Human Sexuality and the Importance of Sex Education
Human sexuality is a broad concept that includes all that makes up the reproductive system, not just sex. One of the most difficult tasks for most parents tends to be addressing sexuality with their children. Most adults overlook the fact that children, especially adolescents, need prior knowledge of sexuality in order to understand themselves. Most children engage in experimental sexual practices without understanding the implications of their acts due to a lack of appropriate and reliable knowledge. As a result, there have been several unintended pregnancies and teen mothers in different communities throughout the world. In a bid to control the rising cases of sexual behavior among children, different authors have resorted to use art to help educate children on sexuality. The approaches undertaken by the author in The Brief differs substantially from that adopted by McCombs in the Consent Video; while the former advocates for total abstinence among teenagers, the latter believes sex among teenagers is inevitable and knowledge on permissible sexual behavior is what is required to protect the youth from unwanted repercussions. Both authors tend to believe that sex education is a vital topic that should essentially be taught in the comfort of our homes.
The Perspectives of Quindlen and McCombs
In her essay in The Brief, Quindlen attributes the rising number of unwanted pregnancies to the lack of awareness on sexuality and sex repercussions among teenagers. In her opinion, most sexually active teenagers lack vital information on how to practice safe sex and therefore end up with unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted infections or both. She uses the narrative to explore the unforgivable sexual experiences of teenagers in a world where so much is known about sexuality yet so little is shared on sex. To bring out the seriousness of the issue at hand, she narrates how virginity was a precious teenage state that every lady upheld during her adolescent years. As opposed to Quindlen, McCombs highlights the society's ambiguous definition of consent as the main cause of immature sexual indulgence among children. Using animations, the author defines consent as a state that exists where "two people who are actively willing to engage in a particular sexual behavior express their consent by saying 'Yes! That is OK with me.' " Although not expressly stated by the author, McCombs' animation seems to allude with the fact that the society has come to terms with the current state of unwarranted sexual behavior among teenagers. Teenagers are indirectly granted permission to consent to sexual advances from other people; sex is right as long as there is mutual consent among participant.
Different Message Content in The Brief and the Consent Video
There is also a striking contrast between the message content relayed by the authors to the audiences in both settings; sex education as portrayed by Quindlen in The Brief addresses both sexuality and sex while the Consent video by McCombs specifically addresses sexual consent. Often, the term sex is used to refer to the biological or physical differences between people; male or female. It could also be used to refer to the sexual act committed by persons of different sexual orientation. Sexuality on the other hand is used to refer to the sexual preferences showcased by individuals. In The Brief, the author showcases teenagers as having substantial knowledge on sexuality but very little information about sex; there is a large volume of information on permissible sexual behavior that children were unaware of. Although most pregnant girls are able to identify the male and female reproductive system as well as the menstrual cycle, they seem to be less concerned with the biological changes that accompany unprotected sex. Following this miscommunication, most pregnant girls engaging in sex as a means of pleasing their sexual partners were unknowingly coerced into the act without fully consenting to it. Most girls in the clinic had painful sexual experiences and are hopeful that childbirth does not hurt as much. Unlike Quindlen, McCombs attempts to address the 'non-consented' loophole that is continuously explored by sex predators as an avenue for preying on young unsuspecting girls. Consent, once given, is not in its permanent state and can always be negated by any of the two parties engaging in sex. Additionally, the author highlights that consent can only be given by persons who are conscious and aware of their actions. This is vital piece of information that most of the pregnant girls in setting seem to lack.
The Role of Parents in Sex Education
Although the two narrations relate to completely different timeframes, the authors believe sexual education starts and ends with the parents. Often times, children learn from their peers. This information together with that passed to them by parents form a major basis upon which their sexual beliefs are based. Where parents provide minimal information to the children about sexuality and sex, they are deemed to believe whatever piece of information they get from their peers. From The Brief, the author expresses dismay when she overhears one of the girls state her boyfriend's dislike of protected sex. She states, "I wanted to tell her that it sounded as if she was sleeping with a jerk who didn't deserve her. But that is the kind of basic fact of life that must be taught not in the classroom, not by a stranger, but at home by the family. In her presentation on how to teach kids about consent in 2 minutes, McCobs believes information on sex would be more effective if relayed to children by those closest to them. With the increasing access to digital technology, children exposed to a number of information sources; it is only appropriate that they receive valid, honest and accurate information about sex. The author believes that when armed with this information, children will readily know how to differentiate acceptable sexual behavior from unacceptable ones. This is intended to minimize the prevalence of sexual assault among children.
Conclusion
Sexuality and sex are two broad and complex terms that continue to boggle the minds of most sex educators. It is however apparent that information plays a key role in defining kids' sexual behavior. Although abstinence is the ultimate goal in a perfect society, both authors directly or indirectly recognize this as an illusion. They both believe that children as young as ten years should have candid talk with their parents on sex. Often times, parents shy away from educating their children on vital issues relating to appropriate and inappropriate sexual behavior. This responsibility is passed on to peers, educators and other social workers. Due to lack of information, most adolescents resort to experimental tactics to be able to find out more on sex. Eventually, they unknowingly end up with pregnancies and STIs that they are never planned for. As concluded by the authors, parents should actively engage in educating their children about sex so as to minimize the rising cases of sexual assault and unwanted pregnancy.
Work Cited
McCombs, Emilly. “How to Teach Your Kids About Consent In Less Than 2 Minutes”. The Huffington Post. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 May 2017.
Quindlen, Anna. Sex Ed.” The Brief McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 183-85. Print.
