The Impact of Inadequate Sex Education

Abstract

The unintended pregnancies and abortion rates in the United States are among the highest of most industrialized countries. To address these rates, an increase in federal funding for sex education programs focused on the promotion of abstinence from sex has been prevalent over the past decades. However, with federal funding dedicated towards abstinence-only sex education which excludes important health topics such as contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, youths across the nation are ill-equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to make informed choices on their sexual health. In an effort to improve the current sex education curriculum employed throughout the states, this study seeks to examine the impact of inadequate sex education on female teens ages 13-18 contraceptive knowledge and awareness, with a focus on South Florida. To conduct this study, the evaluation research method was carried out by the means of a survey via social media platforms. Findings revealed that inadequate sex education impacted participants’ contraceptive awareness and knowledge negatively, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of abstinence-only sex education in reducing rates of unintended pregnancies and abortion rates in the United States due to the medical misinformation conveyed by these programs. Among broader implications, a change in sex education systems to be geared toward comprehensive sex education could be highly beneficial along with federal improvements of the current sex education curricula.