No Turning Back: Exploring Sex Education in the United States

Sex education provides valuable information for young people to know and practice safe and appropriate sexual activities. Sex education also educates students on what healthy relationships look like, developing their emotional and psychological well-being. The United States has increasingly adopted sex education for adolescents, who are highly vulnerable age group. However, the programs often only focus on abstinence and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, and to some extent, offer a simplistic discussion around consent. Most however, do not adequately address complicated issues like personal responsibility, open communication, a deeper understanding of gender and gender relations and the incorporation of LGBTQQ education. This paper explores various practices for LGBTQQ-inclusive sex education to teach adolescents informed content in order to improve their health levels. Methods that have produced positive outcomes in teaching existing forms of sex education are useful in adopting LGBTQQ-inclusive programs. Some recommendable actions include the development of LGBTQQ-inclusive sex education to provide learning content and training teachers to ensure they are competent to teach different sexual orientations. There is also a need for increased budgets to fund LGBTQQ-inclusive learning activities. Also, a supportive and safe school environment is necessary for LGBTQQ teenagers to learn and thrive in. The paper also describes factors supporting the provision of sex education to adolescent, and pros and cons. U.S. schools need to support LGBTQQ education to promote the health of this group to be on par with heterosexual teenagers