Sex education at the elementary school level can be (and often is) a very controversial topic; however, we must not lose sight in all the controversy of the importance of teaching sex education in the elementary grades. From seeing what my brother was taught in elementary school, sex education which currently exists in our system, provides evidence that there is too much lacking in the area of sex education. Sex education in the elementary should be a major curriculum component. Sex education at this level does not have to be in great detail or very explicit; the important thing is that it is taught at all. There are many reasons why sex education needs to be included in the elementary school curriculum. The three main reasons that sex education needs to be addressed in the elementary schools are first, to increase AIDS awareness; second, to help reduce the teen pregnancy rates and the negative outcomes associated with it; and third, to promote overall sexual health of students.

Admittedly, some parents may not want their children to be subjected to sexual education at this age because they may feel children are too young. Benita Garcia a 40- year-old homemaker, is concerned with the

possibility that if children are taught about sex education this may be placing ideas into their heads, thus making them want to experiment and try something new (NYT 2). Even though people may not totally approve of the idea of teaching sex education to elementary students they must see the reasoning behind this idea. Many parents may not know the startling statistics that result from the lack of sex education in elementary schools. However, the facts and statistics may influence the way that they feel on the issue of sex education in the elementary schools. The number of people diagnosed with AIDS and those who have succumbed to the disease is alarming. In 2000 (according to the AIDS and HIV American Statistics Council), 15,147 Americans died from AIDS. (AIDS&HIV, Year). This same source reported that as of December 2000, 480 children between the ages of five and twelve were diagnosed with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS (AIDS&HIV, Age). Statistics filled with startling numbers like these bring new and overwhelming importance to the issue of AIDS awareness, AIDS education, and the overall need for sex education at the elementary school grade levels. The only cure that currently exits for AIDS is education (TSED 1). According to the New York State Education Department, implementing strong educational programs early enough in schools will help decrease the spread of AIDS (TSED 1). We need to teach children early about the risks and real transmissions of AIDS in order to have success in the fight against this disease. The issue of AIDS awareness and prevention are strong enough to allocate the need for age-appropriate sex education programs beginning in the elementary schools.

Promoting children’s sexual health is the most important factor of all in teaching sex education to elementary students. According to a School Health Alert Article, a 1997 study from the Pediatric Research Office shows that girls are developing at a much faster rate than ever before. Girls today are developing by the age of twelve. The study has also concluded that girls’ menstruation now frequently begins at or around nine years of age, a significantly younger age than ever before (Smith 51). The research also has found that boys are reaching puberty earlier than before (Smith 51). Implementing sex education at the elementary level can help to ease this confusing and frightening time for adolescents. Some people believe that this type of knowledge should be up to the parents to provide, however; in today’s society there are many teens that do not have the opportunity to receive this knowledge o

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