DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES AFFECTING SUPPORT FOR SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
The twin specters of teenaged pregnancy and AIDS are of great concern to the parents of teenagers, educators, and other responsible adults in contemporary American society. The proportion of sexually active teenagers in the United States is both increasing and extending into lower age groups.
A sexually active person, other variables remaining equal, is at greater risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease than is a person who is not sexually active. Similarly, a sexually active teenaged girl, other variables remaining equal, is at greater risk of becoming pregnant than is the girl who is not sexually active (the teenaged girl who is not sexually active remains at risk of pregnancy in contemporary society because of the prevalence of rape behavior among American males). While most thinking American adults acknowledge the significance of the risks for teenagers related to AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies, there exists a sharp division among adults about what actions should be implemented to deal with these issues. Most interventions advanced to deal effectively with these issues involve education. Again, most responsible American adults are in agreement that such education is essential. The disagreements exist in relation to the content and scope of such education. Still others believe that the issue can be effectively addressed by simply telling teenagers that they must not become
sexually active prior to marriage. Unless one lives in Tennessee and can marry at age 14, however, this approach is not likely to be very effective. Other adults who are somewhat more socially advanced believe that teenagers should be educated with respect to the horrors of AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, and that the resulting mental trauma will be sufficient to dissuade them from becoming sexually active before their tim...