada (you didn't specify if it was US only)

2. Should sexual education classes be required for graduation from public high schools?
Yes

3. Should sexual education classes be taught in public schools as early as middle school (grades 6 to 8)?
Yes

4. If sexual education classes are required, should they cover the emotional aspect of sex (in addition to the biological)?
Yes

5. If sexual education classes are required, should methods for protected sex (such as condom usage) be taught in addition to abstinence?
Yes

 

[Urwumpe]

Sex education of course has the advantage, that you can skip the experimental Tab A -> Slot B stuff and concentrate research on the more complex and challenging aspects.

Of course, the internet saturated youth is now busy repeating the errors of the gray historic past, and claim that you can do hard docking directly and soft docking is for softies. And will tell you, that hard docking is really the best, as long as you have just enough lubricant in 5l canisters below your bed. And don't feel disturbed by the smell of burning rubber.

 

[jedidia]

I really think we're mature enough here to skip the strange analogies...?

 

[Hielor]

I really think we're mature enough here to skip the strange analogies...?

O-F is a family-friendly forum, and there have been problems in the past with certain members' access being blocked due to certain words being present on the page.

 

[tl8]

O-F is a family-friendly forum

And we would prefer to keep it that way.

 

[Urwumpe]

And we would prefer to keep it that way.

What is more family friendly than making sure that Orbiteers found their own families?

Well, maybe that is a bit Orbiter unfriendly then. :lol:

 

[vonneuman]

1. Are you a registered voter?
No. Still in high school. I think that gives me a much different answer than most of you.

2. Should sexual education classes be required for graduation from public high schools? Yes, yes, definitely, yes.

3. Should sexual education classes be taught in public schools as early as middle school (grades 6 to 8)? Yes.

4. If sexual education classes are required, should they cover the emotional aspect of sex (in addition to the biological)?

5. If sexual education classes are required, should methods for protected sex (such as condom usage) be taught in addition to abstinence?
Studies show that abstinence does not work. However, condoms are very effective. So tell them how to use them.

---------- Post added at 02:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:46 PM ----------

Now about #4. I have to say that there needs to be counseling for the emotional needs of students. You see, people assume that teen agers have sex for fun and sport. That is not always the case. It is deeper than that. For example, I was watching the news the other night and they were disusing a school that had several hundred teen moms attending.(I can't remember exact numbers sorry.) Anyway, one teen mom why she did it and her response was, "I just wanted someone to love me for who I am." This unfortunately is not unusual, This is a common response from teen moms.
Back to #4. there needs to be some kind of emotional work done with the students, not just in sex but in much deeper needs.

 

[Hielor]

Studies show that abstinence does not work. However, condoms are very effective. So tell them how to use them.

To be fair, abstinence itself is 100% effective. The problem is that teaching that abstinence is the only option for birth control/STD prevention simply doesn't work, because they're going to do it anyway, and if they're going to do it anyway they need the tools and knowledge to be able to protect themselves.

Now about #4. I have to say that there needs to be counseling for the emotional needs of students. You see, people assume that teen agers have sex for fun and sport. That is not always the case. It is deeper than that. For example, I was watching the news the other night and they were disusing a school that had several hundred teen moms attending.(I can't remember exact numbers sorry.) Anyway, one teen mom why she did it and her response was, "I just wanted someone to love me for who I am." This unfortunately is not unusual, This is a common response from teen moms.
Back to #4. there needs to be some kind of emotional work done with the students, not just in sex but in much deeper needs.

QFT -- a lot of students have misconceptions about what sex is and what it will do for them.