Sexuality Education in the Schools: Issues and Answers

What is "Sexuality Education"?

Sexuality education is a lifelong process of acquiring information and forming attitudes, beliefs, and values about identity, relationships, and intimacy. It encompasses sexual development, reproductive health, interpersonal relationships, affection, intimacy, body image, and gender roles.1

How do people learn about sexuality?

Parents are the primary sexuality educators of their children. From the moment of birth, they teach children about love, touch, and relationships. Infants and toddlers receive the beginnings of sexuality education through example when their parents talk to them, dress them, show affection, and teach them the names of the parts of their bodies.

As children grow, they continue to receive messages about appropriate behaviors and values as they develop relationships within their family and the social environment. Children also learn about sexuality from sources outside their homes. Friends, teachers and neighbors, television, music, books, advertisements, and toys teach them about sexual issues.

The sexuality education that parents provide to their children can be supplemented by planned learning opportunities in churches, synagogues and other places of worship, community and youth agencies, and schools.

Recent polls indicate that most young people look to their parents as their most important source of information about sexuality. Friends are the second most important source, school courses rank third, and television is fourth. More than two-thirds of young people have talked to their parents about sexuality. Among the adults polled, a much smaller number learned about sexuality from their own parents (21 percent from the mother, 5 percent from the father), yet two-thirds of these adults have talked with their own children about sexual issues. In numerous studies, most parents report that they are uncomfortable discussing sexual issues with their children and welcome assistance from more formal programs.

Why school-based sexuality education?

School-based sexuality education programs conducted by specially trained educators can add an important dimension to children's ongoing sexual learning. These programs should be developmentally appropriate and should include such issues as self-esteem, family relationships, parenting, friendships, values, communication techniques, dating, and decision-making skills. Programs must be carefully planned by each community in order to respect the diversity of values and beliefs present in a classroom and community.

What are the goals of school-based sexuality education?

The primary goal of sexuality education is the promotion of adult sexual health. Sexuality education seeks to assist young people in understanding a positive view of sexuality, to provide them with information and skills about taking care of their sexual health, and to help them acquire skills to make decisions now and in the future.

Comprehensive sexuality education programs have four main goals:

• to provide accurate information about human sexuality;
• to provide an opportunity for young people to develop and understand their values, attitudes, and beliefs about sexuality;
• to help young people develop interpersonal skills; and
• to help young people exercise responsibility regarding sexual relationships, including addressing abstinence, how to resist pressures to become prematurely involved in sexual intercourse, and encouraging the use of contraception and other sexual health measures. 2

Does the federal government require sexuality or HIV education?

There is no federal law or policy requiring sexuality or HIV education. Rather than dictating sexuality education and its content, the federal government has been explicit in its view that it should not control the content. While the statutes were not established solely in regard to sexuality education, four federal statutes preclude the federal government from prescribing state and local curriculum standards: the Department of Education Organization Act, Section 103a; the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Section 14512; Goals 2000, Section 319(b); and the General Education Provisions Act, Section 438. However, the welfare reform legislation signed in 1996 (Public Law 104-193) created a new federal entitlement program for abstinence-only education. Programs implemented as part of this initiative must have as their exclusive purpose teaching the "social, psychological, and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity" and cannot provide information about contraception or STD prevention.

Do states require sexuality or HIV education?

• Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia require that schools provide sexuality education (AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, IL, IA, KS, MD, MN, NV, NJ, NM, NC, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WV). 3
• Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia require schools to provide STD/HIV/AIDS education (AL, AR, CA, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MI, MN, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI). 4

What should be included in school-based sexuality education?

The National Guidelines Task Force, composed of representatives from 15 national organizations, schools and universities, has identified six key concept areas that should be part of any comprehensive sexuality education program. They are: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. The National Guidelines Task Force issued Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education in October 1991, which include information on teaching 36 sexuality-related topics in an age-appropriate manner. 5 An updated edition of the Guidelines was published in 1996.

What is the content of sexuality education programs?

• The content of sexuality education varies greatly depending on the community and the age-level of the students in the program. The most commonly and thoroughly covered topics (in order) are body image, reproductive anatomy, puberty, decision-making skills, families, abstinence, STDs and HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse, and gender roles. 6
• Of the 26 states that require abstinence instruction, only 14 also require the inclusion of other information on contraception and pregnancy and disease prevention (AR, CA, DE, GA, IL, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, TN, VT, VA, WA). 7
• Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia require that schools provide family life education, such as child development, dating, explanation of family responsibilities and interpersonal relationships (AL, AZ, AR, CA, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, LA, MD, MN, NV, NJ, NM, NC, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV). 8
• Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia require or recommend the inclusion of decision-making skills instruction, such as resisting peer pressure, setting limits during dates, teaching that it is wrong to make unwanted sexual advances, and encouraging personal responsibility and respect for others (AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IA, LA, MD, MA, MN, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OK, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV). 9
• Five states prohibit or restrict discussion of abortion (CT, IL, LA, MI, SC) and only Vermont and the District of Columbia require that discussions of abortion are included. 10
• Eight states require or recommend teaching that homosexuality is not an acceptable lifestyle and/or that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under state law (AL, AZ, GA, LA, NC, SC, TX, VA), whereas one state (RI) requires that schools teach respect for others regardless of sexual orientation. 11

Who decides the content of school-based sexuality education?

Many states have advisory committees. Thirty states have established a state school/community advisory committee to develop, review, or recommend appropriate sexuality education material and concepts taught at various grade levels. These advisory committees reflect the recognition by states that programs are best developed with diverse input from external agencies and representatives. Such input also helps to develop community support for programs and to minimize negative reactions from sectors unfamiliar with programs. 12

Is sexuality education effective?

Comprehensive approaches to sexuality education have been shown to be successful at helping young people postpone intercourse and use contraception and STD prevention. Research shows that effective programs:

• provide practice in communication, negotiation, and refusal skills;
• focus on reducing sexual behaviors that lead to unintended pregnancy or STDs;
• are based upon approaches that have been demonstrated effective in influencing other risky behaviors;
• provide basic and accurate information about methods of avoiding unprotected intercourse;
• use a variety of teaching methods to help students personalize information;
• are taught by trained teachers;
• include activities that address social and media pressures related to sex. 13

An international study of sexuality education programs found that the best outcomes were obtained when education was provided prior to the onset of sexual activity and when information about both abstinence and contraception and STD prevention were included. The same study also found that sexuality education does not encourage sexual experimentation or increased activity. 14

Do abstinence-only programs work?

Abstinence-only programs have not been found to be effective in helping young people to postpone sexual involvement. To date, six studies of abstinence-only programs have appeared in the scientific literature. None of these studies found consistent and significant program effects on delaying the onset of intercourse, and at least one study provided strong evidence that the program did not delay the onset of intercourse. Thus, the weight of the evidence indicates that abstinence-only programs do not delay the onset of intercourse. 15

Can parents excuse their children from sexuality and HIV education?

Yes. Whether it is for sexuality education or HIV/AIDS education, states specifically provide parents with the option of removing their children from the classes or states defer to local decision makers to provide that option to parents. Nearly all local school districts have provisions for students opting-out of sexuality education classes. 16 However, fewer than 3 percent of parents remove children from these educational programs.

Who supports sexuality education?

The vast majority of Americans support sexuality education. More than eight in ten parents want sexuality education taught in high schools. 17 Support for HIV/AIDS education is even higher. Ninety-four percent of parents think public schools should have an HIV/AIDS education program. More than eight out of ten parents want their children to be taught about safer sex as a way of preventing AIDS. 18

Moreover, many youth, community, and national organizations have adopted policies supportive of sexuality education. More than 100 prominent national organizations have joined together as the National Coalition to Support Sexuality Education, a coalition of national organizations committed to assuring that all youth receive comprehensive sexuality education by the year 2000.

References

1. National Guidelines Task Force, Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Kindergarten - 12th Grade, (New York: SIECUS, 1991).
2. Ibid.
3. The NARAL Foundation, Who Decides? A State-by-State Review of Abortion and Reproductive Rights, (Washington, DC: NARAL, 1997), p. xiii.
4. Ibid., p. xiv.
5. National Guidelines Task Force, Guidelines for Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Kindergarten - 12th Grade, SIECUS, 1991.
6. A. Gambrell and D. Haffner, Unfinished Business: A SIECUS Assessment of State Sexuality Education Programs, (New York: SIECUS, 1993), p. 8.
7. The NARAL Foundation, Sexuality Education in America: A State-by-State Review, (Washington, DC: NARAL, 1995), p. v.
8. Ibid., p. vi.
9. Ibid., p. vi.
10. Ibid., p. vi.
11. Ibid., p. vi.
12. A. Gambrell and D. Haffner, p. 14.
13. D. Kirby, No Easy Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy, (Washington, DC: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1997).
14. A. Grunseit and S. Kippax, Effects of Sex Education on Young People's Sexual Behaviour, (Geneva: World Health Organization, 1993).
15. D. Kirby, No Easy Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy, 1997.
16. National Association for State Boards of Education, conversations with State Departments of Education, 1995.
17. Louis Harris and Associates, America Speaks: Americans' Opinion on Teenage Pregnancy, Sex Education and Birth Control (New York: Planned Parenthood Federation of America 1988), p. 24.
18. A. M. Gallup and D. L. Clark, The 19th Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public School (New York: Gallup Polls,
19. September 1987).

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