Abstinence In Schools

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One of the many problems that teens face today is the matter of sex. How do they go about understanding this complex situation? Where will they be taught about sex? Over the years, there has been an argument of how in depth sex education classes should be in schools. Should kids only learn about abstinence or should they learn about how to have safe sex? Schools across the country face these questions every year when setting their curriculums. Well, schools should be responsible of teaching kids more than just abstinence-based sex education. Teens need comprehensive education that provides information on how to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancies. “In states such as Texas, Alabama, and South Carolina, there is an average of 66 births …show more content…
“We encourage teenagers to practice abstinence because it protects the person from selfish use,” (Helmick). This is implying that all teenagers looking to have sexual intercourse are selfish and are not thinking of their partner. This is an unfair generalization. If we expect these teens to grow up and become independent, we must begin to trust them and their decisions, and believe that they understand the implications of what they are about to do. “Encouraging young people to delay having sex is an essential element of effective school health programs,” (“Sex Ed Must Stress Value”). It is true that the delay of sexual activities should be taught, but we must also include educational options for those who do not follow through with abstinence. Curriculums must also focus on other ways of preventing unwanted pregnancies and preventing the transmission of STDs. One statistic states that “47 percent of all high school students have had sex, along with 15 percent having had four or more sexual partners…” (Marinelli). This shows that teens are just going to have sex anyways. When thinking about it, teens like to do what their elders tell them not to do. A pro-abstinence believer even stated that “teenagers will sleep around one way or another,” (Helmick). This further proves that only teaching abstinence will not get us anywhere. “Mississippi… with abstinence-only education mandated public schools, suffers from the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the country.” (Helmick). Again, the correlation between inclusive education and teenage pregnancies is quite clear. When we refuse to teach our youth about sexually based things in ways other than through abstinence, we are essentially failing them. We are setting them up for a riskier path, making them more likely to have a child as a teenager, which also makes them more likely to drop out and not receive any of the education that they
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