High Teen Pregnancy Rate: Comprehensive Sex Education at Fault?

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Recommended: Prevention strategies to eradicate the occurrence of teenage pregnancy

In May 2006 the silence cries of Kaylib Neal began to fill the delivery room as young Kizzy Neal slightly tilts her head with the energy she has left to take a glace at her new son. Although this moment is one of the happiest times of Kizzys life, she still wishes she could have waited to experience this moment at a later time in her life. At the age of only thirteen, Kizzy is one among the thousands of teenage girls who become pregnant each year in the United States. According to The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 34% percent of young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20. Eight in ten of these teen pregnancies are unintended and 79% are to unmarried teens. There are many preliminary causes for such a high In Kizzy’s case, the blame is put on the lack of sexual education within her school. She claims that because she did not received adequate information on this subject, she was unaware of what she was getting herself into. The question is: will the opportunity to experience sex education classes make a difference in preventing teen pregnancy? Sexual education, in a broad sense, is a series of courses taken by adolescents throughout their school years in order gain a better understanding of aspects that pertain to sexual activity. Beginning as early as third grade, the students learn what sex is, what its consequences are and how to prevent those consequences. Being of the main consequences of engaging in sexual activity, Teen Pregnancy is commonly spoken about within these classes. Given that teens are being informed of this consequences within accurate sex ed. Classes, providing comprehensive classes in a school environment does not cause an increase in teen pregnancy. One of the... ... middle of paper ... ...wpoints Resource Center. Gale. Peoria High School. Print. 16 Sep. 2011. Santos, Fernanda, and Anna M. Phillips. "New York City Will Mandate Sex Education." New York Times. 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. "Statistics on Teen Sexual Activity” Pregnantteenhelp.org. American Psychological Association, 23 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. "Sex Ed Can Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy." Washingtonpost.com. University of Washington in Seattle, 19 Mar. 2008. Web. 19 Sept. 2011. “Sex Education Promotes Teen Pregnancy.” Jacqueline R. Kasun. At Issue: Sex Education. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Stein, Rob. "Teen Birth Rate Hits Historic Low." Washingtonpost.com. 2 Feb. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2011 "Teen Pregnancy Statistics and Teen Pregnancy Facts." Family First Aid. The National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004. Web. 16 Sept. 2011.

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