The Significance of Teaching Students About Birth Control to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Three out of ten teenage American girls will become pregnant at least once before the age of twenty, (“11 Facts about Teen Pregnancy”) From elementary school to high school, adolescents are taught sexual education. They learn everything from how babies are made to STDs, Many fortunate students are taught about contraceptives and how to protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs, but some are hidden in the shadows and taught to only be abstinent. Even though some people may say that students should be taught abstinence only programs to delay initiation of sexual activity and will reduce teen pregnancy, students should be taught about contraceptives because it is necessary for teenagers to know how to protect themselves, and contraceptives should be even be easier for teenagers to buy, Firstly, Teens are led to feel that sex is something not to be talked about. Students will never learn from something they are not supposed to speak about.

Parents should speak up and give their students the education on intercourse that their will need, even though this is quite an awkward situation. Some parents may feel that they will make their child want to have sex if the talk about it. An author from WebMD writes, “Studies show that teens who have discussed sex with their parents are more likely to wait longer to begin having sex and more likely to use contraception when they do” ("Talking to Your Kids About Sex") It is necessary for parents to try to be comfortable talking about sex, and students should ask their parents and teacher questions they have about intercourse. Cybill Shepherd once said, “I know you are going to be embarrassed We're all embarrassed by it, but to hide the embarrassment... silence has never protected women or helped them. We need to talk about it more with our, you know - whoever - our friends, our family.” (Shepherd)

Even though it may be a little embarrassing, teen and parents need to talk about sex. Mississippi has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the United States. One author from Think Progress wrote, “Mississippi does not require sex education in schools, but when it is taught, abstinence-only education is the state standard" (Peterson-Beadle) This directly proves that an abstinence only program does not make students suddenly want to never have sex. States should allow students to know everything having to do with intercourse. Parents should also take action and educated teens themselves about contraceptives and sex in general, Additionally, rnost curriculurns of abstinence only programs include a virginity pledget Students who take this pledge promise to not have sex before they are married.

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Teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex. (Boonstra) Over sixty percent of teens who take virginity pledges will break that pledge before getLing married. ("Why Virginity Pledges Don't Work") This completely proves the fact that no matter what teens will have intercourse if they so choose to. Also, teens who take these pledges are one-third less like to use a form of birth control when they become sexually active (“The Truth About Abstinence-Only Programs”) Also, students should be able to easily get birth control. Every year, about eighty-five of one hundred couples conceived when not using any form of contraceptives, but this number dramatically drops when couples use a condom while having intercourse, Only fifteen of a hundred couples become pregnant while using this form of birth controlt (Hirsch) Teenagers often do not buy birth control because it is hard to access or it is too expensive.

If they had an easier way to access these contraceptives, then it will be less likely for them to become pregnant or receive a STDt Some organizations and states are attempting to give teens a free and easy access to birth control. In Washington state, they have made it easier for residents to get free birth control. ("TEENS: Take Charge with FREE Birth Control") Parents may be afraid that by making contraceptives easier to receive, then their child may begin having sex. An author from Judy Molland writes, “Just as the lack of access to birth control does not stop kids from having sex, neither does the ability to obtain contraception mean that they will start having sex. We should give our young people some credit here!” Teenangers who are going to begin being sexually active should have access to birth control, and it will not cause students who want to be abstinent to have intercourse. Firstly, some people may believe that abstinence only programs are the cause for the recent decrease of teenage pregnancy.

This is untrue because this decline is mainly due to the improved use of birth control among teens. An author from Advocates for Youth wrote, “A new study showed that improved contraceptive use is responsible for 86 percent of the decline in the US, adolescent pregnancy rate between 1995 and 2002,” (”The Truth About Abstinence»0nly Programs"). Teenagers will most likely never stop having sex before they are married and even before they are eighteen By educating them how to correctly use birth control, teenage girls will be less likely to become pregnant, Secondly, some people may believe that parents want their children to be taught abstinence only programs “Only fifteen percent of American adults believe that schools should teach abstinence from sexual intercourse and should not provide information on how to obtain and use condoms and other contraception “, said one author from Advocates for Youth.

Also, almost all parents want their youth to be educated on STls, HIV/AIDS, how “babies are made“, how [0 be tested for HIV and STls, and how to correctly put on a condom ( "The Truth About Abstinence—Only Programs”) This type of sexual education is essential for their students life, and parents usually recognize that. Many parents remember what was going through their head during their teenage years, and they want their children to be more educated than they ever were Thirdly, some people may say that students do not need to learn about condom because they have a high failure rate with preventing pregnancy, “When a couple uses condoms consistently and correctly at every act of vaginal intercourse, a woman‘s chance of becoming pregnant within one year is less than three percent.”

Most couples will not use condoms one hundred percent correctly, so this percentage of the chance of becoming pregnant goes up to from three to an average of fifteen percent Comparing this to the eighty» five percent chance of becoming pregnant afterjust one year over being sexually active, someone could well see which is the better choice. ("The Truth About Abstinence-Only Programs") Condoms are an easy accessible form of birth control that teenagers should be well educated on. Students may not appreciate it now, but sexual education is one of the most important things they will learn in school. It is necessary for them to learn about contraceptives, STDs and many other subjects. Parent and teachers should never keep their children in the dark about sexual education, Even though some people believe students should learn a abstinence only program in school, teenagers should be given the education on cranceptives and other subjects not on the abstinence-only curriculum because they need to know how to protect themselves

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