Project Director
Byers, Libby M.
Department Examiner
Palmer, Heather; Whightsel, Oren; Noe, Marcia
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
The United States is not currently providing effective avenues through which the majority of U.S children are accessing comprehensive information about sexual health. This gap in education is causing serious consequences emotionally, mentally and physically for U.S. youth. It is critical that discourse surrounding sex and healthy relationships be normalized so as not to closet, stigmatize or victim blame children during formative years. Historically, the United States has perverted the right to education by allocating significant federal funding to abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula. Although this content has been repeatedly proven ineffective and the U.S. continues to rank high amongst developing countries for STIs and unplanned pregnancies, advances in sex education remain incremental. Case studies show that it is possible to reverse current trends and turn what has mistakenly been labeled a binary, political debate into an opportunity for American parents who show consistent support for comprehensive sex education in schools to feel security for their children’s health and well-being. The solution proposed in this thesis addresses issues of inconsistency and a lack of data gathered around the way students learn sex education which minimizes room for error in content delivery. The technology combines multiple learning approaches to engage students while curating lesson plans that are unique to each classroom and therefore conducive to multiple intelligences. Thus, solving barriers surrounding the regulation and implementation of effective, comprehensive sex education. As popular topics such as the #MeToo movement draw attention to long standing issues of sexual violence and a lack of sexual health, people need a tool—a lens through which to see a silver lining.
Degree
B. A.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts.
Date
5-2019
Subject
Sex instruction -- United States; Sex instruction for children; Sex instruction -- Government policy
Discipline
Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Document Type
Theses
Extent
43 leaves
DCMI Type
Text
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Date Available
12-31-2025
Recommended Citation
Butera, Mackenzie, "Let’s talk about sex: an analysis of the gaps in effective sex education in the United States and a proposed solution" (2019). Honors Theses.
https://scholar.utc.edu/honors-theses/192
Department
Dept. of Women's Studies