UK's Sex Education Is Failing Teenagers

Sex education has been a hot issue in schools. Some agree to have it added to the curriculum, others disagree. Several schools already include sex education in their program. Does sex education really help the student? Is sex education efficient?

According to Siecus.org, sex education is a lifelong process where one learns about sexual development and reproductive health. It also includes gender roles, intimacy, body image and relationship. Overall, it helps one acquire information and form attitudes, beliefs and values on the subject matter.

Although this some schools already include sex education, some remain skeptical about it or maybe they just support it with reservations. Pink News reported that the UK government rejects the recommendation for statutory inclusive sex and relationship education. The government received a severe backlash for their decision.

Per the report, although the MP already required sex and relationship education in all schools, its non-statutory status means that the schools have a different take on sex education. They have a varying degree of enthusiasm about the subject and the report notes that teaching sex education at a consistent level across the UK is almost impossible.

Statutory sex education will be helpful especially if one takes the data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which revealed that 30 percent of the female rape victims were under 16 years old, a quarter were 14 and below, and nearly one in 10 were 9 and younger,  The Guardian reported. Furthermore, 50 percent of the female victims of sexual offences such as assaults, grooming and sexual exploitation were under 16 years old.

Pink News notes that making sex education compulsory is more appealing than ever.

"We need to look deeper at our society and the moral meanings that are attached to sexuality, sexual behavior and sex and relationship education," the report notes. "Because it is society at large and young people specifically who continue to pay the price for inadequate, patchy sex education. "

The report stressed that there should be a new perspective about sex education and one should stop seeing it as "contaminating knowledge" because it is important for one's growth and empowerment.