Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Teenage pregnancy prevention as a society
Advantages of sex education for teens
Importance of gender education among teenagers
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Teenage pregnancy prevention as a society
Another leading cause of teen pregnancy is uneducated youths. The debate over abstinence versus contraceptives has been battled over for the past few years. This debate is making teens become uneducated on the prevention of teen pregnancy. The sex-education policy has changed due to new presidents being in office. According to Clemmitt, “in 2009, the Obama administration ended the Bush administration policy to federally fund only sex-education programs with abstinence as the primary focus” (1). The main goal of this program is to prevent teen pregnancy with the use of abstinence. Clemmitt states, “Abstinence education began receiving federal funding as far back as 1982, in the Adolescent Family Life Act, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, which promoted abstinence and disciplined decision-making among pregnant teen and teen parents” (11). The …show more content…
issue with abstinence until marriage program is that the teens are not likely to wait until they are married to have sex. Frank F. Furstenberg states, “Thus, “the true problem for abstinence-only approach is that it’s very hard to get teens to go four or five years” to abstain from sex” (qtd. in Clemmitt 3). Another issue for abstinence-only programs is the lack of knowledge about sex. Teens are taught that the safest sex is no sex at all, but they are not taught about contraceptives and birth control when deciding to have sex. This leads to the conflict of teens being uneducated about contraceptives. According to Bill Albert, “Federal funding for sex education has undergone a sea of change in the past six to eight months” (qtd.
in Clemmitt 3). These polices have somewhat contributed to the reason why the youths are uneducated. Albert also states, “Now the administration and Congress are saying that in the abstinence versus contraceptive-information battle, we are landing squarely on the side of science,” (qtd. in.Clemmitt 3). As a result, contraceptives are proving to be more effective. Furstenberg comments, “Biology dictates that most “teens are going to be sexual” at some point” (qtd. in.Clemmitt 3). Since teens are going to be sexual and are not being educated about contraceptives, the rate for pregnancy sky rockets. According to Lagana and Hayes, “Opponents of abstinence-only education argue that such programs may increase reluctance to use contraception, which could lead to increased pregnancies among those who do chose to become sexually active ” (Williams et.al 1). Many parents believe that abstinence-only classes will not teach their teens what they need to know if they do decide to have
intercourse.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a growing concern within the United States. This paper discusses what NAS is and the effects it has on the newborn infant. If first discusses the incidence of NAS as regard to maternal age, race, and ethnicity. It explains the types of drugs most commonly associated with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. However, I have excluded alcohol from this paper because it results in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This paper will then explain the types of physical symptoms associated with NAS for the full-term and premature infant. It discusses the different classes of drugs and the unique symptoms newborns experience with each. Furthermore, it discusses the long-term cognitive and behavioral effects that newborns can experience as they grow. In addition, this paper discusses how Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is diagnosed and the how the Finnegan neonatal scoring system is used to help physicians determine the severity of NAS in each newborn. Lastly, this paper explains the treatment for NAS and the important roles of the nurse when caring for a newborn with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
"Teen Pregnancy Prevention Focusing on Evidence: Ineffective Abstinence-Only Lessons Being Replaced with Science." The Nation's Health Apr. 2010: 1+. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 Apr. 2012.
It has been almost thirty three years since the first federal funding was put to use in “. . . sex education programs that promote abstinence-only-until-marriage to the exclusion of all other approaches . . .” according to the article “Sex education” (2010) published by “Opposing Viewpoints in Context;” a website that specializes in covering social issues. Since then a muddy controversy has arisen over whether that is the best approach. On one hand is the traditional approach of abstinence (not having sex before marriage), and on the other is the idea that what is being done is not enough, and that there needs to be a more comprehensive approach. This entails not only warning against sex, but also teaching teens about how to have “Safe Sex” (“Sex Education,” 2010).
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
Imagine in today in America’s hyper-sexualized society, not being provided with any knowledge about contraception or sex education. Before Margaret Sanger’s activism, most women were in this position of oblivion about their own bodies. In “Morality of Birth Control”, Sanger argues effectively for the legalization and acceptance of both birth control and sex education using ethos, pathos, and logos to strengthen her argument.
In the article, “More Schools to Teach Abstinence-Plus,” as seen on page A21A of the September 16, 2011 issue, author Morgan Smith tells her readers about new programs being introduced in West Texas to tech teenagers about not only abstinence, but additional how to practice safe sex. The article explains how teenage pregnancy rates in West Texas continue to spike despite the effort to push abstinence on teens. It explains in detail of a new sexual education program where teens are encouraged to choose abstinence but are educated in effective contraception as well. It covers schools in Midland, Texas and how endeavor to switch policy’s is embraced by the majority of community members as an active approach to decrease teen pregnancy. (Smith 1)
The logic for taking action sooner than later is powerful. There will be no need for a Plan B one step pill. Teens that are having sex will need to use prescribed contraceptive, condoms or just don’t have sex at all. The morning-after pill has a higher dose of the female hormone progestin than is in regular birth control pills. Taking it within 72 hours of rape, condom failure or just forgetting regular contraception can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89%, but it works best within the first 24 hours.
Individuals often are uninformed of the effect that can come from unprotected sexual activity, many feel that information on this is penetrated into their mind to cause them to fear the image and thoughts that are associated because of their impurity. This topic should be discussed with a professional so that society is informed with the consequences of casual encounters, health educators are there to help promote safe sex,they also contribute with detecting and giving information to others on the various ways of abuse. Teenagers in this era have a different way of thinking that differs from previous generations they are now well informed of the effects of having unsafe sex, they are now more in the loop of all the thing that can happen from pregnancy, to aids and herpes.This paper will tell of a career as a Health Educator, and the variety of information they contribute to society, especially the youth of today. This will also further examine the variety of schools and programs that can help in molding of a successful Health Educator.
Office of Adolescent Health), there is still plenty to be done about sex education and youth pregnancy prevention in this country. Part of the cause of this is the fact that much of sex education in this country provides little to no information about birth control, condoms, and things of that nature. Because of this, in places like Texas, where 75% of the sex education is abstinence-only (Web. Sex Education in Texas Public Schools), there was a 30-39% teen birth rate (Web. Office of Adolescent Health). This shows that despite the abstinence-only education students are getting in school, they still need to know how to have safe sex, because they are clearly still having
The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed countries. That’s pretty scary being compared to China and other developed countries with higher populations and still having the highest pregnancy rate. Schools need to start programs that encourage abstinence, and show or list the consequences of being sexually active. “They are not taught the importance of abstaining from sex nor, at the very least, the proper use of effective birth control and protection from sexually transmitted diseases” (Johnson). And the problem that occurs with this is that the parents or family that interact with the teenagers are no more educated than the teenager themselves.
Teaching our young teens to abstain from sex until marriage seems hopelessly obsolescent when television and other media are repetitively reinforcing the widespread notion that promiscuity is acceptable because “everyone is doing it.” (Seagren, 2002). So to teach anything but abstinence is crazy. Comprehensive sexual education is sending teens mixed messages at best and at worst it is unknowingly condones promiscuity. It is does not set a clear understanding of what the consequences are for premarital sex. Comprehensive sexual education is proven affective in the decrease of teenage pregnancy but at the same time it is encouraging the teens to engage in premarital sex, which most of the teens are really not ready
During the abstinence exercises for my Addiction Recovery and Social Work Practice course, I learned how to mentally abstain from my desires. During the weeks of abstaining, I decided to abstain from sodas, sex, cigarettes, and social media in order to understand the equivalence of individuals who have an addiction for drugs or alcohol. While abstaining from my desires, I found healthier ways, and activities to keep me focus on the assignment; for example, during my social media exercise, I decided to stay away from all social networks and spend time with family, and going on dates to work on my communication skills. Overall, the learning experience for the abstinence exercise has taught me that I have more mental power than I expected and
In the article, "Society Should Encourage Teens to Postpone Sex Until Marriage," Joseph Perkins argues that in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, teen should be taught to abstain from sex, rather than be taught about condoms and other forms of birth control. Perkins also suggests that, "sexual activity… outside of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects." Perkins also points out that since more abstinence-only programs have been introduced, "teen-age pregnancies, abortions, and births have fallen. Perkins sets out in this article to advise adults that if they convey the message that premarital sex is wrong, that teens are more likely to listen.
The government likes to pretend that if high school students get taught the “abstinence-only” method they would never think of taking part in sexual activities. Statistically this is incorrect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “56 percent of high school students are virgins”(Martin). For the 56 percent abstinence only is doing them well, but there are still 44 percent of high school students engaging in sex without knowing the precau...
...rograms would prefer the youth to be mature enough to understand why their bodies are important and the consequences of sexual relations. Both can prevent teen pregnancies and diseases, but it depends on the individual and their values. However, the National Library of Medicine found, through observation and research, that “there was a positive correlation between abstinence program and teen pregnancy. In fact, teens that were taught abstinence only were more likely to become pregnant than those who were taught sex education.”