The initiative of specialists regarding the need to address social issues by incorporating them in sex education is the latest trend. However, it has already proven to be efficient in terms of lowering rates of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases through the empowerment of students (Singh, 2015). Therefore, the outcome of the mentioned interventions leads to the necessity to reconsider the experience in this area and continue the development of sexual education programs intended for young people.
The discussion of issues of power in sex education is a vital part of the well-being of future generations. Nevertheless, it is often neglected by corresponding organizations due to their sole orientation on the physical aspect of the matter (Singh, 2015). In this way, the risks of the emergence of additional social and behavioral health problems affecting this category of citizens raise concerns of scholars (Finigan-Carr et al., 2018). My personal experience adds to its significance since the courses devoted to this subject I attended were also oriented on sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, whereas neglecting their psychological underpinning. Hence, I was not encouraged to discuss issues of power when studying. Meanwhile, the interviewee’s stance seems reasonable from the perspective of efficiency, and I, therefore, completely agree with it.
To summarize, the importance of the inclusion of societal issues in sexual education is defined by the need to empower young men and women. The attention to this aspect will allow them to create healthy relationships which, in turn, will reduce the risks of related diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Thus, the initiative proposed by researchers should replace the current traditional approach to this subject to increase the programs’ positive impact and, subsequently, maintain a high quality of people’s lives.
References
Finigan-Carr, N., Steward, R., & Watson, C. (2018). Foster youth need sex ed, too!: Addressing the sexual risk behaviors of system-involved youth. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 13(3), 310-323.
Singh, M. (2015). Sex ed works better when it addresses power in relationships. National Public Radio.