AIDS Education in the Classroom

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the high rate of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in the U.S., suggesting that the problem is largely due to inadequate sexual education. The paper points out that while the age of first intercourse in the U.S. is similar to other Western nations, the rate of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is significantly higher. The paper further suggests that this is because other countries have much better sex education programs in their schools that teach students how to practice safe sex. The paper highlights the need for HIV education programs, in particular, in order to turn the tide on increasing HIV infection rates in U.S. teenagers.

From the Paper:

"AIDS education in the United States has been funded for many years, the question needs to be asked, what are we as a society doing wrong that is causing this problem to grow? Many other countries have been much more successful than the US in reaching these children. Age at first intercourse is similar in the US and five other countries: Canada, England, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden, yet all those countries have teen pregnancy rates that are at less than half the US rate. (Dryfoos 1985) How can we explain this? Looking at the curriculum, sex education in these other countries is based on a policy explicitly favoring sex education from very early grade levels; there is a culture of openness about sex and access to contraception."

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