Persuasive Essay On Teen Pregnancy

Safety First Teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) have become a major issue in the United States. One reason is that many young people lack the knowledge and resources they need to protect themselves from pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, teenage mothers have stated that the education provided to them did not prepare them for the possible repercussions of unprotected sex. The result of this lack of accountability, whether in the home or at school, has aided in the rise in teen pregnancy and STDs. In order for teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Disease rates to decrease, schools must implement abstinence-plus education. In order to clearly understand this issue, one must first understand the importance of educating young people regarding the use of birth control. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “…30% of all teenage girls become pregnant before the age of 20…” (“Ineffectiveness”). This is an astonishing percentage because so many supporters of abstinence-only claim that the curriculum put in place is in fact working. All

Many educators are “making condoms available to students upon request” (“Abstinence-Only”). Teachers argue that by giving the teenager some kind of safety net to prevent the issue of teen pregnancy or STDs will ultimately help the teenager have a successful life. Researchers show that “the percentage of the 20 million sexually transmitted diseases contracted each year accounted for by people ages 15 to 24” have risen to nearly fifty percent. This astonishing number has led many officials to take a course of action to lower it. The government has continued to “allocate funds for abstinence-only programs” (“Abstinence-Only”). In recent years, President Obama has become increasingly aware of these issues therefore he supports the abstinence-plus curriculum