Sex Education: What is the Best Lesson Plan?

Sex education is a heavily debated subject in our education system. Some school's think that teaching abstinence and nothing else is the best way to go. Others feel that the knowledge of sex safe and the teaching the threat of STD's and pregnancy is the key. 

My personal experience with sex education in high school was a pretty positive one. My school taught us about all the dangers of safe and unsafe sex. But , they stressed that abstinence was the only completely safe way to go. We then were shown a graphic video of a woman giving birth. I cannot remember anything specific from that class, except for that video. I think that it had a shock value that made us pay attention. 

However, it seems that most teenagers have the need to do the opposite of what people tell them to do. That, coupled with peer pressure and the belief that everybody is doing it , can spell trouble for a school that only teaches abstinence. On the other hand, teenagers brains are proven to not be developed enough to grasp the consequences of their actions. Most think that good or bad things will never happen to them. So, threating with the possibility of STD's and pregnancy may not work also.

I think that the correct way to teach sexual education is a mixture of both methods. I think that condoms should also be offered also. A lot of people think that this gives teens the idea that teen sex is okay. But, if you are going to teach about the threat of STD's and pregnancy, you have to give them the chance to make a responsible choice by having safe sex. Does this mean that the sex education isn't working? No, this actually means that it is. They were taught about the dangers of sex and they are taking measures to do protect themselves.