The Effects of Sex Education to Secondary Students
It has been a matter of debate in the Philippines whether the Reproductive Health Bill should be passed and implemented. The said bill discusses the issues of responsible parenthood by spreading awareness to the public on contraceptives and their possible effects. Thus, the said bill touches the issue of sex education which is to be implemented in the elementary and secondary levels.1 Aside from the issue of contraceptives, sex education is very much criticized by various sectors who contend that carrying out such thing would have unfavorable results. This brings us to question as just how would sex education really affect minors, especially secondary students who are in the verge of adulthood.
The conservative sector of the country strongly oppose the application of the program in the elementary and secondary level. They say that this may lead to earlier sexual activity due to the exposure to the said subject. However, many experts have been telling the exact opposite.2
Secondary Level is the level wherein most students (called teenagers) are in their puberty stage. According to Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, puberty is the time in life when a person becomes sexually mature. It is also characterized by hormonal changes that affects the sexual attitudes of teenagers.3 The changes brought about by puberty or adolescence may bring stress and confusion to teenagers. While many are able to cope up with these changes successfully, there are many who find themselves engaging to different behaviors including sexual behaviors.
We cannot hide from the fact that more and more young people are engaging in premarital sex today. A study made by the UP Population Institute on 2002 showed that 23% of Filipino youths have engaged in premarital sex with numbers higher in males at 31.1% and 15.9% on females. A large number of these premarital sex occurred without contraceptives at 79%.4 Surely, the numbers are higher now. Statistics have shown that even without sex education, youths have already been experimenting with premarital sex. There is nothing we could do about it, but maybe sex education may help.
Family Health International, a pioneer in the research of global health and development, strongly recommend the implementation of sex education in the basic curriculum. They boast of the positive results sex education have given especially delaying first sexual intercourse, or if they have done it already, convincing them to use contraception. Dr. Cynthia Waszak states that we should give the youth the right information about sex.5 Awareness here is the key. Awareness has always been a good thing and not a bad thing.
Young people’s interest in sex is forever present because it is naturally in them. It is because of the hormone and we can’t do anything about our hormones. It is how the body works. Opening up their minds would be good because through education, all their questions about sex would be addressed to. It would also touch teenage issues such as self – esteem, goal development and respect for others.
In a study conducted by the African Health Sciences in Nigeria, sex education has given a significant difference between those who were subjected in the program and those who were not. The youngsters who have undergone sex education were reported to be in less risk compared than those who were not. Their knowledge of sexual health have improved and they have absorbed much of what were taught to them about sex in the said program. The study concluded that sex education should be recommended to be introduced in their curriculum.6
The same thing may be conducted here in the Philippines to show the effects sex education may bring. There are no apprehensions however, for virtually all studies conducted about sex education conclude that sex education results in favorable effects.
References:
1Lagman, E. 2008.“Facts and Fallacies on the Reproductive Health Bill.”Philippine Daily
Inquirer: 3, August.
2 Espinosa, H. 2010. Filipino Parents Oppose Sex Education in the Philippines. Balitang America: 24, June. 3 Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development, 2007. Puberty (Online). Available: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty.cfm [3 May 2011]. 4 UP Population Institute, 2002. Facts and Figures (Online). Available: http://www.drdf-uppi.net/Figures/sexuality_enlarge.png [3 May 2011]. 5Finger, W. 2000. Sex Education Helps Prepare Young Adults (Online). Available:
http://www.fhi.org/en/rh/pubs/network/v20_3/nwvol20-3youthed.htm [3 May
2011].
6Esere, M. 2008. Effect of sex education programme on at-risk sexual behaviour of
school-going adolescents in Ilorin, Nigeria (Online). Available:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2584331/ [3 may 2011]
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