This topic was brought up in another thread so I thought I'd give the topic its own thread for debate/discussion.
So here's a few questions to get us started.
What are your thoughts on sex education? Should it be done in schools? left to the parents? Why? If it is taught in schools what should be covered, what should be avoided and when should it start?
Personally I am in favor of comprehensive sex education starting as early as elementary school, perhaps even younger. At the elementary school level children would start of by learning that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina and other bits of basic biology and the basics of how children are made and that attraction has a range to it beyond just male-female and basic behavioral ethics such as it's okay to touch yourself but not to coerce others to touch you. Come middle school we would get into more advanced biology, start learning about STDs/STIs and all kinds of contraceptive methods. And come high school start teaching them about ethics and morality when it comes to sex, things to be aware of in order to protect yourself from things like date rape, the various stages of pregnancy(though that could also start in middle school) as well as miscarriages, what to expect, different symptoms and going over the options available to one should they wind up pregnant now as a teenager especially if their family might be less than supportive. Abortion I feel should also be covered.
Also with the possible exception of abortion(though ideally that too) all of these topics would be required course work the way math and science are required.
So here's a few questions to get us started.
What are your thoughts on sex education? Should it be done in schools? left to the parents? Why? If it is taught in schools what should be covered, what should be avoided and when should it start?
Personally I am in favor of comprehensive sex education starting as early as elementary school, perhaps even younger. At the elementary school level children would start of by learning that boys have a penis and girls have a vagina and other bits of basic biology and the basics of how children are made and that attraction has a range to it beyond just male-female and basic behavioral ethics such as it's okay to touch yourself but not to coerce others to touch you. Come middle school we would get into more advanced biology, start learning about STDs/STIs and all kinds of contraceptive methods. And come high school start teaching them about ethics and morality when it comes to sex, things to be aware of in order to protect yourself from things like date rape, the various stages of pregnancy(though that could also start in middle school) as well as miscarriages, what to expect, different symptoms and going over the options available to one should they wind up pregnant now as a teenager especially if their family might be less than supportive. Abortion I feel should also be covered.
Also with the possible exception of abortion(though ideally that too) all of these topics would be required course work the way math and science are required.