OC HIGH / STUDENT NEWS & VIEWS : OC High asks: Do sex education courses in school cover what you need to know?
“No, they don’t. They make even sex sound boring nowadays.”
Jeremy Rex, 17
junior, El Modena
“In today’s politically correct world, no one is daring to dig into these subjects for fear of repercussions. As a result, the classes really teach us nothing. But most importantly, this gives us the impression that society really doesn’t care--that what we are doing right now is fine.”
Richard Kim, 15
sophomore, Villa Park
“I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know.”
Isabella Roethel, 17
senior, Cypress
“Of course not. They don’t tell you what the experience is really like. They just tell you to use protection.”
Marisa Alaniz, 16
junior, El Modena
“Sex education is the same every year. I don’t need to hear what a condom is five times. . . . In one sentence I can sum up my feelings: Tell me something I don’t know.”
Mark Pearce, 17
junior, Aliso Niguel
“I think sex education sources should cover more, because lots of kids these days are having sex and they need to know the facts.”
Shannon Dilday, 16
junior, Ocean View
“I think sex education in our school is limited in what they can teach us because of the parents’ concerns of what their child can hear and learn about sex. I believe we have the right to know about sex and AIDS . . . to educate us in the future so we can live safer and happier lives.”
San Kashani, 17
senior, Corona del Mar
“Dana Hills provides the basic knowledge that the students need to know. But after a certain point, it is the parents’ responsibility to elaborate on what their child needs to know.”
Tanya Radenovic, 17
senior, Dana Hills
“What courses?”
Rob Fiege, 16
junior, Huntington Beach
“I think schools only cover certain parts of sex education. They only talk about the physical part and what may happen, but they leave out all the emotional sides to it.”
Michelle Adney, 17
senior, Cypress
“The sex ed that I received in health class was very brief. It didn’t go into depth about the emotional strain or pressures. It doesn’t do in-depth about the subject at all.”
Melissa Ann Horning, 15
junior, Sonora
“Sex ed courses in school only cover the physical side to having sex. They teach you about protection from diseases and pregnancy, but fail to deal with the mental part of having sex. Many teens have sex before they are mentally ready to deal with it, because they feel they have to in order to keep their boyfriend with them. Teachers need to stress that sex is a big step in a relationship and unless teens are completely sure they want to and that they can be mature about it, they are not ready.”
Amanda Briggs, 16
junior, Huntington Beach
“They should go into greater detail about sexually transmitted diseases.”
Dani Haynes, 15
sophomore, Fountain Valley
“They’ve got all the basic stuff; they don’t miss anything.”
Tan Tran, 15
sophomore, Westminster
“I think they are valuable because not a lot of kids get stuff on sex from their parents at home because the parents won’t take the time to talk about it.”
Sarah Kidder, 17
senior, Irvine
“The sex education classes teach important facts and information that you need to know, but some values they stress are unrealistic for today’s teen-agers.”
Melanie Messa, 16
junior, University
“There is not enough emphasis placed on the importance of abstinence. Safe sex
isn’t 100% safe, and that is what teen-agers need to know.”
Genoa Sibold-Chon, 16
senior, Villa Park
“The American Family Course at Cypress High School is very informative and more than covers what anyone may need to know.”
Shari Brookler, 18
senior, Cypress
“No, because they shy away from the subject of contraceptives. If they taught, among other things, how to correctly use them, they would not be promoting sex; rather, they would be teaching responsibility.”
Anonymous, 17
senior, Fountain Valley
“No--because they don’t talk enough about AIDS.”
Mike Keene, 17
junior, Westminster
“The basics, enough so you shouldn’t get in trouble.”
Scott Klase, 18
senior, Corona del Mar
“No, because there’s not even a sex education class at my school besides health.”
Tracy Wilkinson, 16
junior, Ocean View
“They cover what we need to know, I guess, even though kids in high school already know most of it already.”
Luke Carlson, 17
junior, Irvine
“We don’t really have sex education at our school. It’s only covered for about two weeks in health class. I think they are too scared to tell us the whole truth about sex.”
Tim Shinn, 16
junior, Cypress
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