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Why Consent should be Taught in Sex-Ed

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In 1892, the National Education Association began promoting that teaching sexual education was necessary in the national education curriculum. Fast forwarding to 1940, the U.S. Public Health Service claimed sexual education to be an “urgent need.” The topic of sex-ed has always been widely debated, as some people find it to be a necessary course for teenagers to learn, while others argue that they can just learn as they grow. Teaching sexual education in schools is not mandatory, but there is a large amount of schools that do teach it in their P.E./Health classes. The current curriculum is good, but there is a missing puzzle piece to the course; that is where consent comes in. While some believe that teaching students about consent in sexual education is unnecessary and unbeneficial, teaching the topic could be an important part of the curriculum because it would lead to a safer sex life and lower rape statistics. If students were taught about consent while in high school, it would help lower the sexual assault rate in college and make college an overall better experience.

Teaching students about consent in high school can lead them to understanding what a safe and healthy sex life is, along with having one. Today in sex-ed classes, students are mainly taught about sexually transmitted diseases and the different types of birth control; while these are very important topics, there are other things they need to learn about to maintain a healthy and safe sex life, which is where consent comes in. Many students today do not even know how consent ties into sex, or why it plays a crucial role in one’s sex life. In October, California became the first state to make teaching consent mandatory in sex-ed classes. In an article by New York Times, Jennifer Medina shares the purpose of this law. “One goal is to improve the way colleges and universities deal with accusations of rape and sexual assault and another is to reduce the number of young people who feel pressured into unwanted sexual conduct.” In college especially, there have been cases where students have gone to the board and reported cases when they have been sexually assaulted. Some colleges have responded by saying that the student does not have enough evidence, simply because they do not want their school to gain a certain reputation. If high schools began teaching consent in their sex-ed curriculum, the issues in college would be addressed in a more proper fashion. In the second goal Medina shares, she states one of the simple yet crucial role consent will play in sex-ed. Teaching the topic will help students learn that if they do not want to participate in an activity, they do not have to and should speak up about it. It is up to them and their only their decision in order to maintain a healthy and safe life.

If students were to learn about how to partake in safe sex during their time as adolescents, it is very likely that could be a major contributor to lowering rape statistics. Some students do not know if what happened was a big deal because they were never taught about it in school. In an article by Lane Florsheim, she says, “Rape and sexual assault can be just as devastating as HIV and unwanted pregnancies, and they deserve an equally prominent role on high school curriculums.” She is telling us learning about consent is equally as important as learning about sexually transmitted diseases and birth control. In their curriculums, schools teach us how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies, but why are they not teaching us that permission before sex is equally as important? Florsheim is saying that the issue of rape is equally as important as HIV and an unwanted pregnancy, and needs to be recognized the high school curriculum. If schools everywhere began teaching consent in school, students could have a safe and healthy sex life, along with having a better college experience.

If schools began teaching what consent is during high school, the sexual assault rates in college would dramatically decrease and students would lead healthier lives. Many students in college feel as if they know right from wrong, but if their education provided consent during high school, they would feel more reassured and confident. When California made teaching consent in sex-ed mandatory, they mentioned how someone who is drunk cannot properly consent, along with people who are asleep. These seem like obvious facts, but many students in high school and college simply do not understand. If they were taught these pieces of information during sex-ed, they would feel more educated and really know right from wrong. Teaching consent could also benefit society as a whole, as it would teach children the importance of giving/receiving permission as well. For children in particular, they are taught from a young age the benefits of polite attitudes and actions, such as sharing. If they were taught how to ask for permission and be courteous from a young age, they would be more inclined to accept and understand the benefits of teaching consent in high school when they are teenagers. To help the greater good of the country, consent should be apart of the sexual education curriculum.

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