3283873488 1

Teenage Sexual Behavior

Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not the center of it

MJ Croan. This quote illustrates the point that only mature individuals should be having sex.

Unfortunately many teenagers that are having sex are not mature enough to handle the

consequences of unprotected sex and are not willing to practice abstinence. Although some

people may argue that teeenagers should recieve an abstinence onlysexual education,

teenagers will make better choices about their sexual behavior if they are educated in

mandatory sexual ed classes, have access/available contraception and sexual guidance

courses.

According to US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health(NCBI),

The United States ranks first among developed nations in rates of both teenage pregnancy and

sexually transmitted diseases. In an effort to reduce these rates, the U.S. government has funded

abstinence-only sex education programs for more than a decade?(NCBI). An abstinence only

education program basically tells teenagers to not have sex in order to avoid pregnancy and

sexually transmitted diseases(STDs). The programs backed by the federal government are not

effective in preventing pregnancy, otherwise we would not have such a high rate of teenage

pregnancy in the United States

Mandatory sexual ed classes should be tought in every state in America. 24 states and

the District of Columbia require public schools teach sex education .35 states and the District of

Columbia allow parents to opt-out on behalf of their children.Not a lot of states require sexual ed

classes, for that reason there has been an increase in the pregnancy rate. Their is a lot of the

unknown when their is less sexual ed classes that is taught in the U.S. children could come out
 3283873488 2

with a disease from their mother. It will help them protect their overall health. Data shows that

nearly 70 percent of u.s teenagers have had sex by the age of 19. All young people have the right

to sexual health information so that they can take personal responsibility for their health and well

being. If kids are out there having oral sex, they really need to know that doing so without

protection can be life-altering. Sex ed classes does not stop teenagers from having sex but it does

teach them how to do it safely. One of the biggest problems with abstinence is it denies teenagers

the chance to learn about acceptable options other than abstinence. In 2005 nearly 47 percent of

high school students had had sex at least once. It has been increasing as of today. It is clearly

important to teach teens how to make decisions that protect both their bodies and their minds.

Sexual activity has consequences. Roughly one in four girls will become pregnant at least once

by their 20th birthday. Teenage mothers are less likely to finish high school and are more likely

than their peers to live in poverty, depend on public assistance, and be in poor health. Thirty

percent of all teenage girls who drop out of school cite pregnancy and parenthood as key

reasons. Rates among Hispanic (36 percent) and African American (38 percent) girls are

higher.

Availability of contraception is one of the biggest downfalls today. Couples who do not

use any method of contraception have an approximately 85 percent chance of experiencing a

pregnancy over the course of a year. Its about 15 different methods to prevent pregnancy and

make the rate of pregnancy go down. To prevent ovulation there is a birth control pill that you

could take that has been the most commonly used method since 1982.. That does not stop you

from contracting STDs. Approximately 24 percent of new HIV diagnoses were young people

ages 13 to 24. There are condoms that prevents you from having any kind of transmitted

infection. 5.7 million women rely on the male condom. You should use condoms to protect both

your sexual health and that of your partner, no matter what the other contraception you're using
 3283873488 3

to prevent pregnancy. There is an implant that only 1 percent of women use that is another form

of birth control . That stops you from getting pregnant for 5 years so that if she makes the

mistake of having sex there would be a low chance of her getting pregnant. Studies show that

women on birth control are likely to not get pregnant then others who are not on any use

of protection. The best way to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy among women

who are sexually active is to use effective birth control correctly and consistently. the

contraceptive implant remain highly effective for years once correctly in place.

Contraceptive use is greater when more activities are available to a large portion of the

population. The odds of becoming a teen mother were twice as high for teenagers who did not

use a contraceptive method at first sex as for those who did use a method. When used correctly,

modern contraceptives are very effective at preventing pregnancy.

Teenagers should practice abstinence for reasons of not wanting pregnancy, sexual

transmitted diseases, or religious values. Abstinence should be practiced teenage pregnancy is a

big issue right now including sexual transmitted diseases. Sometimes teengaers get pressured

from their friends or they want to do it because they see it off of social media. If teenagers

practice abstinence the good in that is teenagers not having sexual transmitted diseases,

unplanned pregnancy at a young age. People believe that using condoms sends mixed signals for

promoting sex. Comprehensive sex and/or STD education that includes abstinence as a desired

behavior was correlated with the lowest teen pregnancy rates across states National institutes of

health believe HIV/STD should be taught as part of the biology curriculum in middle and high

school science classes. along with a social studies curriculum that addresses risk-aversion

behaviors and planning for the future. Lets say using condoms does send mixed signals of

wanting sex at least they will know instead of wanting the unknown which is pregnancy. If
 3283873488 4

teengaers knew the risk of having sex unprotected they will probably want to wait until they are

married. If teenagers didnt know the risk of having sex they would be putting themselves in

even more danger just because their parents were too scared of running the risk of teenage sexual

acts. Now you're spending time trying to figure out how to get help if your daughter gets

pregnant she has to know the risk of catching diseases. There is strong and widespread support of

teaching sexual abstinence to American teens. Teens who delay sexual activity are more likely to

have stable and enduring marriages as adults.

Teenagers that actually want to wait to have sex is a vast percentage over those that

ended up waiting which is only rated at 2.18%. Teens who disapproved of teen sex (41.13%) was
 3283873488 5

greater than those that had sex (2.18%), yet still less than those that wanted to wait (56.74%).

This evidence shows that teenagers have a greater chance of practicing abstinence.

Teenagers will make better choices about their sexual behavior if they are educated.

Education is always the key to making better choices. If teens know what they are getting into

then their would be a greater chance of them waiting till marriage. If teens just have sex without

knowing the consequences teens will wished that they had waited. Learning to freely discuss

contraception and condoms, as well as activities they are not ready for, protects young people's

health throughout their life. Comprehensive sexual health education teaches abstinence

as the only 100 percent effective method of preventing HIV, STIs, and unintended

pregnancy. Dozens of sex education programs have been proven effective at helping

young people delay sex or have sex less often. Good sexual health implies not only the

absence of disease, but the ability to understand and weigh the risks, responsibilities,

outcomes, and impacts of sexual actions, to be knowledgeable of and comfortable with

one's body, and to be free from exploitation. Young people have a need and a right to

know about their bodies and to be educated and informed about their sexual health.

They face many social, political, and community barriers to receiving and gaining

access to the right information. The consequences of not talking about sex, however,

can be severe. The FHI showed evidence from the u.s and other countries that show

that sex education can reduce the amount of behaviors that teenagers take that put

them at risk for unintentional pregnancies. If teens understood the risk of being sexually

active would most likely decrease the chances of teens taking risk of having sex.

communities that lack sufficient employment and educational opportunities, access to

providers and medical services, and overall social disintegration are associated with
 3283873488 6

higher sexual risk taking. Helping young people establish healthy relationships and

communication with their peers and partners, to be mutually respectful of one another,

and to support greater equity in relationships and sexual decision making can make a

difference in health outcomes. Studies show that programs that provide direct

counseling and role models for boys can delay the onset of sexual activity, lead to

effective use of birth control, and involve fathers in effective fatherhood practices . social

workers have the opportunity to bring to bear more contemporary understanding of

youth sexual behavior and subsequent outcomes.Sex can change your life and

relationships. Having sex may affect the way you feel about yourself or how others

feel about you.

Works Cited

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/29/opinion/martin-sex-education/
 3283873488 7

http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/409-the-truth-about-abstinence-

only-programs

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3194801/
nih.gov/pmc(/www.ncbi.nlm./articles)