First it Was Abortion Laws, Next it Could be Sex Education. We Can’t Let That Happen.

Now that the Supreme Court has torn apart Roe v Wade and allowed states to disassemble abortion clinics and force women to carry out pregnancies, people believe that they can push for even more to be done. A wave of conservative beliefs have shoved civil liberties into the corner and are slowly in an attempt to rip them away. The children of this country are in danger. 

Due to there being no federally mandated laws on sex education in America, various states throughout the country have began making plans to ban parts of sex-ed from their schools. With support for this from parents and state officials, many schools are being put at risk. We must keep the people of this country educated on the significance of these programs in schools. They should be built up, rather than pulled down. 

For many students, the classroom is the only place they have the opportunity to learn about safe sex and obtain a better understanding of their bodies. Some children don't have the privilege of being able to sit down with parents and ask them questions about sex. Some children’s parents won't even give them the chance. For others, the idea of these conversations just make them uncomfortable and they avoid it at all costs. In either scenario, the education they receive in school is a vital part to them learning about sex at all. 

As a society, it is crucial that we take into consideration the importance of what good sex education means for the children of our country. This means for all students. As of October 2021, only 17 states reported sex ed curriculum that is LBTQ+ inclusive in at least half of the schools. This should be every state and 100% of the schools. Every student deserves a sex-ed experience that provides them with the tools and information they need to go through life with safety and security.

Despite all of this, there are many people who are trying to remove sex education all together. Some adults believe that having this type of curriculum in schools promotes students to have sex, when in reality it is keeping them safe from the harm that could be done when they don’t have the resources they need. 

A recent bill in Utah that was intended to teach students about the importance of consent was rejected by state law officials. The bill would require the State Board of Education develop curriculum that would teach about sexual violence behavior prevention, sexual assault resource strategies, and much more. However, it was not able to get through. The reason? It “teaches students it is OK to have sex”.

If state officials are going to take away access to safe abortions, why wouldn’t they want children and teens to understand safe sex and consent? It is painful to watch as the future generations of this country are stripped of their freedoms. A safe and reliable sex education will protect them, not hurt them. It is the removal of such curriculum that will lead them to harm. 

A group called Catholic Parents Online presents a list on their website titled “Ten Good Reasons to Oppose Public School Sex Education”. This list includes beliefs like “Children don’t need sex ed, they need chastity ed” and “The school sends the wrong message to students when their sex ed courses are mere ‘how to do it and how not to get caught’ lessons.”

Ideas like this can make children feel trapped and confused. An education revolved around abstinence holds them. Not knowing about safe sex is ultimately not going to stop students from having it, it is just promoting more dangerous and uneducated tactics. 
As time moves forward, and law officials continue to try to take away such liberties, like sex education in schools, it is important that the people fight back. Education isn’t just for the children, it is for the adults as well. These adults must be educated on the importance of sex-ed in schools. It is their turn to sit down and listen.. They need to understand why keeping this curriculum in place is in support of their child's safety and an extremely important measure that should be kept in place and added to more schools across the nation.