Youth / OPINION : Sex Education: Is It Good for Kids?

PERRY BUTLER

Sophomore, 16, Riverside Polytechnic High School

Sexual education would be a waste of time, particularly here, because everyone has either had a child or is already having sex. We’ve had presentations about AIDS and sex about three times this year. I really don’t think anyone is listening because they get caught up in the heat of the moment and they don’t think. It would be a waste of time because the mistakes have already been made.

The problem isn’t with the programs. The message was brought very clearly. It met us at our level. But they chose not listen. They don’t take it seriously. This school doesn’t offer contraceptives and I don’t think it should. That’s like saying, go out and have sex and we’ll supply the condoms.

JON SIMPSON

Junior, 17, El Modena High School, Orange

When you come from a Christian background and you’ve been taught one thing at home, and the schoolteacher tells you something else, that offends me. I don’t feel it’s right for the school system to override the values your family has taught you.

They’re promoting something that I’ve been taught not to do. They’re promoting safe sex and all that. But there is no safe sex. Safer--call it that if you want. But it’s not safe.

If you teach it in (terms of) learning about the body, that’s one thing. But the point of view--that they tell you about it as in when you do it, not if you do it. Like, when you do it, use a condom. It’s not promoting abstinence. It’s just promoting safe sex this and safe sex that. But it’s not safe.

NIKKIA TATE

Sophomore, 14, St. Monica Catholic High School, Santa Monica

Education is good as long as it includes the negative and the positive consequences of sexual activity. There’s more bad consequences today than in the past. If you don’t tell them (young people) about it, then they’ll get curious, expecting only the good and not the bad. They won’t think anything is wrong with sex and that there aren’t any risks involved.

I don’t think sexual education and free condoms influence teens to have sex. I attend a Catholic school and we don’t have sexual education. They teach abstinence. But there is a large pregnancy rate at our school. We had at least seven pregnant girls in their junior and senior class and we only have 650 kids in the school. That’s pretty big for a Catholic school.

They teach abstinence, but they don’t teach you what you should do if you have sex. If you are going to educate people, you shouldn’t leave out any information.

I wouldn’t rely on birth control or condoms because a lot of girls still get pregnant. Sometimes their body reacts to birth control or they don’t know how to use a condom right. I think people should wait until they are married.

GABBY RUVALCABA

Senior, 18, Belmont High School, Los Angeles

I’m for sexual education being offered in high school. There are a lot of kids who aren’t informed by their parents because parents are waiting until the kids are old enough. But by the time they are old enough, they are already pregnant and it’s too late to talk. So schools should offer an educational program for sexual awareness, just like it does for drugs.

It’s very good for schools to offer contraceptives. Schools should be a place to learn, so let them (young people) learn about it in a constructive way. Many will get condoms from their friends or from the stores anyway.

Offering contraceptives doesn’t encourage sex. It really depends on the person’s values. If that person wants to do something, they are going to do it. So they should at least be informed about the dangers.

SEAN ELLIS

Senior, 17, student body president, Riverside Polytechnic High School

Everybody is required to take sexual education in a health class in their freshman year. It really didn’t address how to deal with sex as a teen-ager.

I’m kind of on the fence about this. But given the increase of teen pregnancies and the HIV-virus epidemic, they should have some education. I don’t think it fans the fire. It prepares the student or better equips the student to deal with a situation emotionally and physically and how to cope with whatever might happen.

DANIELLE DURKIN

Senior, 17, Santa Monica High School

Ignorance is not bliss. It can only strengthen risks and lead to unwanted pregnancies and the spread of diseases. I think the only way we can try to prevent pregnancies, AIDS and other diseases is through education that emphasizes precaution for those who are already sexually active. It should not encourage kids to experiment.

As humans we want to engage in sexual activity. Rather than repress these feelings, we can stress abstinence. But if they want to have sex, they should be told how to do it safely and given contraceptives. We shouldn’t tell them that it’s something bad. It should be acknowledged as healthy.