Marty, I think it’s time we had the talk

Both the federal and state governments set requirements on what should be taught in a school’s sexual education units, but some wonder if the amount is too much or not enough, and if their approach is even capable of teaching it the correct way. Illinois’s approach is to allow schools to either teach everything in sex-ed or choose to not provide the class. If they do provide the class, the information...

PBS.org research director of UCLA and LGBTQ population demography expert Gary Gates estimated that there are 9 million members of the LGBTQ community in America today. Despite this large number, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest advocacy group for the LGBTQ community in the U.S., there is a nationwide lack of sex education for the community. “Whether legally barred or simply...

The implementation of sexual education programs within the learning environment does not begin in a high school setting. Students are taught lessons concerning sexual education and puberty as early as elementary school. Health and physical education teacher Heather Petersen, who works at Eisenhower Jr. High, incorporates a three-week sexual education unit into the yearly health curriculum. “There...

In Illinois it is required by law to cover the topic of consent during the sexual education unit. This includes the definition of consent, how to avoid unwanted sexual advances, how to resist negative peer pressure and the idea that it is wrong to take advantage of and exploit others in a sexual manner. At DGS consent is taught during the drug and alcohol abuse unit of health class rather than during...