Like Claire’s high school, most schools only teach a short sex education unit with a focus on abstinence in their health class, so students are only being taught very briefly about sex and diseases. However, they need to be in a comprehensive sex education class. This way they can learn about their body’s health and about being sexually active so when they do decide to be sexually active, whether they wait till marriage or not, they will be prepared.
Comprehensive sex education is more effective than abstinence-only because it teaches a broader and more in depth view about health and sex, it does not infringe upon human rights, and it teaches students about the consequences and struggles of being sexually active. Abstinence-only education encourages students not to be sexually active, therefore lowering teen birth rates. People who support abstinence believe that it is the morally right thing to do and think that everyone should wait until marriage before becoming sexually active.
Another reason the abstinence-only method is taught in many schools is because it is less awkward for teachers and students. Talking in depth about sex might make both students and teachers feel uncomfortable. Supporters also claim that the abstinence-only method makes it less likely that teens will have sex. In an article featured in Consumer Health Complete titled “Sex Ed Does Delay Teen Sex: CDC,” author Madeline Vann states: Formal programs–such as those presented in schools and church groups– did appear to delay onset sexual activity.
For example, teen girls in the nationally representative sample were 59 percent less likely to start having sex before age 15 if they had received sex education, while teen boys were 71 percent less likely, the study found. (3. 1) Teaching abstinence to students lowers the risk of diseases and pregnancies. It teaches students how to say no, which is a very important skill to master in life. Even though abstinence-only sex education is better than no sex-education at all, the comprehensive sex education method is the more effective way of teaching about sex because it offers a broader and more in depth view of both sex and health.
Comprehensive sex education covers many different topics about sex and health, so it will prepare students for all possibilities. Although the comprehensive method still informs teens about the importance of abstinence, it also educates them on other aspects of sex such as how to protect themselves, how to use a condom, and the risks that come along with being sexually active. It is great to teach young people that abstinence is important and is the best way to avoid getting pregnant. However, we cannot assume that all teens will choose to stay abstinent, so we need to educate them on sex and all the risks that come with it.
Comprehensive sex education goes in-depth about how to have safe sex, but giving students the information they want can also lead to adolescents remaining abstinent. In a magazine article featured in Human Rights titled “Rights to Health Information,” author Leslie Kantor states, “Studies have shown that comprehensive method helped adolescents to wait until they are older to begin having sex, to use condoms and birth control when they do have sex, and to limit the number of partners or frequency of sexual activity. (4. 9) This method will help students to understand that they should wait and not rush into being sexually active. It should hopefully make them feel more grown up and mature enough that the decision is theirs to make. Then, no matter when students choose to become sexually active, they will hopefully make the right decision. Until then, even people who wait until marriage to have sex may need to know how to use birth control, recognize an STI, or advise a friend on one of those issues (Magoon 57; 8. 3).
In other words, being knowledgeable about sex can be beneficial even if a person is not sexually active. Teens are most likely going to be sexually active no matter what has been taught and the abstinence-only education method might cause the people who are or who have been sexually active to feel left out. These teens who are currently sexually active or who have been sexually active in the past “should not be made to feel bad about the sexual decisions they make” (Magoon 62; 8. 6), even if their choices do not align with the sex education teacher’s personal beliefs.
Teachers need to inform their students about all possibilities because in the end, it is going to be up to the student to decide whether or not to be sexually active. Pounding into their head that abstinence is the only way is not going to change every student’s mind. Teens need to be educated on how to protect themselves and all the different types of contraceptives that are available; they also need to know where they can get contraceptives and birth control. Both of these issues are discussed openly in comprehensive sex education classes.
Giving students knowledge about the options they have regarding birth control makes it more likely that they will engage in safe sexual behaviors when they do decide to become sexually active. This is opposite of students who are taught abstinence-only methods and later choose to become sexually active as “. . . youth that do have sex are more likely to engage in unsafe sex if they have only been taught abstinence” (Magoon 65; 8. 8). Opponents of abstinence-only fear not only that teens will not use protection but that abstinence-only will lead students to early marriages which have a higher chance of ending in divorce.
Because the comprehensive method focuses on discussing sex and birth control in broader and more in-depth terms, it has been proven to lead to fewer teen pregnancies and increase contraceptive use. In an article by Planned Parenthood titled “Reducing Teenage Pregnancy,” it states “The best and most effective sex education program would combine medically accurate information on a variety of sexually-related issues, including abstinence, contraception, safer sex, risks of unprotected intercourse and how to avoid them, developmental communications, negotiation, and refusal skills” (Reducing Teenage Pregnancy 1. ). Therefore, this is why the comprehensive method is better. The abstinence-only method focuses on making sure students know that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy and diseases whereas the comprehensive method discusses that abstinence is important but also teaches students about being sexually active. “Researchers of comprehensive sex education program have found that 43% of the programs resulted in increased condom use and 40% increased contraceptive use” (Kirby 155; 6. 9).
Making sure students know the correct way to use contraceptives and how it is important to always use them is something that should be taught in every sex education class. Increased use of contraception accounts for 86% of the recent decline in teenage pregnancy (Reducing Teenage Pregnancy 1. 7). Therefore, it is beneficial to teach students about different types of contraceptives as well as how to properly use contraceptives. Comprehensive sex education does not infringe upon human rights whereas abstinence-only education does take away certain rights.
Abstinence-only programs violate numerous human rights and ethical principles as these programs both prevent young people from receiving critical, perhaps life-saving, information and put teachers and health educators in ethically challenging positions of withholding scientific knowledge. (Kantor 4. 3). It is a human right for people to know about their body’s health, and prohibiting discussion of comprehensive sex education has resulted in students learning less about their bodies than in the past. They do not learn about pregnancy or STD prevention (Kantor 4. ), two things that are necessary for young people to learn about so they can be prepared for the future.
Whether they have a child or not, they might need to help someone they know who is pregnant. It does not hurt anyone to be knowledgeable about sex education. Abstinence-only education skips over not only pregnancy and diseases but also other essential parts of sex education. Abstinence-only programs just assume that their students have not yet been sexually active, but this is highly untrue. Some students have made the choice to be sexually active but others have been forced to. Abstinence-only programs tend to completely overlook the issue of sexual abuse and make blanket statements about any sexual behavior prior to marriage, perhaps leading to particular upset for those that have had involuntary experiences” (Kantor 4. 6). This is not fair to those people who have been involved in involuntary experiences; it is actually cruel for them to be taught abstinence-only and to be completely left out. Students need to be taught medically accurate information instead of information that is distorted for political purposes.
In U. S. News & World Report in an article titled “A Debate About Teaching Abstinence” author Deborah Kotz explains that “Federal Law mandates that to receive funding, programs must teach that abstinence is the “only certain way” to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy” (2. 3). This is causing educators to focus only on limitations of birth control, for example; condoms fail 15% of the time. Because of these funding requirements, most teens receive formal sex education on how to say no rather than on contraception methods (Reducing Teenage Pregnancy 1. 3).
This is sad because n a poll of teens, only 36 percent say they know “a lot” or “everything” about birth control pills and how to use them and 36 percent say they know only a “a little” or “nothing” about condoms (Albert qtd. in “Reducing Teenage Pregnancy” 1. 5). No wonder the United States is experiencing so many teen pregnancies. We expect teens to not have sex and to do as they are told, so we decide not to teach them about contraceptives. However, we know that teens like to rebel and not do as they are told; therefore, they have unprotected sex, which can lead to pregnancy.
Students need to be taught medically accurate information so they can be well informed about the consequences of being sexually active, such as contracting diseases and infections, that students will not have the opportunity to learn about in an abstinence-only setting. In a book titled SEX: A Book for Teens. An Uncensored Guide to Your Body, Sex, and Safety written by Nikol Hasler, she shows her opinion by saying students should be informed about the different ways diseases are spread. They also should know where and how often to get tested (110; 7. ).
People who are sexually active should get tested at least once per year. Even if they are practicing safe sex, they should still be tested. If a person notices any symptoms of a disease, they should get tested immediately. Students who are taking a comprehensive sex education class will be informed about these diseases so they will be more prepared for the future and certain situations. Aside from the possible contraction of an STD, teens who are sexually active also risk becoming a teen parent.
If this would happen, teens should be educated about the struggles of being teenage parents and what affect it has on their children. The negatives outweigh the positives when being a teenage parent. Teens are more likely to experience problems when giving birth (Reducing Teenage Pregnancy 1. 1). They are also less likely to complete high school and less likely to attend college (Kirby 144; 6. 2). Without education, a person will most likely not have a higher paying job; consequently, they will not be able to support their child. So it is not only ruining a person’s future but also ruining their children’s.
Children born to parents ages 15-17 are more likely to have less supportive home environments, worse educational outcomes, and higher rates of behavior problems (Kirby 144; 6. 3). That being said, it is best to avoid becoming sexually active until a person is ready to support another human being. Yes, abstinence is the best way to avoid pregnancy and STDs, but teens should also be educated on other contraceptives and precautions. There are many different types and uses for birth control and teens should use the type that works best for them and their body.
Teen access to birth control does not increase rates of sexual activity and helps reduce pregnancy and STDs (Reducing Teenage Pregnancy 1. 9 & 1. 8). When teens do not know about preventing STDs, however, they “. . . do not carefully and consistently use contraceptives, thereby exposing themselves to risks of pregnancy or STD’s” (Kirby 147; 6. 4). If students are enrolled in an abstinence-only sex education class then they will not understand the importance of using contraceptives, thus making comprehensive sex education the better alternative.