If you think that kids are having sex because they are being encouraged to do so by teachers during sex education class then either your kids are going to a pretty kinky school or you have your head stuck up someplace dark and smelly.  My kids appear to be learning about the reproductive system, as well as about the related health issues.  They are also getting some positives social messages about respect for themselves and for others.  They are made at least a little uncomfortable by the process due to the fact that their teachers are speaking frankly to them about something embarrassing.  But ultimately they are learning that there are alternative and more reliable sources of information than anecdotes and boasts from their peers and the crap they see on prime time television.  I know this stuff, because I talk and listen to my kids about it.  I learn a lot from them.

Sexual education? Don't make me laugh. Handing out condoms and teaching students how to have safe sex is education is sexual perversion, not sex education. Teaching that sex between two men or between two woman is natural is perversion sexual indoctrination, not sex education. Teaching that children are an inconvenience and providing means to get rid of such by committing first degree murder is criminal behavior education, not sex education.

all they tell us is '' DON'T BE A FOOL, WRAP UR TOOL'' and dats it. pretty self explanitory. lol

Ignorance may be bliss, but ignorance is not protection. Knowledge is.

Sex education, hopefully not SEXUAL education. Never understood the philosophy that kids are better off with less information.

. . .I'd settle for sexual education of American adults. . .

Sexual education is great. It is proven that countries with good sex education and accessability to contraceptives reduces the occurance of AIDs and lowers birth rates.

We can see how emotional and reactionary this subject has become.Now calm down and let's try to make some sense,here....67ya-I totally agree that parents should step up to the plate,but sadly-many do not.Maybe they are embarrassed,misinformed themselves,or just plain lazy.At any rate,it is a very good idea that kids in public school get accurate information about their bodies,health and about reproduction.Let's face it,Sex is a big part of life.Ignoring it won't make it go away.I do not agree with Paul2505 that ALL kids are going to have sex no matter what-this is unfair-at least a few of them are likely to choose abstinance-but we can not,must not assume that teaching abstinance only will increase this number.In fact it has been proven NOT to.I think our friend Eschew is over-reacting-informing kids how to use a Condom does not equate with telling them to go for it.Along with how to use birth control they are also informed of the risks:that condoms can break or be defective,that they can still get crabs and venerial warts etc.Most important is that they learn about HIV and how it can and can not be transmitted.Why does Eschew assume that the person teaching this subject is trying to be a bad influence on their students? I believe that most teachers would be truly concerned for their students welfare and realize that this is a very serious,even life and death subject and treat it accordingly.The bottom line is,that sex education needs to be be taught accurately and without any religious or cultural bias.This would include informing students that ABSTINANCE is the only 100%,fool-proof method of preventing unwanted pregnancy and STDs.It would also have to include the various methods of birth control and disease prevention,etc. because if this information saves even just ONE kid from contracting AIDS or getting pregnant by accident it is worthwhile.

Big, big issue. When someone says, Look, kids are gonna have sex, might as well teach them 'safe sex' so they 'know what they're doing' are missing the point. Are ALL kids gonna have sex? Every one of them? If so, at what age? 18? 16? 14? 12? 10? And if they are taught how to put a condom on a banana, is there no chance that any (ANY) child might interpret the lesson as the teacher/adult/expert CONDONING teenage (or younger) sexual activity? Or even being non-judgmental about whether it is ok for the student to participate on his/her own? Are you sure there should be absolutely no discussion of abstinence? I'd prefer to include in any such educational agenda, examples of 20-25 year old males who have fathered children in their teens and have multiple garnishments of their wages, or young women who had children at 14 or 15 and what 90% do for a living. That would be educating the children about the activity AND the consequences. All too often, sex-ed classes are taught by members of the do it, Do It, DO IT! contingent. I think the lifelong consequences of safe teenage sex are equally important, if you're going to prevent kids from messing up their lives. Permanently. STD's and AIDS are one problem. Guess what, there's more. If the lesson ends with, and that's how you put the condom on. Now you can go for it, that's irresponsible.

Teenagers are going to have sex no matter what. They should at least be taught about safe sex, where to obtain and how to properly use contraceptives and STD protection. There are also lots of myths that are out there that proper sex-ed will dispell.

It doesn't matter how much sex education you give to them, they are still going to have sex at a young age. It's called HORMONES dude. I do get where you are coming from but my whole piont is that kids now days are having sex like crazy and frankly I don't think it will stop no matter what the SCHOOLS try and do.

This should be the parents job NOT the schools. This is an area that for some reason schools think they can do a better job than or replace the parent. A parent should know his/her child better than the school system and know when and how to do this. Parents need to step up and do THERI part!

Sex Ed. is a great idea. It should begin in elementary ed. with information that's age appropriate. Teach them about the human body, good touching and bad touching then as they get older teach them about their body changes, periods, pubic hair, etc... then teach them about STD's, babies, responsibilities, etc... Parents aren't doing it, they all think their kids not doing it-I've got news for you, they are doing it. I've worked in schools for 15 years and we've had kids as young as 5th grade who have gotten pregnant. Wake up!

Think it is a great deal. The more education about sex the better. The thing is they always have old ugly teacher seem to teach this subject. WHY NOT GET A REALLY HOT TEACH TO TEACH THIS SUJECT.

I'm not sure at what age would be most appropriate for sexual education to start (probably somewhere late-middle school to early high school), but I do feel that it should be taught, both in school and at home. Sex is a beautiful thing to share with the person you love, but you've gotta teach them that there are consequences, both positive and negative. Teaching abstinence is not enough, though it should be brought up often. You have to teach the kids WHY. Throwing statistics at 'em isn't going to do any good--numbers don't stay in someone's head when they're in the moment. Maybe this is brutal and graphic, but I think showing the kids pictures of what happens when you get various STD's would help, bring in a speaker who has HIV to tell them what it's like. Show them how much it costs to raise a baby, how much child support is and that their little part-time job at McDonald's isn't going to cover it. Let 'em know that there are things out there that will help decrease the risk of getting diseases and such, and let 'em know that they're effective, but not fool-proof. Tell them about all the little myths and how they're false and why (like some kids believe you can't get pregnant on the first time, or if you do it in the water, or whatever). It's a lot to cover, but it's important.