Controvecy over Teaching Abstinence in Sexual Education

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Recommended: Comprehensive sexual education program versus abstinence

Abstinence in opposition to sexual intercourse is a behavioral strategy used for implementing self-restraint in young adults. It aids young adults in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy in adolescent groups. For over twenty years there has been a growing increase in support for making abstinence a vital and central factor of sexual education. Creating an environment where abstinence is the primary element of sexual education in public schooling in the United States is where much controversy arises. There is little to no amount of known information concerning the breadth of which policies target abstinence and its relationship between how much it encompasses sexual education in comparison to the information provided about contraceptives. Teaching abstinence as the focal point of sexual education creates issues concerning the restriction of health information and the potential misconception it could provide. Seldom do American continue to be abstinent until marriage. Many American individuals either do not marry or partake in sexual acts in their adolescents. While abstinence is great as a behavioral choice it neglects reality. Abstinence-only programs and optional health electives can be detrimental to the overall sexual knowledge and health of adolescents and young adults. Providing mandatory health classes in high school could benefit many states and their rise in teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence-only polices need to be addressed in order to create a safe environment where adolescents and young adults are able to make a responsible behavioral choice with the knowledge they are given. The United states is one of the top raking of developed nations with high rates in teenage ... ... middle of paper ... ...es and pregnancy. The current emphasis of abstinence-only programs and policies have become the prime subject or pregnancy and disease transmission. As public schools have intergrated abstinence into their school curriculum only two thirds provide discussion about contraception and diseases. Nonetheless, one third of local school districts abstain from providing information about sex and only focus on abstinence. States that have policies concerning abstinence-only or omit health education put their students in a place of uncertainty. A school environment, specifically a high school environment without sexual education provides a playground of a high risk of ignorance, sexually transmitted diseases, and teenage pregnancy. Mandating sexual education courses and making them part of the school curriculum could provide a safe and responsible environment for young adults.

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