Pano Perspective: schools need

illustration by | DANIELLE ZHANG

PANO PERSPECTIVE

Sexual education curriculum should become more comprehensive

29 out of 30 Panorama staff members agree

While nearly all high schoolers take a sexual education unit during health class, most walk away with almost no understanding of how the human body and sex work both biologically and socially. Despite kids’ constant exposure to sexual symbolism, Missouri state laws fail to require adequate education on sex and sexuality and must be altered.

One of the biggest problems with today’s sex education is that teenagers don’t learn about acceptable options to protect themselves during sex due to abstinence-only curriculum. Missouri Statute 170.015 states that schools should “present abstinence from sexual activity as the preferred choice of behavior in relation to all sexual activity for unmarried pupils because it is the only method that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy.” The statute does require schools to present medically factual information on contraceptives, consent and sexual harassment but these must also be taught in a manner consistent with abstinence-only teachings. Our state giving students access to abstinence-only education harms students. Teens are often misinformed on many issues regarding their bodies, and often turn to inaccurate forms of education such as pornography, movies, music and friends. Using these sources warps the perception of actual sex and sets unrealistic expectations.

Additionally, our public schools only teaching abstinence can create shame for victims of sexual assault. By harshly labeling premarital sex as immoral, it incites future slut-shaming and judgment, specifically towards girls. In fact, the Association of American Universities finds that 23.1% of female and 5.4% of male undergraduate students had experienced sexual assault through physical force. Adding sex education to inform students about rape culture, different prevention methods and different sexualities can both help define these matters and help prevent them altogether.

Missouri state laws must be changed in order to give students the comprehensive sex education that they deserve. Students should be taught about contraception, safe sex practices, relationships, consent, body image, gender identity, sexual orientation and sexual violence prevention in ways that do not revolve around abstinence. We need to start educating students about sex and sexuality in a practical manner so that we can end sexual misinformation and present information that students will need in the real world. p

Editorial Note: Each editorial, Panorama selects an issue that the staff thinks is important to address and expresses a view that belongs to the majority of the staff. Panorama welcomes the opinions of its readers, and encourages letters to the editors. Please bring signed letters to room 1311 or email Panorama at publications01@ladueschools.net. Panorama reserves the right to revise submissions for length as long as original intent remains unaltered. 20 OPINIONS