Comprehensive Sex Education Essay Text

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Some people believe that abstinence only education is the only kind of education that should be taught in u.s. Public schools, while others believe in the need to teach comprehensive sex education. Statistics show that teenagers do have sex, are contracting stds, and are getting pregnant. States disagree with teaching abstinence only sex education, the government has funded over a billion dollars to schools over the past ten years that have taught an abstinence only curriculum. The grand rapids press affirmed, in 2008 the bush administration gave $ 200 million to schools in the u.s. Sharyl attkisson from cbs news reported in 14 states both abstinence and contraception are taught, in 19 states only teaching abstinence is required and in 17 states the state does not specify on which sex education curriculum to teach.

Ldquo the national abstinence education association argues that comprehensive sex education in schools doesn rsquo t reduce the number of teens having sex rdquo , reported in the grand rapids press. But contrary to the national abstinence education association a study by the mathematica policy research study found that students who had received abstinence only education showed the same propensity toward having sex as students who had not been taught an abstinence only curriculum. Health officials are very concerned with the number of teenagers contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

In a study done by the center for disease control and prevention, 26% of teenage girls tested positive for one type of std and 15% of teenage girls had more than one infection. Ldquo for any other disease, we would be calling this an epidemic, rdquo said dr. Has the greatest rate of stds and in 2005, there were 19 million new cases of stds reported in the u.s.

Statistics in a 2008 florida state senate sex education bill stated, in the industrialized world, the u.s. Has the highest teen pregnancy rate, between 750,0 and 850,0 teen pregnancies a year. In 2007 the centers for disease control and prevention did a survey of the number of sexually active high school females. The results of the survey show that in 2007, 45.9% of females had sex at least once and 35.6% were currently sexually active. Another survey done in 2007 by the cdc showed that high school females during their last sexual encounter, only 54.9% used a condom and only 18.7% used birth control pills.

The march of dimes reported that teen pregnancies are more likely to result in premature newborns than women over the age of 20 who give birth. Many teen mothers are unaware that they are pregnant and engage in behaviors dangerous to the baby. Teen mothers are more likely to smoke during their pregnancy than women over the age of 25 who are pregnant. Teenage pregnancies are 20% more likely to have complications during pregnancy which may include premature labor, anemia and high blood pressure. By understanding the effects of sex and how to use contraception we can decrease the number of teen pregnancies in the u.s. Teen pregnancies not only affect the teen and their baby but can be a costly indirect effect on many americans. The florida senate reported teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases put an economic burden on the u.s.

The national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy reported that every year there is approximately 800,0 teen pregnancies in the u.s. A better understanding of the effects of sex and the use of contraception could lower the number of teen pregnancies and the medical costs that result from unsafe sex. Although some people believe that abstinence only education should be the only sex education taught in u.s.

Are having unplanned pregnancies and are contracting sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence only education is not only having direct negative effects on teenagers but also indirect effects on the economy. 5 sources consulted length: 2820 words 8.1 double spaced pages comprehensive sex ed. Abstinence only programs sexual education programs taught in high schools nationwide would be much more effective if instead of focusing exclusively on abstinence only programs, they taught a much more comprehensive program, which informed the adolescents how to be safe when it comes to dealing with sexual activities. Abstinence only programs are the widely favored programs of the past and of present time, but now more and more adults are starting to believe their children would be better educated if they were involved in a more comprehensive program, that not only emphasized the teachings of abstinence but taught their children how to be safe, and how to deal with the consequences of their sexual activities.

Each program offers a wide array of information, but taking both of those programs and putting them together, will really help teenagers deal with their sexual drive and issues. In these programs the instructor stresses why practicing abstinence is so important. Federal law mandates 'abstinence only' sex ed fundamentalists pushed stealth legislation. A congressionally mandated study of four popular abstinence only programs by the mathematica found that they were entirely ineffective. Students who participated in the programs were no more likely to abstain from sex than other students. 8 evaluations of publicly funded abstinence only programs in at least 13 states have shown no positive changes in sexual behaviors over time.

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Waxman released a report showing that 80 percent of the most popular federally funded abstinence only education programs use curricula that distort information about the effectiveness of contraceptives, misrepresent the risks of abortion, blur religion and science, treat stereotypes about girls and boys as scientific fact, and contain basic scientific errors. 11 among youth participating in virginity pledge programs, researchers found that among sexually experienced youth, 88 percent broke the pledge and had sex before marriage. Further, among all participants, once pledgers began to have sex, they had more partners in a shorter period of time and were less likely to use contraception or condoms than were their non pledging peers.

14,15 in one poll, 85 percent believed that teens should be taught about birth control and preventing pregnancy in another, seven in 10 opposed government funding for abstinence only programs. 14 in a poll of 1,0 self identified republicans and independents, 60 percent of republicans and 81 percent of independents think that public schools should teach comprehensive sex education. 16 the health and future of every adolescent is shadowed by risk of sexually transmitted infections stis , including hiv, as well as by risk of involvement in unintended pregnancy. Young people ages 15 24 contract almost half the nation’s 19 million new stis every year and the cdc estimates that one in four young women ages 15 19 has an sti.

17 experts estimate that about one young person in the united states is infected with hiv every hour of every day. 18 nearly 15 percent of the 56,0 annual new cases of hiv infections in the united states occurred in youth ages 13 through 24 in 2006. 18 african american and hispanic youth are disproportionately affected by the hiv and aids pandemic. Although only 17 percent of the adolescent population in the united states is african american, these teens experienced 69 percent of new aids cases among teens in 2006. Latinos ages 20 – 24 experienced 23 percent of new aids cases in 2006 but represented only18 percent of u.s. 18 a november 2006 study of declining pregnancy rates among teens concluded that the reduction in teen pregnancy between 1995 and 2002 was primarily the result of increased use of contraceptives. 19 however, new data from the centers for disease control and prevention’s national center for health statistics show that teen birth rates are again on the rise.

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