Term Paper on "Sex Education Presentation to Early Adolescents"

Term Paper 6 pages (2472 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Sex Education

Providing appropriate sex education for adolescents is a very critical exercise that requires the correct balance of information and tact in the presentation of the information. It is important to note that while practical knowledge on the sexual organs is important. Sex education and more accurate sexuality education encompass more than a simple understanding of how sex works. It is possibly that this is not the most critical information that should be shared. Sexuality education must address the issues of values, respect, and appropriate decision making. Adolescents are making very difficult decisions when they are least prepared to make such decisions. This is a time when some of the errors they may make with their life cannot be effaced easily in the future. Sexuality education is helping adolescents to make the right decisions for tomorrow, today.

Key words: Sex, sexuality, adolescents, penis, STI's, masturbation, Vagina, respect, same sex

Sex Education

This presentation is designed for adolescents between the ages of 13 to 16. The period of life for an adolescent is possibly the most invigorating and exciting time of their life. The changes that occur within their bodies are almost magical and both boys and girls experience physical and emotional changes. While the both are experiencing changes the nature of the changes are unique to each sex. It is important that they become adjusted to the wealth of changes taking place within them. The changes can also be terrifying for some adolescents particularly if they do not understand the nature of the changes and are not prepared for them.

One of the most interesting changes is the development of a healthy interest in members of the opposite sex. Boys are generally curious about the sexual components of the changes. Girls on the other hand are very interested in how their bodies are changing, love, and romance. This difference in the manner in which the two groups view love and sex may result in many unhappy and confusing experiences. Very often, the interactions between boys and girls occurs from an entirely different view of relationships and the meaning they give to sexual encounters.

Another exciting, when you are prepared for it and scary when you are not, change is the presence of a sex drive. The sex drive in silent during the infancy period but awakens during adolescence. Suddenly persons who never thought of sex have constant thoughts that are fanned by hormones coursing through their bodies. This exciting cocktail can be very frightening for some young persons who are having difficulty managing their sex drive, and can even place them in very difficult positions if that desire is not managed well.

Presently the society is plagued with high rates of STI's (Sexually Transmitted Infections), with HIV / AIDS and with the misuse of sex (Sex education, 2010). There are concerns for teenaged pregnancies and for the high levels of promiscuity among adolescents. Another concern is sexual abuse and date rapes. While sexuality education may not eliminate these challenges, it allows you to be prepared for them if they were to occur at any time in your life or the life of a loved one. The education that you will receive is not only about information but it is also about having the right kinds of personal attitudes and about valuing yourself.

Sex is a beautiful and wonderful privilege that is given to humans. It can be a wonderful part of our life or it can cause serious pain and suffering to others and ourselves. Because, it is a privilege sex is surrounded by responsibilities. These responsibilities are an important part of the sexual understanding that should occur at this time of your life. One of the most important ways to prepare for this responsibility is through an effective sex education program like this one. This program begins at your home and should be supported by information provide at school by teachers and sex educators like myself.

To begin our discussion we will need to define what we mean when we say "sex."

Sex has many meaning for some sex means gender. Gender is a way to understand the roles and responsibilities of males and females in the society. When we are discussing sex in this manner we are really talking about relating to the physical characteristics of male and females that we can see. Sex is also used as a verb and in this case, it refers to the action of individuals engaging in sexual contact or sexual intercourse. A better term for this education experience should be sexuality. Sexuality is the sexual element of and individual's personality. Sexuality refers to all the facets of being male or being female. It relates not only to sexual organs but also to how we think and feel as males and females. So that while at some stage a person may stop having sexual intercourse, that same person will continue to be a sexual being up until they die. So that sexuality convers all of life from the cradle to the grave.

Sexuality education should also cover the experiences you will face as a married person and as a single person (Engel, 1983 p. 125). These experiences can be quite varied and some of them may even be very disturbing. However, being prepared for them makes them easier to deal with and to overcome. In marriage, a man and a woman are engaged in the most intimate of contacts and it becomes very important that you understand the sexuality of the opposite sex. Some people think that they should only learn about themselves on the contrary in these sessions you will learn a lot about the opposite sex. This knowledge will make you more considerate and allow you to have better relationships with persons of the opposite sex. This is an important aspect of successful adjustment within the marital setting.

It is important that you are proud of who you are. In some societies, girls are at times made to feel as though they are not as good as boys are. They can develop attitudes where they begin to hate themselves and feel as though they are unworthy of the love of other persons. The first important thing to understand about you and your sexuality is that you are important and that you should be happy to be who you are. It is not necessary to want to be someone else. It is very important to be comfortable in your own skin and when you are comfortable, you can be happy with the changes that come with growing older. This feeling good about yourself is considered self-esteem. It is very important that you have high self-esteem, that you feel that you are important, valuable. When you love yourself, it becomes easier to deal with others who may say unkind things or who may love you. Loving your self is the beginning of loving others.

Before I go further, I would like to say that it is also important that you gain knowledge of sexuality the right way (Koblinsky & Atkinson 1982). Even if your parents are reluctant to provide you with the correct information, you can seek out teachers and other educators who will be very willing to provide accurate information. Many young persons learn about sexuality from their peers or from the images that are shown on the television. Pornographic movies or magazines do not provide accurate information about sexual behavior and they provide inappropriate messages about women and men. These images give not only conflicting messages but also very incorrect messages about women and the role of sex in the life of adults. It is not uncommon to see in the movies, a couple engaging in sexual acts in a very casual and carefree manner. Such portrayals ignore the emotional and physical challenges with sexual behavior and give the impression that there is no need to act responsibly. The truth is the exact opposite, sexual behavior requires that you act very carefully and be responsible in your behavior. Consider not only the present actions but also the future consequences of those actions.

Let's talk a bit now about the period called adolescence. The English word is really a French word "adolscere" which is best translated as growing up. It covers a wide age from about 10 years to 19 years. This is necessary since each person grows up at his or her own rate. When you enter the period of adolescence you are on your way to becoming an adult, the next stop after this stage is adulthood. The beginning of adolescence is termed 'puberty'. Puberty begins with different experience for boy and for girls. For girls the first menstruation is the sign that puberty has begun, this may occur anywhere between the ages of 11 and 13. For boys the first sign of puberty may be the first nocturnal emission, this is often called a wet dream. This first wet dream may occur between the ages of 12… READ MORE

How to Reference "Sex Education Presentation to Early Adolescents" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Adolescent's Awareness and Their Lack of Implementing Term Paper

ADOLESCENT'S AWARENESS and THEIR LACK of IMPLEMENTING INFORMATION SECURITY and ONLINE PRIVACY REGULATIONS of (82525) 83436

AN ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT of ADOLESCENT'S AWARENESS and THEIR LACK of IMPLEMENTING INFORMATION SECURITY and… read more

Term Paper 40 pages (11261 words) Sources: 30 Style: APA Topic: Computers / IT / Internet

---

Sex in Today's Culture Term Paper

Justification

The state of sexuality in America? Some would argue that it is no different in contemporary America than it was in the 1950s, 1920s, 1800s, and so on. Instead,… read more

Term Paper 3 pages (870 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

Physical Education Teacher Burnout and PE Teacher Concerns Literature Review

Aaker (1991, p13) it is the general aim of all researchers not only to discover new information but as much as possible to build on what other people have already… read more

Literature Review 25 pages (8932 words) Sources: 25 Topic: Education / Teaching / Learning

---

Obesity Among Adolescent Girls in Saudi Arabia Essay

Adolescent Obesity in Saudi Arabia

Obesity in Saudi Adolescent Girls

Obesity is a serious health problem in any population, but it is of special concern in younger individuals. The longer… read more

Essay 8 pages (3430 words) Sources: 30 Topic: Nutrition / Diet / Eating

---

Pre-Marital Sex View in Different Cultures Thesis

Pre-Marital Sex - Different Cultures & Views

By means of universalistic assumptions, it was possible to compare the views on premarital sex of Western and East Asian cultures. Using a… read more

Thesis 10 pages (3574 words) Sources: 5 Style: APA Topic: Sexuality / Gender

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>