Sex and passion: Karen Beale’s dedication to sex education

The state of Tennessee does not require the implementation of sex education in schools unless the teen pregnancy rate surpasses 19.5/1000 girls, ages 15-17, in a given county, meaning many Tennesseans never receive any kind of sex education. 

About 50% of all high school students have sexual intercourse before they graduate high school, but are not given any education regarding sex. 

MC Professor of Behavioral Sciences, Karen Beale, seeks to emphasize the importance of sex education. She was not given any sex education in high school herself, ultimately obtaining knowledge from TV, movies and friends, which she says are not good sources. However, many adolescents without access to sex education learn in this way. 

Beale said that one root of her passion for sex education was the fact that when she started at Maryville College, she noticed how many students from the area, or surrounding areas, also had not received any sex education. She described Tennessee’s approach to sex education as incomprehensive.

“They provide abstinence-only sex education. Meaning they don’t teach anything about contraceptives or safer sex practices. They also don’t talk about sexual development, sexual identities or gender diversity,” Beale said. 

Ultimately, in that form of sex education, students will find other unreliable sources of information. The “abstinence only” way of teaching sex education, as Beale explained, merely fills students with shame and fear. 

This can lead to many unfortunate consequences. In Tennessee and surrounding states, often referred to as the “Bible Belt,” there are higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, compared to areas with better sex education. Additionally, there are increased rates of teen pregnancy. 

“Tennessee also does not require the people teaching these courses to be certified in anything. In fact, you can teach sexual health without ever having a class in it or even reading a single book. So, when you don’t know how to do it, let alone do it well, you can easily instill shame in students, and then you will be the last place they come for information,” said Beale. 

Beale holds a certification from the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT), among other sex certifications. She is also president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS), a journal on sex research. The SSSS, as Beale explained, is one of the first and most respected sex research organizations. 

Beale applies her knowledge and ability as an educator to provide the best possible education for Maryville College students. 

Recently, she put up diagrams of the male and female reproductive systems in the halls of Sutton. There have been mixed reactions regarding the posters; however, Beale looks to educate as much as possible. 

Beale said that she has seen students snicker at the posters and that she is aware of people who disapprove of her teachings regarding sex education. She discussed how these reactions could be shocking to people, given a lack of sex education previously.

Beale said, “if people are locals from Tennessee or the surrounding areas, the shock they experience makes sense.”

She also discussed the attacks on sex education recently as a whole. 

“Even though I feel supported in general, we live in a very conservative area of the country and are now living in a time where anyone who teaches about sexuality and diversity is being targeted. Some people are losing their funding and some are losing their jobs. It is frightening,” she said.

Despite this, Beale emphasized how supported she feels at Maryville College. 

“I feel tremendous support from my chair, from the academic dean and from the [college’s] president. All of them are believers in academic freedom and I believe that they also trust me personally,” she said. 

Due to the college’s support, she has been able to do many things to help provide students with an outstanding education. 

Beale received an Appalachian College Association grant to study sex education in the Netherlands. She has used that grant to set up travel study courses for students. In 2022, she took a group of students to the Netherlands, and plans to take another group soon. 

Beale says she wants to show an abundance of care for Maryville College students and their education in all of what she does. She has even received a certificate in life coaching to better mentor her advisees. 

“Maryville College students deserve the best we can give and I strive to be that,” said Beale. 

Many students at Maryville College feel lucky and grateful to have Beale as a part of the community. A professor and mentor who cares with such passion and dedication allows students to grow and learn with purpose.