Schools and Sex Education Programs

This demonstrates why qualified professionals are more ample to teach sex education because they will not form an opinion on any one person. Parents shy away from the elements of sex that are difficult to discuss, and they may not be aware of current information on many topics. A study in Cleveland, Ohio, in the late 1970's shows that fewer than 15% of the mothers and only 8% of fathers had felt comfortable enough and/or knowledgeable enough to discuss sex related topics with their children (Dickman 22). Relying solely on parents to provide education on sex leaves significant gaps in the students' understanding. These gaps push students to look for answers to their questions from other sources. .
             The alternative sources where the youth of America gets information about sex and sexuality is often their peers. Having one adolescent explaining sex to another leads to the spreading of misconceptions and can put the children at risk. For example, fallacies regarding methods to prevent pregnancy may provide a very dangerous false sense of security. They may believe that unprotected sex is safe as long as ejaculation is external. .
             When the parents' explanation falls short of answering their children's questions regarding sex, children may turn to their images from mass media. Sexual content exists heavily in music, magazines, television and advertising. It is also one of the most common topics found on the Internet. These sources are often not intended to provide an understanding of the issues surrounding sex and may leave the students with the idea that sex is everywhere and that "everyone is doing it"." While some of the information obtained from these sources my be correct, allowing these sources to be a key influencer of the students' sexual understanding is not likely in their best interest.
             While parents may believe they are protecting their children from the ills of society, relying solely on the parents to teach their children may lead to their children having a partial understanding of issues surrounding sex and leave their children still in need of knowledge.