Studies have shown the critical importance of sex education and why children must be exposed to it early in life. Sex education should respect young people’s right to complete information and should be tailored to children’s development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, body image, relationships, sexual violence prevention, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development. It can be taught by parents or trained teachers.

Importance Of Sex Education

Sex education provides knowledge of the basics of puberty and development. It helps young people to know they have the right to decide when to engage in any sexual activity. With the knowledge of sexuality, teenagers can prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Comprehensive sex education goes beyond teaching just abstinence from sex until marriage as the best way to protect young people's health and safety. It also includes teachings on the efficient use of condoms to achieve sexual pleasure in cases where ‘abstinence’ is not applicable.

Sex education also helps young people to create and consent to sexual relations. Through sex education, people can acquire skills such as positive communication and conflict management. A lack of these skills can lead to unhealthy relationships among the youth, for example: causing physical violence to a partner. Sex education helps young people to understand and identify healthy relations, and provides strategies to avoid or end an unhealthy relationship. It also features effective ways to communicate relationship needs and manage conflict in relationships.

Further, sex education helps to raise awareness about the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women. Early pregnancy is potentially damaging to the health of teenage girls and hampers educational opportunities. Research shows that the teenage birth rate tends to be much higher in countries where no mandatory comprehensive sex education programs are in place. Sex education helps to curb this problem by increasing knowledge about modern contraception and safe abortion.

Finally, sex education is crucial to prevent gender-based violence and discrimination. This type of education helps to convey messages of equality between women and men right from the early stages of life. Sex education further helps to reduce stereotyped gender roles and promote mutual respect for both sexes. Also, sex education is important to prevent sexual exploitation and sexual abuse against children.

REFERENCE

Information from https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/resources/fact-sheets/sexuality-education-2/, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/what-sex-education, https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/-/comprehensive-sexuality-education-protects-children-and-helps-build-a-safer-inclusive-society was used in this story