Sex EducationHow did you learn about sex? Chances are your parents begrudgingly explained “the birds and the bees” to you back when you learned about it in school. When you were young, you may have heard the story of the stork, in which a huge bird carries children to their parents when they are ready to give birth. As you grew up and became more curious, they may have given you the classic “When a Mom and Dad Love Each Other Very Much…”. Then, during your teenage years, you learned the exact names, places, and complications of sex. Immature sex jokes are inevitable and sometimes found very funny, but with all the events revolving around sex, you learned more and more about it. School, your parents, your classmates, and your religion have played a major role in your current beliefs about sex. Children should receive sex education at the end of elementary school or early middle school. Because more sex education has helped reduce teenage pregnancies and abortions, some parents may neglect to explain certain factors to their children and they may not know much about the subject themselves. , and religion may not offer enough information to be completely safe. Teen pregnancy and abortion rates have declined in recent years, although the United States still has the highest rates in the industrialized world. Among adolescent girls, those who received adequate sex education have lower pregnancy and abortion rates than those who received inadequate education or who follow abstinence-only programs. Sex education helps reduce the risk of teenage pregnancy by 50% compared to abstinence programs (SIECUS, 2008). Did you know that most teens who get pregnant in high school don't complete high school, let alone college? They are also more li... middle of paper ...... before learning more from other children or the media. This will help them make responsible decisions as a young adult. Works Cited Bryner, J. (2009, September 16). Teen birth rates are higher in highly religious states. Retrieved February 9, 2014 from LiveScience: Kesterton, D. (May 30, 2012). Sex education: what role should parents play? Retrieved February 9, 2014 from The Guardian: SIECUS. (March 8, 2008). National data shows that comprehensive sexuality education is more effective in reducing teen pregnancies. (Sex Information and Education Council of the United States.) Retrieved February 9, 2014, from SIECUS: