Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen

Pregnancy? 1

Does the lack of Sexual Education in school increase Teen Pregnancy?

Bailey Shaffer
Ottawa University
Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen
Pregnancy? 2

Abstract
I will be doing my research over Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase

Teen Pregnancy? I will include history of Sexual Education and following, different

points of views on this issue. Sex if a very serious activity between two or more partners,

and with young adults it is not taken seriously due to the fact that young adults do not

have the knowledge of Sex Ed. Teen pregnancy is increasing across the country and in

this society its becoming a common thing. Many teen mothers are dealt with an

ultimatum, to drop out of school and get a job to support the child or have a job and still

continue going to school. Having knowledge of Sex Ed will help benefit relationships by

being safe and understand the connection sex brings between two partners. A main reason

why Sex Ed is not allowed in schools is because, parents find it inappropriate for other

adults teaching their children this intense of a subject. As young and nave as teens are

many disagree with a lot of what our parents say, but students value a teachers opinion

more due to the fact that a teacher is supposed to teach and bring knowledge to young

adults. What most kids do not know about sex is that there are more consequences than

just pregnancy. Everyone who is sexually active is at risk of catching and STD.
Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen
Pregnancy? 3

Introduction
A big issue that faces across our country in our school districts is to whether or not to

implement Sexual Education. The controversy involving this issue is to whether or not that

sexual education increases the sexual activity which leading to teen pregnancy. There are many

ways to teach sexual education, but the two main ways that are focused on are comprehensive

and abstinence education. Comprehensive teaches children the multiple ways to prevent early

pregnancy by showing all the different kinds of birth control and also influencing abstinence,

while abstinence education just focuses on abstinence and nothing else. The goal for Sex

Education in schools is to give students the correct knowledge to protect their bodies. According

to Advocates for the Youth there are multiple reasons on why schools should have sexual

education in schools one including Provide medically accurate information about both

abstinence and also contraception, including condoms. (Advocates for the Youth).

For many centuries you see teenagers having children of their own. In those times it was

not against their norms to see a fifteen year olds having children because being that age it was

okay to be married. Today we do not accept teen pregnancy like people used too. In 2013 there

were 237,000 teenage births in the U.S this being higher than Canada and the UK. (How to Stop

Teen Pregnancies. (2015). Scientific American, 313(4), 10.)). There have been studies proving

that Sexual Education show a good results. The TPP study (Teenage Pregnancy Prevention) was

a study to see if children would have rather like learning either Comprehensive or abstinence

program. 95% of students both attended these two programs but more favored the comprehensive

program. This study shows that more students are willing to learn the protective ways of sex

rather than being taught to wait to have sex until you are married. (Oman,R.F., Merritt, B. T.,
Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen
Pregnancy? 4

Fluhr, J., & Williams, J. M. (2015.Comparing School-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Programming).According to Advocates for the Youth 80% of the curricula supported by the U.S

Department of Health and Human Services contain false information, such as false information

dealing with medical facts. Advocates for the Youth also states that no- abstinence only until

marriage has helped more teens to not participate in sex and know how to protect themselves

better than only-until marriage abstinence. (Advocates for the Youth).

In our society today in most house both parents are working, meaning children are being

left home alone a lot more than they used to. Children from twelve to fourteen years old are left

home alone. This increases sexual activity ad also crime and substance abuse. This does

reasoning does not strictly state that when a child is left alone that they are sexually active, it

only states that when children are alone it is easier for them to invite their sexual partner over

and engage in intercourse without a parent around.

With some young adults who are sexually active they are unaware of the risk and most

are affected with STIs and HIV. In the U.S STIS and HIV is rapidly increasing. Not all schools

teach this due to the lack of funding for Sexual Education or because they simply do not have the

curriculum. 25% of the young population who are sexually active are carrying sexually

transmitted diseases. (Kirby, D. (2007). Abstinence, Sex, and STD/HIV Education Programs for

Teens: Their Impact on Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy, and Sexually Transmitted Disease.) With

Sexual Education in schools we can reduce the high rate of sexually transmitted diseases by

informing students about them. Girls who are pregnant in high school are typically to drop out

and forced to work without a high school education and less likely to attend college. Mothers

who are dropping out of school are not making as much money as they would with a high school

diploma or a college degree and we see teenage mothers struggling to support their children with
Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen
Pregnancy? 5

the lack of education due to having to be forced to drop out of high school to provide for their

baby. Other problems with teen pregnancy is many parents who have kids at the ages of fifteen

and seventeen tend to be less supportive to their children and do not provide well home

environments for their kids. (Kirby, D. (2007). Abstinence, Sex, and STD/HIV Education

Programs for Teens: Their Impact on Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy, and Sexually Transmitted

Disease.)

Conclusion

Although Sexual Education has not prevented teenage pregnancy, it is making teenage

more aware of the risk they are taking when becoming sexually active. While researching

multiple studies it was never concluded that sexual education increases teen pregnancy nor

decreases it, but it is helping children have knowledge of the issue. The programs that would be

initiated and most beneficial for children is the comprehensive program. This program teaches

the safe ways to prevent pregnancy such as informing children about all the birth control that can

be use and also make them be aware of sexual transmitted diseases.

Work Cited
Running Head: Does the lack of Sexual Education in schools increase Teen
Pregnancy? 6

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Oman,R.F., Merritt, B. T., Fluhr, J., & Williams, J. M. (2015.Comparing School-Based Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Programming: Mixed Outcomes in an At-Risk State. Journal Of School
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http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications450

Grose, R. G., Grabe, S., & Kohfeldt, D. (2014). Sexual Education, Gender

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