Sex Education Key to Reducing Teen Pregnancy
Imagine being in elementary or middle school and sitting in front of an adult, some posters and a video screen. You’re sitting there awkwardly and waiting to know what the big deal is. You sit there and think, “am I being punished for something?” You sit in silence or laugh and giggle with fellow students. You wonder, “am I going to find some new miraculous key to life?”
There is a great possibility that we have all been in this situation or an awkward parallel when referring to sex education. I’m sure we have all learned something life-changing in a discussion about sex education in whatever setting we received this information.
More sex education should be taught in schools. Sex education is the root of the STD and teen pregnancy issues. The types of sex education can be comprehensive, abstinence only, or a combination of the two. Sex education is defined as increasing the knowledge of the functional, structural and behavioral aspects of human reproduction. Abstinence should not be the sole form of sex education taught in public schools. Comprehensive sex education teaches contraceptive use, functional and overall sexual health. The combination form of education teaches waiting to have sex as well as contraceptive use. Abstinence only teaches not to have pre-marital sex and leaves many questions unanswered, but in most cases addresses the function of reproduction.
According to an article by the Guttmacher Institute’s “Facts on Sex Education in the United States,” six in 10 teenage women and more than five in 10 teenage men have had sex by their 18th birthday. What do the statistics say about our society? Should sex not be a personal decision that should be made after being completely informed? Is it plausible to say that most teens have misinformation about their first sexual experience? Should we only allow comprehensive sex education after teens have already had sex? Teens should be allowed to learn about sex comprehensively.
Many are opposed to comprehensive sex education for religious reasons and the idea that this type of sex education will only promote teen sex. According to an NPR article, “Sex Education in America,” only seven percent disagree with sex education in schools. Over 15 percent of people nationwide believe that abstinence-only sex education is the only way sex education should be taught. It is easy to understand that individuals with strong religious convictions don’t believe in sex before marriage. Religion also looks upon pre-marital sex as a sin, but some teens will have sex before marriage.
According to a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), titled “Teenagers in the United States: Sexual Activity, Contraceptive Use, and Childbearing,” the rate of pregnancy of women 15 to 19 in 1990 was 116 per 1000. In 2000 the rate of pregnancy of women 15 to 19 was 84.5 per 1000. The reduction of the number of pregnancies has decreased by 31.5 per 1000 in a decade. Could this decrease be contributed to more information and more sex education? Around 36 percent of people nationwide believe that abstinence is not the most important thing, responsible decisions are. Comprehensive sexual education should be the only form of sex education taught.
Health psychologist Kim Reed was asked what age sex education should be taught. “I am curious to find this out myself, and I’m not sure,” she said. The issue is coming up younger and younger, even in elementary and middle school. According to Reed, many E&H students say that during the Psychology 101 class is the first open conversation they have had about sex.
Teens should be taught comprehensive sex education. There are many worse alternatives to comprehensive sexual knowledge. Some examples of an alternative could be an STD that can’t be cured, a child who is neglected, a stressful life without much education, or a low self-esteem and self-resentment. Are any of these alternatives better? Teens should have the choice to make the best decisions possible with a complete understanding of what they are doing.
Teen pregnancy is a major issue and it can be reduced by sex education. This has been a major concern in recent years, especially to parents. Teen pregnancy is a preventable problem that has a solution: sex education. Many agree that sex education should be taught, but what information should be provided and how should it be addressed? Parents as well as students can prevent this problem by education and safe sex practices.
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