Sex education in the United States
In the United States, sex education is taught in two main forms: comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only as part of the Adolescent Family Life Act, or AFLA. Comprehensive sex education is also called abstinence-based, abstinence-plus, abstinence-plus-risk-reduction, and sexual risk reduction sex education. This approach covers abstinence as a choice option, but also informs adolescents about age of consent and the availability of contraception and techniques to avoid contraction of sexually transmitted infections. Every state within the U.S. has a mandated AIDS Education Program.
Abstinence-only sex education is also called abstinence-centered, abstinence-only-until-marriage, sexual risk avoidance, chastity program, and most recently, youth empowerment sex education. This approach emphasizes abstinence from sexual activity prior to marriage and rejects methods such as contraception. These two approaches are very different in philosophy and strategies for educating young people about their sexuality.[1] The difference between the two approaches, and their impact on the behavior of adolescents, remains a controversial subject in the United States.
Sex education debates[edit]
Coined by Nancy Kendall, the "sex education debates" refers to the current binarized conversation surrounding sex education within the United States.[74] The two sides, which supposedly exist in direct opposition to each other, are most commonly known as Abstinence-Only versus Comprehensive Sex Education. According to Kendall, this debate pertains mainly to which style of teaching is most "effective" and "appropriate" for adolescents in both private and public schools.[74] The debate itself consists of each side continuously criticizing the other for not reducing rates of unplanned pregnancy, transmission of STIs, and for not postponing first sexual activity in students. These criticisms are generally dealt in the form of studies conducted or sponsored by Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive advocates, with the intent of once and for all convicting the other side of ineffectively educating.[74]
The sex education debates have been critiqued as the main cause of the inadequacy of most current curriculums; these curriculums spend the majority of their material obsessing over preventing STIs and teen pregnancy, rather than teaching about the emotional components of sexuality. These emotional components include but are not limited to topics of consent, pleasure, love, and constructive conversation techniques.[75] Kendall articulates that amongst other factors, the debates have detrimental impacts on both teachers' and students' experiences in the sex education classroom.[74] The cycle of the sex education debates (the seemingly endless attempts to disprove the "other" method) currently holds the focus of the field of sex education, slowing the creation and publication of potentially enriching materials.[76]
Consent curriculum[edit]
Though the concept of consent is often seen as a fundamental pillar of sex education curriculum, research shows few states view it as a necessity to K-12 education.[110] Of the 18 states examined, it was found only one – the State of Oregon – explicitly required students to define the means of consent in a sexual context: a standard not mandatory until high school, as consent is only briefly mentioned in Oregon's middle school curriculum.[110] It is worth noting the State of New Jersey does make reference to sexual consent, however, little is said whether there exists criteria for students to showcase comprehension.
More often, consent is seen within the domain of upper-level education. Many states have specific legislation mandating public state universities to implement this curriculum, such as California and New York. With 30.3% of high school graduates not going onto university, lack of consent standards in high school classrooms leaves a sizable portion of young adults never receiving a formal education on the topic.[110]