The Need for Earlier Implementation of Comprehensive Sexual Education Within a Formal Classroom Setting and Beyond Based on the Influences of Technology

Abstract

Abstinence-only education taught predominately via formal classroom instruction has continuously been emphasized throughout history and in classrooms today. Although abstinence-only methods are often stressed, contraceptive education is occasionally but not consistently implemented in school curricula. A variety of other instructional delivery methods include student-peer education, education outside of the formal classroom setting, community youth service programs, education via telehealth, educational videos, self-study websites and social media. Providing comprehensive sexual education utilizing multiple instructional delivery methods could close the gap in sexual education for adolescents.The age at which sexual education instruction is introduced has remained relatively unchanged throughout history. Adolescents are being formally educated within classrooms as early as grade five, although they are often exposed to informal and potentially misleading information regarding sexual education much earlier than this. In part, this is due to the relatively recent emergence and subsequent influence of technology such as social media. Thus, given the influence of technology such as social media in recent history we need to reevaluate the age of formal sexual education and increase comprehensive sexual education resources.Additionally, it is important to note that sexual education instruction provided solely in formal classroom settings may not provide sufficient information for youth to make informed decisions. Thus, sexual education information including abstinence and contraceptive methods should be provided through additional means via utilizing differing instructional delivery methods in conjunction with formal classroom instruction. For example, comprehensive sexual education should also be provided in healthcare offices including pediatric and obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) offices. Sexual education could include discussing/providing external resources such as pamphlets that incorporate social media and other links to online resources that provide a more inclusive, accurate educational experience within a safe environment. This would allow healthcare professionals to provide a better targeted and engaging educational experience to adolescents as well as proactively allow for exposure of younger adolescents to helpful educational resources.

Factors Influencing Sexuality in Late Adolescence: A Qualitative Study on Heterosexual Adolescents’ Perspectives

“…A comprehensive sexual education is considered a human right and aims to provide accurate and realistic information and life skills in a non-judgmental way to help adolescents make informed choices [26]. In the absence of information, adolescents turn to other sources of information such as the sexual experiences of friends and self-education via the internet and books [27,28].…”

Sexuality education for school‐aged children and adolescents: A concept analysis

“…Rabbitte and Enriquez (2019) further explain if a state decides to teach it, they get to choose the (Martinez et al, 2010). The age to initiate sexuality education varies in different states, but in recent years, most agree on 6th-7th grade (Betit & Kennedy, 2022). The types of sexuality education found in the literature are abstinence-only education, abstinence-plus education, and comprehensive sexuality education.…”