Societal attitudes about sexuality in Canada have changed a lot throughout the 20th century, primarily towards premarital sexual intercourse. Previously, society’s view, values and beliefs were strongly opposed to sex before marriage and supported abstinence till marriage. The issue of sexual behaviour among adolescents was more private and even unspoken of then. Presently, though the previous generation still keep these values, the majority of adolescents hold a positive view and consent sexual activity before marriage, especially if it is between people who are romantically involved with each other, and few are open to discuss their sexuality with their family and friends (Rathus, Nevid & Fichner-Rathus, 2010, p. 328). A national survey found that 27% of Canadian parents were aware of their adolescent’s sexual activity. In Martinez, Copen and Abma’s (2011, p. 5) report, 43% of teenage females and 42% of teenage males who had never been married had sexual intercourse. With society’s view on sexuality being more positive and open, more and more adolescents are engaging in sexual activity. The thesis that will be argued is that because sexual behaviour among adolescents is so prevalent and that prevention plans are ineffective, the government should impose yearly mandatory sexually-transmitted-disease testing and physical examinations on teenagers. The youth should have easy and quick access to health care services and should feel at ease to go there to inquire about their sexual health. The consequences of sexual activity With many teenagers being sexually active, they are exposed to many possible risks that can be affected by poor decisions, negligence and accidents. Out of the many consequences, the two major concerns are sexu... ... middle of paper ... ...cKee, M., Karasz, A., & Weber, C. M. (2004). Health Care Seeking Among Urban Minority Adolescent Girls: The Crisis at Sexual Debut. Annals Of Family Medicine, 2(6), 549-554. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from EBSCO database. Rathus, S. A., Nevid, J. S., Fichner-Rathus, L., & Herold, E. S. (2010). Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (3rd Canadian ed.). Toronto: Pearson Canada. Mayo Clinic. (2013, February). Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Retrieved October 23, 2013, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/DS01123 Sulak, P. J. (2004). Adolescent sexual health. Journal Of Family Practice, 53S3-S4. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from EBSCO database. Wilson, A., & Williams, R. (2000). Sexual health services: What do teenagers want?. Ambulatory Child Health, 6(4), 253-260. Retrieved October 23, 2013, from EBSCO database.
Nineteen-fifty five marked the debut of sex education programs in schools in the United States. Along the years, many have argued whether or not sex education should be taught in schools. Many believe that the education of sex encourages students to engage in sexual activities which lead to a higher number of pregnancies and sexual transmitted diseases (STD’s). As the number of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases climbs higher and higher every day in our country, one can only think that sexual education is a necessity in our school systems. Teens as young as fourteen years old have admitted to already engaging in sexual activities. No teen should be engaging in such acts at that age. Many schools give parents the choice to have their child opt out of the lesson or class. Few states are required to teach sex education to students in secondary schools unless they were withdrawn from the class by their parents.
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Even though many teenagers are not expected to be involved in such risky behavior, many are. According to Guttmacher Institute, “70 percent of teenagers have sex before their 19th birthday” (Jester), which shows the massive participation in such activities. However, many methods of prevention, including birth control, have been in the working toward the progress in decreasing unplanned pregnancies in teenagers. Having an open environment with multiple options makes the decision about counteracting an unplanned pregnancy significantly easier. Also, some forms of birth control can be given to teenagers without parental consent (A Wake-Up Call), which ultimately leaves the important decision up to the teenager who has been involved in risky activities, not the parents. Due to the increasing access to birth control, and other methods of preventing pregnancy, statistics show that pregnancies and births among teenagers is in fact decreasing (A Wake-Up
Studies show that between 2006 and 2011 there was an average drop of about 30% of teen pregnancies and 50% of teens involved in any kind of sexual activity (not just intercourse) in America. According to a recent study as of 2008, teen birth rates in the U.S., (which have been declining for tw...
A report published by the U.S Department of Health and Human Accommodations “suggests that as many as 50% of all adolescents are sexually active” (White, 2008, p. 349). A portion of those are puerile women who will become pregnant, adolescent men who will contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and teenagers who will suffer from emotional distress and regret. Albeit the majority concurs inculcation is the solution to this dilemma, one q...
Teen pregnancy falls into the category of pregnancies in girls age 19 or younger (NIH). Although statistics have shown a decrease, the number of teen pregnancy in the U.S. is still relatively high compared to the rest of the world. Sexual health is one of the top priorities in early adolescence health in the United States. Consequences of having sex at a young age generally results in unsafe sex practices. The consequences can be due to the lack of knowledge about sex education, and access to birth control/contraception (NIH, 2005). Due to the lack of knowledge and access to birth control, adolescents involve in risk taking when they start to explore sexual intimate relationships. Consequences of unsafe sexual behavior include sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy (NIH, 2005). This paper will focus on the majority aspect of pregnancy in adolescent.
In the United States, there is a rising problem that is not going anywhere anytime soon, that is if we, as citizens, don 't change it. This problem is causing billions of dollars and people 's futures all because schools would rather teach ignorance than the truth. What’s the problem? Sex education. Although sex education may not seem like a rising conflict, it is actually one of the top controversial topics in our country regarding education. According to Brigid McKeon, “Each year, U.S. teens experience as many as 850,000 pregnancies, and youth under age 25 experience about 9.1 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs)” (McKeon). This number is so unbelievable to any sane person, but somehow schools still won 't take the initiative to teach realistic sex education. Sex education can be taught in two different procedures- comprehensive or abstinence only. The difference between the two methods is that comprehensive sex education teaches abstinence as a secondary choice, so that teens who decide not to wait are well educated on how to keep themselves protected. Comprehensive sex education should be required in every single public school because it is the most effective method on how to keep teenagers well informed and prepared.
Sex among teenagers is one of the most controversial topics of our time. The teen pregnancy and STD rates in the United States alone have become a major problem over the years. Despite these skyrocketing sex cases, sexual education is not being taught in some schools, and the ones that do are extremely limited. Parents, the government, organizations, and school boards do not teach the proper curriculum necessary for students to thoroughly understand sexual behavior. This essay will explain the need for proper sexual education in our schools.
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Rates of sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy are higher in the United States than in any other domesticated country. Not surprising since American culture has brought sex to the forefront over the last few decades. The need for comprehensive sex education in schools can teach children that the romanticized relationships and sexual interactions in the media aren’t showing the whole story. For children with ...
...ions on Two Decades of Research on Teen Sexual Behavior and Pregnancy."The Journal of school health 69.3 (1999): 89-94. ProQuest.Web. 7 Nov. 2013.