Purpose: This study was a descriptive research to compare the teaching status of sex education and to examine differences in understanding teaching capability for sex education between school health educators and teachers working in elementary schools. Methods: A total of 307 subjects participated in the research including 182 school health educators and 125 teachers who gave sex education in elementary schools in Busan, Korea. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analyzed with frequency, t-test and $chi^2$-test using SPSS WIN (version 10.0). Results: This study found that the school health educators carried out sex education more than the teachers, and perceived a higher level of teaching capability for sex education than the teachers when they were given four areas of sex education contents: physical and psychological development; sex and health; sex, culture and ethics; and understanding of personal relationships. In addition, a larger number of school health educators perceived that they were more qualified and more highly recognized as sex educators than the teachers. Conclusions: The results suggest that the school health educators must be more active as sex educators and that sex education should be adopted as a regular course and the school hours for sex education must be secured.