According to The Office of National AIDS Policy, two Americans under the age of 20 are infected with HIV every hour of every day. Further, young adults aged 13 to 21 will account for one-quarter of all new HIV infections in the U.S. These statistics prove that the question is no longer should HIV education be taught in schools, but rather how should it be taught.

    Comprehensive sex education in schools, which includes HIV and AIDS education, has often been met with resistance from some parents and educators who feel that it will encourage young adults to start having sex. However, a six-year study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System found the opposite to be true. The percentage of high school students who were sexually active decreased from 54.1% to 48.4% when they were enrolled in a comprehensive sex education class. Other critics have charged that sex education does not lead to young adults practicing safe sex. But the same study found that condom use increased from 46.2% to 56.8% among high school students enrolled in a comprehensive sex education class.

    It is naive and dangerous for parents and educators to believe that it is in the best interest of children to not inform them of the facts regarding HIV. This includes how it is transmitted, how it’s not transmitted and what steps can be taken to reduce the risk of infection. The sooner this education is started, the better. Studies have shown that young adults who receive sex education classes before they are sexually active either remain abstinent or use protection when they do start having sex. All 50 U.S states now mandate or strongly recommend that age-appropriate HIV education be taught in school.