Sexual education exemption
Just as teaching methods and curricula vary by state, excusal from sex education also varies by state. States may have an opt-out or opt-in policy. In some states, students can opt out of receiving sexual education without specifying a particular reason. In other states, students can only opt out for religious or moral reasons. In an opt-in provision, parents must actively agree to allow their children to receive sex education prior to the start of the sexual education.[5]
Benefits of Pleasure-Inclusive Material
Though a focus on behavior change (i.e., increased condom use and delayed onset of sexual debut) is an important benefit and measure of outcomes associated with sex education, a pivot to exploring the mental health and well-being implications associated with shifting the narrative from a purely biological and procreative approach to a pleasure-inclusive and sex positive approach showcases a host of beneficial outcomes.[22] Two avenues hold particular interest when implementing a pleasure-based curricula: Benefits of CSE[23] and Benefits of Sexual Expression.[24]
Such avenues have been recognised by official organising bodies such as the World Association of Sexual Health (WAS). Indeed, their Sexual Pleasure Declaration outlines that the pursuit of pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free from discrimination and coercion, is integral to sexual health and overall well-being. Recognising sexual pleasure as a fundamental aspect of human rights - which also holds its own declaration on Sexual Rights - its diverse expressions should be incorporated into global education, health promotion, research, and advocacy efforts, fostering comprehensive, immediate, and sustainable actions for individual well-being and contributing to global health and sustainable development.
Another notable organisation paving the way of pleasure-inclusive sex education curricula is The Pleasure Project. Which recently published a systematic review uncovering the distinct value added by embedding a pleasure-based lens within sexual health interventions.[22] The Pleasure Project also underscores seven guiding principles: Be Positive, Rights First, Think Universal, Be Flexible, Talk Sexy, Embrace Learning, and Love Yourself.
While CSE implementation is on the rise in the United States, it remains difficult for state officials to regulate what is and is not taught in the classroom. This is due in large part to the undefinability of CSE; CSE has the potential to comprise such a wide range of sexual information, and over-all focus varies widely between curricula.[25] Educators have also accused CSE of fundamentally operating as a form of "abstinence-plus", due to the reality that CSE often involves minimal body-related information and excessive promotions of abstinence.[26] "So-called Comprehensive Sex Ed" says Sharon Lamb, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, "has been made less comprehensive as curricula are revised to meet current federal, state, and local requirements."[26]
The LGBT population experiences multiple health disparities which may be impacted by stigma, discrimination, and lack of provider cultural sensitivity.[27] This population is subject to systemic barriers to adequate healthcare services ultimately impacting their wellbeing and welfare negatively.[27] They often receive care from clinicians without specialty training in addressing the concerns of this population; which may hinder communication and trust, and ultimately influence the quality and adequate delivery of healthcare.[28] Discrimination and lack of cultural sensitivity may also contribute to the limited health-seeking behaviors experienced by this population.[27] This lack of health-seeking behavior both limits preventative services, and increases and prolongs illness and ailments. Research shows a higher risk of contracting HIV and other STDs; particularly in gay men of color.[27] Lesbian and bisexual females are less likely to obtain routine care like breast and cervical cancer screenings.[27] Gay men are at an increased risk of prostate, testicular, anal, and colon cancers, while lesbian and bisexual women have an increased risk of ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancers.[28] As a result of stigma, discrimination, victimization, and sexual abuse, LGBT youth are more likely to be involved in high-risk sexual behaviors at an earlier age.[28]
While comprehensive sex education exists in schooling, many programs do not address the needs of the LGBT community. This population faces different health disparities ultimately driven by discrimination, shortfalls of peers, the lack of parental support, community services, and school-based sex education.[29] The implementation of LGBT comprehensive sex education utilized as an intervention seeks to combat these health disparities, by informing the population of the importance of developing sexual health.[29] Sexual health involves not only preventing disease, but also a respectful approach to sexual relationships, sexuality, and accepting an individual's gender identity and sexual orientation.[29]
The term "comprehensive" is also often misleading because some comprehensive programs do not show the holistic picture of human sexuality.[30] LGBT advocates have long been critical of the ways in which comprehensive sex education generally promotes marriage as the end goal for students. LGBT advocates want to express other forms of relationships other than marriage. They advocate that students should have sex education that encompasses the different forms and should be allowed to exercise those forms in which they are most comfortable with. Even when curriculums claim to be inclusive of LGBT experiences, they often promote heteronormative lifestyles as "normal."[31] Inclusion of LGBT identities and health topics is necessary for LGBT students to feel safe and seen in their sex ed classrooms.[32] When sex education fails to include LGBT identities and experiences, LGBT youth can be vulnerable to risky sexual behaviors and experience negative sexual health outcomes. Due to the lack of LGBT sex education provided in schools, LGBT youth will look to peers and the internet, which can lead to misinformation.[33] When these students do not have access to or an interest in marriage they are practically erased from the CSE narrative.
In Canada, a federal report showed that the LGBT community has less access to health services and faces more comprehensive health challenges compared to the general population. As a result of the lack of support for the LGBT population, the Comprehensive Health Education Workers (CHEW) Project emerged in October 2014. Their goal is to educate the LGBT community about topics such as sexual and gender identity, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), healthy social relationships, and depression. They do this through workshops, arts‐based projects, and one‐on‐one meetings. The CHEW project is set exclusively for the LGBT community in order to establish a safe environment in which LGBT youth can gain resources for sex education.[34]
A cross-sectional study done in New York City analyzed the sexual behaviors of high school girls. Studies found that, "high school girls who identified as LGBT were more likely to report substance use such as: alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, meth, ecstasy and prescription drugs. They also had higher rates of contemplating and/or attempting suicide."[35] Another study found that "the LGBT youth accesses health information online five times more than the heterosexual population, and these rates are even higher for LGBT youth that identify as a person of color which stems from the fact that they lack health resources".[36] Rights, Respect, Responsibility includes an inclusive LGBT curriculum for grades K-12. By having a curriculum, such as the Right, Respect, Responsibility suggests, students will have accurate information about all identities as well as establishing a safe classroom for LGBT students.[37]
As of May 2018, only 12 states require discussion of sexual orientation and of these, only 9 states require that discussion of sexual orientation be inclusive (California, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington).[38] Additionally, several states have passed legislation that bans teachers from discussing gay and transgender issues, such as sexual health and HIV/AIDS awareness.[36] As of 2022, five states require that heterosexuality be emphasized over homosexuality.[38]
Before the late 1800s, delivering sex education in the United States and Canada was primarily seen as a parent's responsibility.[36] Today, programs under the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) begin comprehensive sex education in pre-kindergarten, drawing criticism related to the age at which it is appropriate to address sexual matters with children.[30]
California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act
In January 2016, the California Healthy Youth Act amended the California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act to include minority groups and expand health education. Before, it authorized schools to provide comprehensive sex education and required all materials to be made accessible to students with a variety of needs; it also focused solely on marital relationships. It now mandates that schools provide comprehensive sex education and states that "materials cannot be biased and must be appropriate for students of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, as well as those with disabilities and English language learners." Additionally, education must now include "instruction about forming healthy and respectful committed relationships," regardless of marital status. Furthermore, it is now required to have discussions about all FDA-approved contraceptive methods in preventing pregnancy, including the morning-after pill.[5]
In conclusion now requires that all sex education programs promulgated in the state should:[5]
Some critics state that young people's access to CSE is grounded in internationally recognized human rights, which require governments to guarantee the overall protection of health, well-being and dignity, as per the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and specifically to guarantee the provision of unbiased, scientifically accurate sexuality education.[16]
These rights are protected by internationally ratified treaties, and lack of access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education remains a barrier to complying with the obligations to ensure the rights to life, health, non-discrimination and information, a view that has been supported by the Statements of the Committee on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee, and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.[16]
The commitment of individual states to realizing these rights has been reaffirmed by the international community, in particular the Commission on Population and Development (CPD), which – in its resolutions 2009/12 and 2012/13 – called on governments to provide young people with comprehensive education on human sexuality, SRH and gender equality.[16]
Other analysis show that comprehensive sex education is not an international right nor a human right because it not clearly stated in either a treaty or custom. By international law, states are required to provide access to information and education about reproductive health, but this does not require a sex education curriculum. It may take different forms such as mandating that local school districts create a system for providing information to students, or mandating that health clinics and practitioners dispense information to patients.[30]
As CSE gains momentum and interest at international, regional and national levels, governments are increasingly putting in place measures to scale-up their delivery of some form of life skills-based sexuality education, as well as seeking guidance on best practice, particularly regarding placement within the school curriculum. Sexuality education may be delivered as a stand-alone subject or integrated across relevant subjects within the school curricula. These options have direct implications for implementation, including teacher training, the ease of evaluating and revising curricula, the likelihood of curricula being delivered, and the methods through which it is delivered.[16]
Within countries, choices about implementing integrated or stand-alone sexuality education are typically linked to national policies and overall organization of the curricula. The evidence base on the effectiveness of stand-alone vs. integrated sexuality education programming is still limited. However, there are discernible differences for policy-makers to consider when deciding the position of CSE within the curriculum.[16]
As a stand-alone subject, sexuality education is set apart from the rest of the curriculum, whether on its own or within a broader stand-alone health and life skills curriculum. This makes it more vulnerable to potentially being sacrificed due to time and budget constraints, since school curricula are typically overcrowded.[16]
However, a stand-alone curriculum also presents opportunities for specialized teacher training pathways, and the use of non-formal teaching methodologies that aim to build learners' critical thinking skills. The pedagogical approaches promoted through sexuality education – such as learner-centred methodologies, development of skills and values, group learning and peer engagement – are increasingly being recognized as transformative approaches that impact on learning and education more widely. As a standalone subject, it is also significantly easier to monitor, which is crucial in terms of evaluating the effectiveness of programming, and revising curricula where it is not delivering the desired learning outcomes.[16]
When sexuality education is integrated or infused, it is mainstreamed across a number of subject areas, such as biology, social studies, home economics or religious studies. While this model may reduce pressure on an overcrowded curriculum, it is difficult to monitor or evaluate, and may limit teaching methodologies to traditional approaches.[16]
Apart from the different teaching methods, terminology also differs. Abortion, homosexuality and abstinence have connotations and definitions that vary by state and by nationality. For example, the word "abstinence" may refer to disengaging from all forms of sexual activities until marriage or may refer to only disengaging from sexual intercourse. Furthermore, the degree of sexual activity that "abstinence" connotes is often unclear, because sexual behavior that is not sexual intercourse may or may not be included in its definition. As a result, students are left confused about what activities are risky and teachers do not know what they can and cannot teach.
The term "comprehensive", is also falls on spectrum, therefore can be considered an umbrella term. CSE means something radical for some institutions while it can mean something moderate and even conservative for others.[25]
According to the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), the guidelines for comprehensive sexuality education are as follows:[42]
Setting and aesthetics
The setting of Sex Education appears to be modern-day Britain, in the fictional village of Moordale, with various elements that serve to place the show in an uncertain time and location. Modern technology, such as smartphones, exists, but the show features very few cars from after the 1990s, with most cars featured ranging from the 1970s to the 1990s. Police cars seen during the finale of series two appear to follow 1990s aesthetics rather than modern-day police cars. The show heavily features older technologies such as CRT televisions and dated household appliances. The décor of the Groffs' house is reminiscent of popular 1970s décor; Maeve's caravan is typical of the 1990s–2000s; and the Milburns' house is a more modern décor with a modern, "American-style" fridge. Moordale Secondary School shows some elements of UK secondary schools but also has a more American high school image. According to showrunner Laurie Nunn, the show's aesthetic is deliberate and an homage to the 1980s films of John Hughes.[25]
On 2 January 2019, the official trailer for the series was released.[26]
On 17 January 2019, Netflix announced that the series was on pace to have been streamed by over 40 million viewers within its first month of release.[27] According to Netflix Top 10 global viewership, Sex Education was watched for over 447,750,000 hours between 12 September and 24 October 2021.[28]
On July 15, 2022, a manga adaptation illustrated by John Tarachine began serialization in Kadokawa Corporation's Comic Bridge online manga magazine.[29]
Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 91% of 80 critic ratings were positive for the first series, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Bawdy, heartfelt, and surprisingly wise, Sex Education is a raucous romp through a group of teenagers whose sexual misadventures are so thoughtfully rendered, adults could learn a thing or two from them."[30] Metacritic calculated a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 19 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[31]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second series has an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 8.30/10, based on 57 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "Sex Education's sophomore season definitely has more going on, but by treating each new subject with care and humour, it leaves plenty of space for its characters to grow."[32] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 83 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[33]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third series has an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 8.50/10, based on 42 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "With a seemingly endless desire to dive deeper into its characters paired perfectly with its talented ensemble, Sex Education's third season is a masterclass in brutally honest, brilliantly heartfelt comedy."[34] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 83 out of 100, based on reviews from 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[35] The third series won Best Comedy Series at the 50th International Emmy Awards.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth series debuted with an approval rating of 91%, based on 44 reviews. The critical consensus reads, "As sweetly empathetic and inclusive as ever, Sex Education's final season serves as a bittersweet -- but largely satisfying -- farewell."[8] On Metacritic, the series has a score of 70 out of 100, based on reviews from 17 critics, indicating a "generally favorable" reception.[36]
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP)
More recently legislation has pushed for funding that goes beyond abstinence only education.[42] In 2010, President Obama introduced the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP), which provides a total of $114.5 million annually to sex education programs that are "medically accurate and age-appropriate."[5][42] TPP falls under a subsection of United States Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") which is overseen by the Office of Adolescent Health. Funding for TPP is dispersed if "they emulate specific evidence-based programs promulgated under TPP."[5]
Federal Funding for Sexual Education
Although there is no federal mandate that requires states to teach sexual education, there is federal funding available to assist with sexual education programs.[42]
The Healthy Youth Act Massachusetts
An Act Relative to Healthy Youth, or the Healthy Youth Act, is a bill (HD.3454/SD.2178) that would require any public school in Massachusetts with a sex education curriculum to be fully comprehensive. This would include materials that are age-appropriate, medically-accurate, LGBTQ-inclusive, and consent-focused. Content would address how to build healthy relationships and how to prevent pregnancy and STIs when a person does have sex. The Healthy Youth Act was initially filed in January 2011 and has been revised multiple times since. This bill is a framework that does not mandate a particular curriculum, but does require that schools where sex education is already being taught fit this framework. Parents will be given 30 days-notice to review the material and opt-out.
In 2021, the Healthy Youth Act was cosponsored by Senator Sal N. DiDomenico and Representatives Christina A. Minicucci, Vanna Howard, and Jack Patrick Lewis of the 192nd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Bill SD.2178 has been advocated for over 10 years and has successfully passed the Massachusetts Senate, however it has yet to be passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives[needs update].
Reactions to the Healthy Youth Act have been mixed, but it has gained increased support over the years. Some of its most dedicated supporters include Fenway Health, the Healthy Youth Coalition, The Massachusetts Healthy Youth Consortium, and Getting to Zero. The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts states that "comprehensive sex education is about more than just sex – it helps creates a culture of consent, recognizes and prioritizes LGBTQ youth health needs, and gives young people the tools to build healthy relationships... We can combat sexual assault at its roots by teaching young people how to build healthy, respectful relationships". In 2018, a poll of Massachusetts residents showed that 92% of people agree that students should receive comprehensive sex education in high school. In a testimony in support of the bill, supporters claim that "sex education is a perfect opportunity for youth to develop skills like communication, healthy relationships, decision-making, planning, and critical thinking. Such life skills can contribute to their positive development throughout adolescence and into adulthood".
The Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI), a conservative organization that promotes traditional Judeo-Christian values and the bill's main opponent, highlights the article "Pornographic 'Comprehensive Sexuality Education' in Massachusetts Public Schools" on the front page of their website. This article refutes Planned Parenthood's claims, stating that "it’s no wonder that Planned Parenthood is pushing it in our schools. Planned Parenthood administrators know that if they sexualize young people, they will create new customers who seek out their abortion services, sexually transmitted infection treatments, and transgender hormone therapies". Instead, MFI argues that the Healthy Youth Act would inappropriately expose underaged youth to "pornographic" content that would encourage youth to engage in sexual behaviors, concluding that "state education officials and local school administrators ought to reject Comprehensive Sexuality Education as the poisoner of children that it is".
Sexual Risk Avoidance (SRA) curricula has been promoted in direct opposition to the Healthy Youth Act. Advanced by Ascend, this curricula promotes an abstinence-only approach to sex education. Within SRA education programs "Ascend works with SRA educators, community organizations and more as they educate youth using a primary prevention health model".
Awards and nominations
Sex Education is often noted for its unique visual language and aesthetics, which employs American teen culture tropes into a British setting.[56][57][58] Inspired by the filmography of John Hughes and the teen comedies of the 1980s, the series incorporates several elements, motifs and designs evocative of those films, and American teen media in general, such as students idling around lockers, non-uniform school dress codes and students sporting letterman jackets.[59][60][61][62][63] Series director Ben Taylor said: "When [Laurie Nunn] was writing the script and the world, they tended to be on the whole more American references to the school experience I've seen in film and TV than any British ones. There was a tone in the script that was about warmth and positivity. It was just a sort of rendering the school experience as a positive thing, which we tend not to do in this country. I think it also visually elevates it to a slightly more expansive canvas".[64] Anderson said that the US cultural references were intended to appeal to American audiences.[63] On the retrograde setting, notably reminiscent of the 1980s, Taylor explained: "It was always contemporary ... It was just something we chose not to foreground so much, so that it wasn't about a generation of kids who are obsessed with their phones."[64]
The Healthy Youth Act California
The Healthy Youth Act in California, a department of Education mandate on January 1, 2016, requires school districts to provide students with integrated, comprehensive, accurate and comprehensive health and HIV prevention education from trained instructors at least once in middle school and once in high school.[39]
The purpose of the act is to provide comprehensive, accurate and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention education.[40]
Preventive education must meet all requirements of the law except for the requirements for specific contents of grades 7 to 12. All "education on human development and gender, including education on pregnancy, contraception and venereal diseases" (EC 19 51931(b) is by definition a comprehensive sexual health education and should be satisfied, regardless of what schools call it by name. HIV prevention education is defined as "the nature of HIV and AIDS, the methods of transmission, strategies to reduce the risk of HIV infection, and guidelines for social and public health issues related to HIV and AIDS" (EC 551931(d).[40]
The law has five main objectives:
SEX EDUCATION TO ADOLESCENTS 18/05/2009
A. Background of the Problem
Adolescence is a phase of human development whereby someone experiences dramatic changes from a sexual to sexual. These changes mainly are marked by development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics. The development of sexual characteristics then causes development of sexual behavior such as attracted to another gender and having sexual drive. Sexual behavior of adolescents can lead to severe problems if it expressed uncotrolly or against the morality values. In fact, uncontrolled sexual behavior harms adolescents for three main reasons.
First of all, adolescents who have uncontrolled sexual behavior have high risk for fail in school. Sexual behavior such as dating causes adolescents ignore their time for leaning. Beside lack time for learning, they also face a concentration problem in learning. Therefore, most of them face fail in learning some subjects even fail in school.
Second, adolescents who have uncontrolled sexual behavior have risk of unwanted pregnancy. One of form sexual behavior is desire for making love. If adolescents don’t have good self-control, they have risk for getting pregnant. According to Alan Guttmacher Institute (2003) about 60% young people of the world experienced unwanted pregnancies. If young women experience unwanted pregnancies furthermore they face failure in finishing their studies. Billingham (1992) writes, “Pregnancy is the single most common cause of school dropout among girls; nearly 70 percents fail to complete high school”.
Finally, adolescents who have uncontrolled sexual behavior also have high risk for infection with sexually transmitted deseases. Gonorrhea, one of sexual deseases, spreads through sexual intercourse. Adolescents will infect this desease if they have sexual intercourse with a person who already infection with this desease. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), which have been known as the most horrified desease because there is no medicine for it, also spread through sexual intercourse. So, sexual intercourse outside of marriage has high risk for infection with AIDS/HIV. Research showed that up to 60 percents of HIV in young women occur by the age of 20 (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2003). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009), in the United States, in 2006, an estimated 5,259 young people aged 13-24 in the 33 states reporting to CDC were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, representing about 14% of the persons diagnosed that year.
In summary, uncontrolled sexual behavior is harms the future and health of adolescents. Therefore, it must be prevented. According to some experts, such as Singgih Gunarso, Sarwono, Guno Asmoro, and Forest, sex education is the right choice for preventing this phenomena. Moreover, it must be given to young people prior adolescence.
In order to reach the aims of sex education correctly, some important aspects of sex education must be understood. First, what is sex education? Second, what are the aims of sex education to adolescents? Third, how should sex education to adolescents be given? Fourth, what material should be given in sex education to adolescents? Finally, who should give sex education to adolescents?
Key words: adolescents, sexual behavior, and sex education.
Based on some question above, there are five important aspects will be discussed in this paper.
1. What is Sex Education?
There are some experts who give the definitions about sex education. Sarwono (2002: 188-189), says, “Pendidikan seks bukanlah penerangan tentang seks semata-mata. Pendidikan seks adalah suatu informasi mengenai seksualitas manusia secara jelas dan benar, yang meliputi terjadinya pembuahan, kehamilan, sampai kelahiran, tingkah laku seksual, hubungan seksual, dan aspek-aspek kesehatan, kejiwaan dan masyarakat”. According to Sarwono, sex education is not only information about sex but also human sexuality including conception, child birth, sexual behavior relating to health, psychological, and sociological aspects.
Simon Forest, a director of UK Sex Education Forum, states, “Sex education, which is sometimes called sexuality education or sex and relationship education, is the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and belief about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy”.
Based on two definitions above, sex education can be understood as follows:
a. It is the process of acquiring information about human sexuality such as conception, pregnancy, child birth, sexual behavior, reproductive health, sexually transmitted diseases, etc.
b. It is the process of developing attitudes and values relating to human sexuality.
c. It is the process of developing interpersonal skills.
d. It is the process of developing responsibility.
2. What are the Aims of Sex Education to Adolescents?
Young people, especially adolescents must be given sex education in order to:
a. help them obtain the clear and correct knowledge about sexuality;
b. make them proud of their own sex;
c. help them develop responsible sexual behavior;
d. help them develop relationship skills;
e. help them develop an ability to make decisions over their lifetime.
3. How should Sex Education to Adolescents be Given?
There some principles that should be considered giving sex education. First, sex education is the goal oriented activity. Second, the information should be given naturally, objectively, and undoubtly. Third, sex education can be given individually and in groups. Fourth, it can be given as a preventive or corrective action. Finally, it should be given repeatedly.
4. What material should be Given in Sex Education to Adolescents?
The aims of sex education decide what material should be given in this education. Based on its aims, the main material of sex education can be developed as follows:
a. Information about human sexuality including growth and development, human reproduction, anatomy and physiology of genital organs, pregnancy, childbirth, parenthood, contraception, abortion, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.
b. Values and attitude about reproductive health, family life, marriage, parenthood, and condusive relationship for growing of children.
c. Relationship and interpersonal skills including self-respect, empathy for others, communication, and assertiveness.
5. Who should Give Sex Education to Adolescents?
Sex education should not be given by any person for two reasons. First, it is a kind of education. So, it can only be done by educators. Second, its materials has the wide scope. So, it can only mastered by certain persons.
Based on discussion above, it can be stated that sex education to adolescents must be held by the right persons. Prabhu (2006) proposes, “Sexuality education should be taught by specially trained teachers or professionals or by trained peer groups”.
Sex educators, according to Prabhu, are teachers who have been trained for giving sex education and professionals such as physicians, psychologists, and counselors. Peer groups also can be sex educators if they have been trained for this education.
How about parents and teachers? Eventhough parents and teachers are not sex educators for adolescents, they should be involved in developing a program because of their responsibility as educators.
In conclusion, sex education is viewed as the best way of preventing adolescents’ uncontrolled behavior. But there is a notice for it. It will succeed if its exercution based on the right understanding about it. So, person who will be the sex educator to adolescents must understand about the meaning, the aims, and the materials of sex education needed adolescents. They must understand the requirements for sex educators.
Alan Guttmacher Institute. (2003) “Sexual and Reproductive Health Education and Services for Adolescents”. http://www.gutmacher.edu (accessed: November 24, 2008).
Billingham, Khaterine. (1992) Developmental Psychology for the Health Care Professions: Parts I – Prenatal Through Adolescents Development. Colorado: Westview Press.
CDC. (2009) “Sexual Risk Behavior.” http://www.cdc.gov/ (accessed: April 20, 2009).
Forrest, Simon. (2006) “Sex Education that Works” http://www.evert.or/educate.html. (Accessed: December 3, 2008).
Prabhu, Vithal. (2006) “Sex Education.” http://www.healthlibrary.com/reading/index.html. Accessed: December 3, 2007).
Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono. (2004) Psikologi Remaja. Jakarta: PT Raja Grafindo Persada.
English Speech, Sex Education
Belakangan ini kasus mengenai seks bebas dan kehamilan pada usia dini banyak tersebar di dunia maya. Selain itu, menurut data dari Kemenkes pada 2021 terdapat 558.618 orang Indonesia yang mengidap HIV/AIDS yang mana angka tersebut terus meningkat dari tahun ke tahun.
Dari kasus tersebut dapat dilihat bagimana kurangnya paparan akan sex education pada masyarakat. Hal ini disebabkan karena sex education atau pendidikan seks saat ini masih dianggap tabu oleh masyarakat Indonesia karena anggapan bahwa hal tersebut tidak pantas untuk dibicarakan. Masih banyak pula yang menganggap bahwa sex education itu mengajarkan tentang hubungan seksual, padahal bukan itu fungsi dan tujuan dari sex education ini. Sebenarnya apa itu sex education? Apa yang dipelajari dan apa manfaatnya?
Sex education merupakan edukasi mengenai fungsi dan kesehatan reproduksi. Sedari kecil anak perlu diberikan wawasan tentang fungsi organ reproduksinya, hal ini dapat dilakukan dengan mengenalkan nama dan fungsi organ reproduksi. Setelah itu orang tua dapat memberi tahu bagian tubuh mana yang tidak boleh di sentuh oleh orang lain untuk mengajarkan bahwa si anak mempunyai kontrol terhadap tubuhnya. Hal ini akan membuat anak lebih menghargai dan peduli terhadap anggota tubuhnya.
Saat beranjak remaja, terdapat perubahan tubuh yang disebabkan oleh aktifnya organ-organ reproduksi manusia. Pada masa ini orangtua harus mengajarkan bagaimana mencintai setiap perubahan tubuh terjadi, terutama bagaimana cara merawat dan menjaga organ reproduksi anak. Pengertian mengenai bagaimana proses reproduksi terjadi juga sudah harus diberikan kepada anak. Secara tidak langsung, edukasi ini juga membuat anak belajar rasa tanggung jawab.
Komunikasi antara orangtua dan anak harus dilakukan secara dua arah. Memang benar beberapa anak akan merasa kurang nyaman saat membicarakan hal ini bersama orangtua, beberapa anak juga lebih merasa nyaman untuk membicarakan dengan teman ketimbang bersama orangtua. Tetapi apakah kita dapat mempercayakan informasi dari teman si anak yang pada dasarnya juga belum memahami secara penuh tentang edukasi seks. Pada persoalan ini orangtua memang perlu turun tangan, orangtua tidak perlu merasa takut atau menutup-nutupi bagaimana proses reproduksi terjadi karena hal ini justru akan membahayakan bagi anak. Dengan canggihnya teknologi saat ini anak akan mudah mengakses informasi mengenai hal tersebut yang mana dapat menyebabkan anak salah menginterpretasikan dan dapat berakibat buruk bahkan membahayakan bagi dirinya.
Pada dasarnya sex education ini mengajarkan tentang kesehatan organ reproduksi, hal ini juga meliputi pengenalan tentang kontrasepsi. Ini merupakan salah satu pencegahan dari penyakit menular seksual yang dapat membahayakan bagi tubuh.
Setelah mengetahui hal-hal yang dipelajari dalam sex education dapat disimpulakan bahwa edukasi mengenai seks ini penting karena telah mengajarkan bagaimana fungsi organ reproduksi, cara merawat dan menjaga organ reproduksi. Sehingga edukasi tentang seks dapat mencegah kasus-kasus seperti kehamilan pada usia dini, HIV/AIDS, dan pelecehan. Selain itu, dengan mengetahui pemahaman tentang seks dapat tercipta hubungan sehat yang jauh dari kekerasan. Itulah mengapa memberikan pemaparan ilmu tentang sex education merupakan hal yang penting.
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Jika berbicara perihal seks, di Indonesia terbilang suatu hal yang cukup tabu. Sejatinya, edukasi dan sosialisasi seputar seksual sangat disarankan untuk diberikan kepada remaja. Edukasi seksual merupakan solusi utama sebagai tindakan pencegahan penularan HIV/AIDS. Bahkan Organisasi Kesehatan Dunia (WHO) mengimbau seluruh negara di Dunia untuk memberikan edukasi seksual. Hal ini disebabkan karena risiko penularan HIV/AIDS dan penyakit menular seksual lainnya masih terbilang tinggi dikalangan remaja.
Bila mengacu pada data yang dimiliki UNICEF atau Organisasi Anak Dunia, pada tahun 2016 remaja dengan rentang usia 15 – 19 tahun ada sekitar 2,1 juta remaja yang positif terinfeksi HIV/AIDS dengan 1,2 juta adalah perempuan dan 900 ribu adalah laki-laki. Unicef juga menjelaskan bahwa kasus kematian akibat HIV/AIDS berjumlah 55 ribu pada remaja dengan rentang usia 10 – 19 tahun.
Pada tahun 2012, Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan Indonesia (SDKI) mengungkapkan, bahwa para remaja mengalami penurunan perihal pengetahuan manfaat kondom. Walaupun pada remaja yang sudah menuju dewasa, tinggal di daerah perkotaan dan berpendidikan lebih tinggi cenderung lebih paham dengan manfaat kondom guna mencegah HIV/AIDS, penyakit menular seksual dan mencegah kehamilan.
Masa remaja merupakan fase dimana keinginan untuk mencoba hal baru sangat kuat. Apabila tidak diarahkan dan dibimbing dengan baik, remaja sangat berpotensi terjerumus kepada hal yang negatif. Oleh karena itu, pemberian edukasi seksual yang tepat sangat penting untuk diterapkan.
Di sisi lain, edukasi seksual pada remaja bermanfaat dalam memberikan pemahaman akan risiko seks bebas. Pengetahuan ini bermanfaat pula sebagai bekal para remaja kelak ketika hendak berumah tangga di masa mendatang. Karena hubungan suami istri yang sehat sangat menunjang lahirnya keharmonisan dalam rumah tangga.
Salah satu alasan mengapa edukasi seksual jarang diadakan, adalah banyaknya kekhawatiran bila edukasi seksual dapat memicu remaja untuk berhubungan seks, seperti seks bebas ataupun seks pra nikah. Sejatinya, edukasi seksual adalah gerakan bersama guna melindungi generasi muda juga membantu generasi muda meraih masa depan yang lebih cerah. Dan realitanya, edukasi seksual cukup efektif menekan tingkat hubungan seksual di kalangan remaja, serta menekan angka penyakit menular seksual juga kehamilan yang tidak direncanakan.
Ikatan Dokter Anak Indonesia (IDAI) pun menyatakan bahwa para remaja perlu mengetahui dan memahami kesehatan reproduksi, agar wawasan yang benar seputar proses reproduksi dan faktor-faktor lain yang berkaitan. Dengan begitu, diharapkan remaja akan memiliki sikap dan tingkah laku yang bertanggung jawab perihal proses reproduksi.
Beberapa pengetahuan dasar reproduksi yang disarankan IDAI diantaranya:
· Pengenalan sistem, proses, serta fungsi alat reproduksi seputar aspek tumbuh kembangnya
· Bahaya penyakit menular seksual dan HIV/AIDS berikut cara mencegahnya
· Kekerasan seksual berikut cara menghindarinya
· Perencanaan pernikahan dan kehamilan yang tepat
· Pengaruh media sosial terhadap perilaku seksual
· Bahaya penyalahgunaan obat-obatan terlarang pada kesehatan reproduksi
· Pembekalan pengetahuan untuk membangun kemampuan komunikasi dan kepercayaan diri remaja dalam melawan hal yang bersifat negatif
Reproduksi adalah sebuah proses yang menjadi tanggung jawab bersama. Jadi, semua remaja perlu memahami aspek kesehatan reproduksi. Di sisi lain, hal yang tidak kalah penting dalam hal ini adalah didikan orang tua dan keluarga dalam membentuk karakter yang baik. Download aplikasi IHC Telemed di App Store dan Google Play dan nikmati layanan konsultasi langsung dengan dokter IHC dimanapun dan kapanpun. IHC Telemed, sehat dalam genggaman.
