Sexuality Education and Our Existence

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Sexuality Education
Introduction
Sexuality includes different aspects of our existence; it encompasses issues such as attitudes, values, feelings, and experiences, among other things. It is essential to understand that sexuality also evaluates matters related to sexual identity, sexualization, intimacy, and sexual health and production. Understanding one’s sexuality is critical since there are times people may feel unsure about their sexual thoughts and values. Additionally, people have different sexual orientation because there are individuals who have feelings for individuals of the same gender, other are attracted to people of different gender, and there are those who have feelings to more than one gender.
Sometimes the information that people receive related to sexuality may be confusing, and it would, therefore, be crucial to ensure that individuals, especially young people are enlightened about matters related to sexuality while at a early age. On the other side, some individuals believe that exposing young people to information about their sexuality may be damaging because they tend to experiment. I believe that incorporating sexuality in education is essential; this is because young people will be enlightened issues affecting them, and they are more likely to accept their sexuality and overcome the rejection that they may face from other people.
Current Research
Sexuality education offers learners with information that promotes their awareness about crucial social issues and also aids in minimizing unwanted sexual behaviors. Just like the normal education system where a student is inducted into a number of things that he or she needs to know, memorize or practice, sexuality education also needs the same. It is critical to note that in many countries across the globe, sexuality education is a vital component of the school education, this is because young people are always looking for information that can quench and satisfy their curiosity about the issues they face in their day-to-day life. Ideally, it is crucial for governments to implement policy frameworks that capacitate teachers and educators to inform their students about their sexuality, and this is critical since it can enhance their well-being while fulfilling educational needs (Rogow, pp.15-21). Through sexuality education, an individual is forearmed with the much needed information on how to go about the various events that might unravel in their lives based on their gender.
The importance of such education can’t be emphasized even more, given that much of the syllabus in the standard education system tend to overlook it. The curriculum is biased since it is just focused on the standard subjects that students learn in class and in the books. It tends to forget that these students also need the knowledge of life and how to go about life’s challenges, with the knowledge of those subjects. Sometimes, knowledge of the books might not really help much if one doesn’t know about other aspects of life, especially sexuality. One can end up educated, yes, but with little self-control on matters sexuality. Compound this with peer pressure and the result is a deadly cocktail of human behavior.
There are different international organizations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that have been on the forefront to advocate for changes in the education curriculum to emphasize different social problems such as gender and rights. It is keynoting that the effectiveness of sexuality education can be demonstrated in various ways; these may include the ability to minimize the rates of sexually transmitted infections among the young people and also reducing cases of unintended pregnancy among the minors. These outcomes are possible because sexuality education informs people about healthy relationships and also provides them with different strategies that they can use to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
It is, however, critical to comprehend that the issue of sexuality education has been quite contentious. It has over time divided opinion, especially of most educationalists. There are researchers who maintain that the teaching of sexuality in school is likely to promote and encourage sexual risk behaviors. Some cultures usually take this issue as one that should be talked about in hushed tones, almost like a taboo. Others take it as something immoral and one that shouldn’t be talked about to children. For example, take the case of most African and developing countries. Even though school-going students are provided with life skills and integrated science which are crucial for addressing matters related to reproductive health education, sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancies are pertinent issues and in fact on the rise (Mwale, pp. 126–138). The objectives of sexuality education have not been realized in these countries and as a result, the impacts can be openly visible.
The rates of teenage girls who drop out of school as a result of early pregnancies are on the rise. It is believed that young people are inquisitive, and they are therefore more likely to experiment with some of the issues they learn in class, in this case, the students are more likely to engage themselves in more risky sexual activities. This is further compounded by the current age of information technology which has made these youngsters easily access sites that can further erode their morality. They end up discovering things accidentally, sometimes discoveries that...