According to statistics compiled by the Guttmacher Institute, the US has 鈥渙ne of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world鈥攁lmost twice as high as those of England, Wales, and Canada, and eight times as high as those of the Netherlands and Japan.鈥 Because of the rising pregnancy rates among teens, in addition to the rising rates of sexual activity among teens, both parents and public schools are exploring the best sex education programs to benefit students.
This video discusses the issue of teaching sex education in school.
While sex education has historically brought forth great tension and debate between schools and communities, National Public Radio asserts that 鈥減roviding effective sex education can seem daunting because it means tackling potentially sensitive issues. However, because sex education comprises many individual activities, which take place across a wide range of settings and periods of time, there are lots of opportunities to contribute.鈥
The Debate of Sex Education in Public Schools
While some Americans express mixed opinions on how public schools should teach sex education courses, National Public Radio (NPR) reports that the once heated debate over whether or not schools should even teach teens about sex has now dwindled: 鈥淎 new poll by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government finds that only 7 percent of Americans say sex education should not be taught in schools. Moreover, in most