Condoms In Texas High Schools Essay

Every year the population in Texas is steadily growing. One social issue that continues to challenge Texas residents is Teen Pregnancy. According to the Texas Department of Health, "every ten minutes a Texas teen becomes pregnant." Because of those statistics Texas has held one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the United States. Which raises the question, Should condoms be available to teens in Texas high schools? Some parents and educators suggest that providing condoms in Texas high schools is condoning sexual behavior. Others believe that teens should have access to condoms to help protect their sexual health and an unwanted pregnancy. After considering both sides of the issues I strongly suggest that condoms be available for teens in Texas high schools so they are properly equipped to have safe sex and to decrease the rates of unwanted teen pregnancy and teens contracting STD's or HIV.
The argument that many supporters have against condoms be provided in Texas high schools, is that providing condoms will encourage sexual behavior in teens.
In Texas, right now abstinence-only programs are a teen’s only choice for sex education. An abstinence-only program will only teach that sex is bad and something of which to be ashamed. I think teens should be provided sexual education that is useful to them in making personal decisions such as engaging in sexual behavior as well as having access to condoms to protect themselves. Teens today have sexual message surrounding them every day through advances in technology, media, and advertisements. So, to assume that teens will remain abstinent is ignorant. The pressure to have sex is going to be there regardless. Peer pressure is part of the process of growing up. The decisions that teens make today could impact them the rest of their
lives. Which brings me to my next point, teens need to learn and make decisions on their own. Everyone growing up makes mistakes in hanging with the wrong crowd, engaging in unhealthily behaviors, or even being persuade to do something you might not normally do all in the name of being young. When it comes to teen sex and being the consequences could be life altering. Some of the consequences that are a result of sex are sexually transmitted diseases. Some can be cured but there are just as many that cannot be cured. But all can be prevented in one of two ways, using a condom or abstinence which both are personal choices. Through sexual education and the access to condoms in Texas high schools will give teens the ability to protect themselves from making a decision that they will impact the rest of their life. Since Texas has consistently had a high teen pregnancy rate I think the best option is to try something different by making access to condoms in Texas high schools and to teach more on the use of condoms during sexual education classes. Studies have shown that, " a sexually active teen that is denied access to contraceptives has a ninety percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year" (Harp, Frost, and Forrest); with these types of facts we should provide teens with the best option of choosing safer sex not only for unwanted pregnancy but for their health too.