Utah Children, Get Ready to Rely on MTV for Sex Education

            Teaching abstinence only as sex education is the equivalent of having driver’s education teachers teach students to only use a bus pass. In the twenty-first century, it is getting harder to turn on the television or radio and not hear something relating to sex. Face it, unless parents are going to deprive their children of T.V. (can you say “DTF”), movies, music like Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night,” and home school them, they will constantly be exposed to sex. MTV’s “Jersey Shore” pulls in millions of viewers each week and shows the cast going to the clubs and bringing home “DTF smush buddies” almost every night while Katy Perry is singing about her ménage à trois. These increasingly apparent references to sex have the older generations of the United States concerned for the welfare of their children and grandchildren. However, the media attention of all the sexual things shown on network stations does not help them feel any better. But to tell children to avoid sex until marriage is an unrealistic approach. If Utah passes its new law, schools will only be allowed to teach students just that.

            Society cannot expect unmarried individuals (whether they are teens or in their thirty’s) not to engage in any sexual activities. A far better approach is for parents to get their heads out of the dirt and realize, “Hey, one day the time may come that my child is going to have sex whether I like it or not.” All parents ultimately want their children to be safe and protected, and what better way to keep them safe than teaching them how to protect themselves when their parents are not there? Condoms are not only the number one used method of contraceptives, but one of the most effective, too. However, if not used properly they can have devastating consequences like being another cast member of “16 and Pregnant,” or contracting a serious STI. Even worse, many teens may still believe that the “pullout method” works just as well as condoms (Homer Simpson’s “doh!” has never been more appropriate). These children need to be taught the statistics and effectiveness behind all methods of contraceptives to maximize their chances of not making their parents grandparents or becoming infected. Teenagers are already relying on MTV’s new series “Savage U” to answer sex and relationship questions they have. If you ask any viewer, they will tell you that it answered questions they always had or helped them in a situation they were dealing with, but the mobs of angry parents have taken to the Internet to voice their concerns. They think it encourages teenagers to have sex and want to try and prevent them from doing the deed as long as they possibly can. Their unrealistic thinking causes them to believe that if we do not teach educate children about sex they will be less likely to do it. Although that could not be farther from the truth, it is exactly what Utah is thinking as well. If Utah succeeds in only requiring the teaching of abstinence in public schools, they might also think it is unnecessary to teach students the symptoms of STI’s since the students are “not having sex.”

            For many parents, having the “sex talk” with their children is like a two-way ticket to Embarrassmentville. They might feel pressured by all the negative media attention to confront their children, but feel uncomfortable telling their children everything they should know. Also, children might fear asking their parents questions about sex. This is why schools have become the primary source of sex education for the youth of America. It creates a more comfortable environment for children to ask questions and really take control of their own bodies. Utah’s views on birth control for teens have probably manifested from angry parent's chat rooms that say, “If we give our children birth control, it teaches them it is okay to have sex” and “If girls are on birth control pills they will think they do not have to use condoms to protect them from STI’s.” This is the exact reason why sex education needs to consist of more than just “sex is the devil unless you are married.” For the sake of Utah’s youth, schools need to reinforce the importance of condoms in the help of preventing chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, and HIV and not just for the prevention of pregnancy. It would be a real tragedy to have a whole generation of students uninformed about something so serious that it can affect the rest of their lives if they make a wrong choice. Although the media wants to attract attention to MTV’s shows such as “16 and Pregnant,” “Jersey Shore,” and “Savage U,” for “corrupting” the youth and making them promiscuous, they fail offer an a reason why teen pregnancies are at their lowest in over 40 years. Religious views have to be kept out of Utah’s laws because they have no backing in a country that has millions of people all with different morals and beliefs. Negative media hype needs to stop because their facts do not add up either. They need to stick to science and statistics to keep the children of America safe above all else.

Martin, John. “Utah lawmakers vote for abstinence-only sex education.” Schools of Thought. CNN.com. 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2012.
Utah Votes for Abstinence Only Sex Education

The author is a well-known writer for CNN's Schools of Thought blog and fellow CNN journalists have also edited his blog. In it he talks about the steps Utah is taking to ensure abstinence-only sex education is public schools. His article tells how many parents are voicing their concerns that this might be the wrong way to teach their children about sex. Martin uses his memories of his school's sex education as way to show how different things may be in Utah's public school system if it passes. His views contrast many adults’ thoughts that sex education in schools and television shows with showing partying and sex contribute to teenagers being promiscuous today. He reinforces that sexual education taught him a lot and needs to be kept in the school curriculum as a way to educate children and keep them in control of their bodies.