New Study Recommends Sex Education in 2nd Grade
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How young is too young to have “the talk”? New guidelines released by a coalition of health and education groups include age-appropriate discussion about sex and healthy relationships as early as second grade. “How young is too young? Probably 2 years old because as soon as they are able to talk they need to know,” said Delita Johnson, founder of Saving Our Daughters. Johnson says “the talk” is all about age appropriateness. “I believe they should use proper names for their body parts,” she said. According to new sexual education guidelines released by a coalition of health and education groups, children in the second grade should know the body parts and different kinds of family structures. “I think they should be a little bit older than the second grade,” said Earline Polk, a local mother. “Actually, I’m not sure about what age range, but those are babies.” New guidelines also suggest middle schoolers understand the signs and impacts of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as dating violence. “I think it should be a special age limit that you start teaching kids that type of education,” said Polk. “This day and time, they need it, don’t get me wrong they do need it.” Health and education groups also call for eighth graders to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence, and understand how “safer sex methods” and emergency contraceptives work. “I believe wholly in abstinence, but I believe they should know the effectiveness of contraceptives and that it’s not 100%,” said Johnson.” “Regardless of how they turn out and what does go on, I know they know right from wrong because mommy taught it to them,” said Polk.
