Persuasive Essay On Abstinence-Only

“Abstinence-Only?”, More Like “Accidents-Only” Sex ed. A phrase would make most middle schoolers cringe or giggle, and most high school students groan. Whether it was looking at diagrams of reproductive organs, reading about people who regret having sex before marriage, or watching slideshows with pictures of various genitals laden with disease, most sex education seemed disgusting and terrifying to students. Worst of all, much of it was incorrect. In reality, a shocking amount of sex education taught to students is misleading and untrue in many cases. This leads to problems such as STIs, STDs, and teen pregnancy which could possibly be avoided if students had been properly taught how to do so. After conducting a survey on anal sex experience

For this to happen, the federal government would have to make laws requiring schools to teach a widely inclusive and scientifically true sex education curriculum to students. The reason it would be up to the federal government is because state governments were already given a chance to make laws regarding sex education in schools which hasn’t worked for many states. After considering what teenagers need to know, Giami et al. states in a summary of Sexual and Relationship Therapy’s inaugural debate, “Whatever their gender or orientation, adolescents do need sound information… and opportunities to develop as individuals and independent sexual decision-makers” (486). Everyone should be taught a wide variety of ways to practice safe sex so they can choose how they are going to go about their lives. Whether someone chooses to practice abstinence until marriage or uses birth control pills and condoms should be up to themselves. Many people miss out on that choice because they don’t know they had a choice at all and end up accidentally putting their health at risk. If the government were to mandate the teaching of in depth and correct sex education, states would have no choice but to do so without having to face consequences. Since more students would learn how to have safe sex, more teen pregnancies and STDs/STIs could be prevented. Arguments against in depth sex education for students are usually related to the idea that if students learn about sex, they will end up having sex because of it. Many teenagers are going to have sex whether or not they are taught only about abstinence, contraceptives, or nothing at all. The difference sex education makes is how they are going to have sex. Once explaining how some places have begun to move to other forms of sex education rather than abstinence-only, Strasburger and Brown explain the other side, those who have