The Pregnancy And Sexual Transmitted Disease ( Std ) Rates Among Adolescent Become Nonexistent

Studies show that the national average for an adolescent’s first sexual intercourse encounter is seventeen years old. Despite this number being very close to the average age in other industrialized countries, the United States holds a higher percentage of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) contraction than those countries (Harper et al, 2010, p. 125). It’s becoming evident that while a majority of the nation’s youth is sexually active, they are not doing so with the appropriate knowledge to keep themselves and others healthy.

Additional research has explored the effects of abstinence based programs on actual behavior outcomes. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) compared the effects of abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education programs, operationalizing effectiveness in terms of initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy rates. They found that teenagers who received comprehensive sex education rather than abstinence-only or no education were significantly less likely to report a teenage pregnancy. In addition, their conclusions mirrored Sather and Kelly (2002), finding that abstinence-based programs did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in sexual activity. Kohler, Manhart, and Lafferty (2008) actually concluded that comprehensive sex education was more likely than abstinence based to reduce the percentage engaging in sexual activity. Overall, the researchers showed that comprehensive sex education, including but not limited to contraception, did not increase the prevalence of sexual activity in teenagers or the risk of teen pregnancy, while also showing the that abstinence only education produced a higher likelihood of pregnancy.

Teens end up getting sexually transmitted diseases because they are unaware of the consequences of unprotected sex. No abstinence-only program affected the incidence of unprotected vaginal sex (The Australian). Annually 3 million teenagers contract STDs from their partner (Robert Rector). Teens who have early sex not only suffer from STDs, they also have emotional and physical damage. Research shows that young people who become sexually

Clemmitt (2010) states that currently the most effective approach to prevent teenage pregnancy is evidence-based sex education programs. The primary debate about the best method of preventing teenage pregnancy is between abstinence-only courses and comprehensive sex education. The author says that after operating comprehensive sex education, the Obama approach, many communities and county areas have drastically reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Studies and statistics suggested that abstinence-only courses have not contributed to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The author points out that the abstinence-only courses also include sexually transmitted diseases classes and discussions of unhealthy relationship and making decisions, and abstinence

Drilling into teens’ heads that sex is inherently bad will do no justice in the long run. Notwithstanding, abstinence-only programs do nothing but this, for they hold the opinion that making teenagers fear the consequences of precarious sex will prevent them from engaging in it. Advocates of both abstinence-only and comprehensive programs are worried that premature sex, even when wholly safe, will psychologically damage teenagers, but “there are no scientific data suggesting that consensual sex between adolescents is harmful”, yet abstinence-only education by itself continues to mandate the teaching that sex out of wedlock will do harm (Santelli et al. “Abstinence and abstinence-only education” 74). Unlike abstinence-only education, comprehensive sex-education attempts to focus on developing healthy mentalities for the benefit of their students. Promotion of healthy relationships between oneself and others will help make teenagers find trust between themselves and their sexual partners before participating in the act, furthermore causing them to make sure their partner does not have any STIs and is using contraception. Conversely, abstinence-only programs’ persistence with enthusiastically promoting abstinence leaves teenagers with little clue about their mental health. “Even those few individuals who remain abstinent until marriage are left

Asking about someone’s sexual history or insisting on using condoms both require much confidence. This article suggests that many adolescents are not unknowledgeable about the risks of STDs and ways to avoid them. Many adolescent feel that partners may not be cooperate with prevention strategies. Also, many adolescents do not take the proper precautions to prevent STDs because of social status and preconceived notions that someone may or may not have an STD. Having multiple sexual partners was perceived as cool for males, and this made males more desirable for females. While many females felt they would not fit in if they were not being sexually active. This information alone provides a need for teaching.

After reading Meeker’s (2004) book and reflection upon Meeker’s psychologically, spiritually, and medically concepts regarding the sexual health of our teenagers, I found Meeker’s concepts and information regarding teenagers sexual health to be, important, concrete, and truthful, which in turns is very resourceful in helping any authority figures who reads this book to be able to understand the severe realities that are teens are facing. As I read Meeker’s (2007) concepts regarding the silent epidemic of Sexually Transmitted diseases among our teenagers, one of the first thing that I wanted to learn more about current statistical rates of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in teenagers. According to Meeker (2007), our teenagers made up about

The fact that the United States does not actually require mandatory sex education is of utmost concern, seeing that places where sex education is not taught at all also experience the highest birthrates. In addition to places where sex education is not taught at all, areas in which abstinence-only education were taught also faced higher birthrates (Stanger-Hall and Hall 6). While abstinence only programs have shown no real statistical evidence of success, comprehensive sex education programs have, by combining the positives of both abstinence and information on how to engage in safe sex (Starkman and Rajani 314). In comprehensive sex education, students are taught not only how to use contraceptives properly, but also how to obtain them, as well as other aspects of practicing safe sex. Encouragingly, comprehensive sex education has shown a forty percent success rate in all of the following, “delaying the initiation of sex, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing contraceptive use.” Even more impressively, there was sixty-seven percent rate in these areas individually (Malone and Rodriguez 1). Teaching that abstinence is the only option, and providing no alternatives, leaves many teens vulnerable to engaging in unsafe sex out of pure incompetence (Starkman and Rajani 314). Despite many concerns, comprehensive sex education does not make a teenager more likely to be sexually active, and is surprisingly supported by the majority

A subject that is talked about a lot in today’s society is whether or not kids should receive sex education in public schools. With rates of teen pregnancy and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases on the rise, it is essential that school aged adolescents receive appropriate sex education courses. Though many parents across the nation believe that it is crucial to curriculum, how much they should be taught and what exactly should be taught is up for dispute. Articles such as “Abstinence and Abstinence-only Education: A Review of U.S. policies and Programs” written by John Santelli, Mary A. Ott, Maureen Lyon, Jennifer Rogers, Daniel Summers and Rebecca Schleifer and “The Impact of Abstinence and Comprehensive Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs on Adolescent Sexual Behavior” Douglas B. Kirby analyze the two types of sex education in the U.S. and their effectiveness on teens. In “Abstinence and Abstinence-only Education: A Review of U.S. policies and Programs” Santelli et al. claims that even though sex education programs that only offer abstinence-only instruction are ethically flawed, abstinence from sexual activity is efficient behavioral choice for teenagers to make. In order to support their claim, the authors focus on the federal government’s involvement on funding for these abstinence programs and the censorship of the information that they portray. In “The Impact of Abstinence and Comprehensive Sex and STD/HIV Education Programs on Adolescent Sexual Behavior,”

Programs that encourage abstinence have become a vital part of school systems in the US. These programs are usually referred to as abstinence-only or value-based programs while other programs are called as safer-sex, comprehensive, secular or abstinence-plus programs which on the contrary promote the usage of effective contraception. Although abstinence-only and safer-sex programs disagree with one another, their core values and stand on the aims of sex education is to help teens develop problem-solving skills and the skill of good decision-making. They believe that adolescents will be better prepared to “act responsibly in the heat of the moment” (Silva). Most programs that have been currently implemented in the US have seen a delay in the initiation of sex among teens which proves to be a positive and desirable outcome (Silva).

“Teaching only about abstinence is like teaching ‘a driver 's education course in which teachers show students grisly photos of traffic accidents but never tell them to stop at red lights or buckle their seat belts’" (Wagle). Sex education is often a hot topic of debate within the States, where high school teens often receive some form of sexual education. However, the quality of this information varies from state to state and even district to district. Although there are many different definitions, the one being applied here is that abstinence-based curriculum teaches that the only truly effective way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and other sex related risks is by not having sex. This includes severely limited or no information about contraceptives or ways to lessen the spread of disease. On the other hand, comprehensive sexual education includes information not found in abstinence curriculum and resources about STDs and prevention, various contraceptive methods, healthy relationships and rape, and are inclusive towards queer and trans experiences. Sex ed is an important part of education, and a comprehensive sexual education is critical in both reducing teenage pregnancies and STDs and promoting health and good choices.

About 9.5 million adolescents and young adults are diagnosed with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) each year.

Next, comprehensive sex education programs can bring more awareness and limit the spread of STDs and HPV. The high rate of young adults with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can cause long term health problems (Constantine, 2015). According to Walcott, Chenneville, and Tarquini (2011), one of every four teenagers who are sexually active has had some type of STD and HPV. The numbers of infected teenagers continue to arise as ‘hookups’ escalate as students enter college. Some people may object to comprehensive sex education and would prefer an abstinence-only program. Unfortunately, the Trenholm study discovered that students involved in abstinence-only programs had a significant gap different than those with a comprehensive sex education

The United States has one of the highest rates when it comes to teen pregnancy, and one of the highest rates of teen births. It is also a known fact that one in four teenage girls in the U.S. has a sexually transmitted infection (Richards1). In order to lower these pregnancy rates and STD rates, teens

Teen pregnancy create many social challenges, and as a result require the shared efforts of many to help provide solutions. Teen pregnancy has remained looked at as a "social problem" for many years in the United States and has always challenged ethical and moral sensibilities. The financial costs of teens giving birth are substantial, and there are many persuasive reasons to reduce the teen pregnancy. Attempts to reduce teen pregnancy are mainly focused on prevention and sex education. Now and day’s sex education programs focus on two main approaches, they are: abstinence and how to use protection. Abstinence teaches that abstaining from sexual activity is the only truly effective way to prevent unwanted pregnancy. But because most teenagers are not being abstinent they are being taught to always stay protected to protect them from diseases and unwanted pregnancy. The success of abstinence education has been overly taught according to many sociologists and