In August of 1971, the New York Times published a rather scandalous article under their Education section titled, "What They Don't Know About Sex". In summary, this article mentioned the struggle of teaching your kids about sex, the ignorance surrounding the topic, and the overall lack of sex-education being offered. The article mentioned common questions received that astounded professionals:
Ignoring the misogynistic language mentioned above, the author still makes a valid point in mentioning that "the best way to combat such problems is to increase sex counseling." This statement holds true even in this era when people are more progressive and forgiving; yet sex is still commonly seen as taboo.
In recent years, many High Schools have implemented some sort of Sex-Education or HIV/AIDs awareness. However, many states still push for abstinence or ignore education about contraceptives. As of 2016,
Dr. Pion stated it best when quoted in the Times Archive article - "College is just not the place for young people to have to learn where babies come from".
- Is it true there are some days I can conceive and some days I can't?
- Can a person get pregnant standing up?
- Can you get pregnant the first time you have intercourse?
Personally, I don't see how hearing these questions in 1971 would be astounding. During this era, women couldn't legally have an abortion (Roe v. Wade 1973), access the morning after pill, get credit cards in their names, marry another woman, or even deny their husbands sex! So although these questions aren't surprising to me from the '70's, still hearing the same or similar questions in 2018 is appalling.
"Moralistic arguments aside, these doctors have determined that the tragic problems of unmarried mothers and illegitimate babies along with spreading venereal diseases and medical complications from cheap abortions are based in large part on ignorance and that the best way to combat such problems is to increase sex counseling." - Andrew H. Malcolm
Ignoring the misogynistic language mentioned above, the author still makes a valid point in mentioning that "the best way to combat such problems is to increase sex counseling." This statement holds true even in this era when people are more progressive and forgiving; yet sex is still commonly seen as taboo.
In recent years, many High Schools have implemented some sort of Sex-Education or HIV/AIDs awareness. However, many states still push for abstinence or ignore education about contraceptives. As of 2016,
- 24 states teach sex-education
- 33 states teach about HIV/AIDS
- 35 states allow parents to op-out on behalf of their children
Dr. Pion stated it best when quoted in the Times Archive article - "College is just not the place for young people to have to learn where babies come from".
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