Hello

Terkisha Loyd
Mrs. Groome
ENC 1101 25M
1 November 2012
Prevent Teen Pregnancy
In today’s society, teens around the world are unaware of the consequences of sex because they do not have a clear understanding of it. Parents should talk to their teens without scaring them away and schools can provide birth control, condoms, and abstinence groups to help teens understand the types of protection and cover what some parents do not know how to answer. This will help teens understand how to use condoms and birth control when engaging in sexual activity and the abstinence groups will teach teens to not have sex of any kind before marriage. Those who are teen mothers already know the struggle to raise a baby in high school and can use some advice on how to stay safe during sexual activities. If parents and schools do not speak to teens about sex, protection, or abstinence, more unprepared teens will become pregnant.
Parents with teens should have a talk with them about sex. When talking to teens, parents should let them know about their values on sex and why they feel that way. Some parents believe that people should fall in love and get married before having sex. Many parents have a hard time explaining their values about sex; the key is to show no bias on the subject and show understanding to their teen’s thoughts on sex too. Teens are already scared to talk to their parents, especially about a topic like sex. That’s why some teens go to friends or the internet about sex and get the wrong information then make the wrong choice. Parents should remember to talk with their teen and not at them because most teens do not listen if they feel that they are not being heard. Parents should not say one thing about sex, only to do the opposite. Teens do not like the idea of their parents telling them one thing about sex, only to end up doing something different. That will show teens they can do it too. Most teens figure if their parents tell them not to have sex before they are married, but know that their parents had sex before marriage that will cause teens to have sex before they are married. Parents who do not know how to talk to their teen should have the option of the school covering subjects on sex.
School should have a responsibility to talk to their students about sex, consequences, and contraceptives. Schools that give students contraceptives like birth control and condoms will help prevent teen pregnancies and STD 's. Most parents do not know how to talk to their teen on some subjects about sex; this will give the chance for the staff at the schools to show what they know. According to Grace Chen, “Approximately 46% of Americans believe both abstinence and contraception should be taught in school.” If more schools had the option of giving out contraception and providing abstinence groups, many parents would stand behind the idea. In the Editorial: Student Health: Access to Condoms in Schools, they state that “Jun. 14--The Philadelphia School District has an uneven policy for distributing free condoms to kids in high school. The condom program is available in 11 high schools, but not at 49 other high schools. If the program works for some schools, it should be universal.” Having programs that give out free condoms or even free birth control would prevent a lot of unwanted pregnancies among teens. The good thing about the program is that it can be funded by the government and stay free for students.
Teens think that everyone their age is having sex, but that is not true. Most of them are lying about it to make themselves fit in with those who are sexually active. Paul Weyrich states; “Most teens 13-16 years old have not engaged in sexual intercourse. Many are concerned about the adverse consequences, which include pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, even their parents ' reactions.” Teens who know the consequences are less likely to have sex than those who choose to ignore them and end up pregnant or with an STD. Among teens in general, boys are less likely to have sex before girls. According to the article, Birth in their teen years, it states: “Among males who had not yet had sex, the percentage who reported that the reason for not yet having had sex was "don 't want to get a female pregnant" dropped from 25 percent in 2002 to 12 percent in 2006-2008.” As Birth in their teen years said, teen boys have not had sex because of pregnancy, which shows they are very cautious about getting a girl pregnant and will less likely have sex.
There are ways to protect teens from the consequences of sex like giving them condoms, birth control, or showing them the way of abstinence. Condoms will protect them from an STD and unplanned pregnancies that can happen. Many teens are too scared to have sex because of the potential consequences; the option of having a condom will decrease the chances of teen parents. The parents of the teens can give them condoms or there should be a way where the school can give students condoms. When it comes to birth control, it should have the consent of the parent and the teen to make sure they both know how to use it. Teen girls use birth control so they will not get pregnant; in a way, birth control gives them a chance to have unprotected sex. Even though birth control helps prevents pregnancies, parents should encourage teens to use a condom too just in case the birth control fails. Parents that do not want their teen to have condoms, or birth control, they have the option of abstinence for their teen.
Abstinence is waiting until marriage to have sex, which will make most parents happy that their teen is waiting until marriage. Abstinence groups are around some areas to show teens that waiting is better. Greg Olson in his article Teen birth rates still issue in region quotes Aaron Dufelmeier, "What the program does is teach decision-making skills, refusal skills and the consequences of being or becoming a teenage parent." Groups like that can help prevent teen pregnancies because they will teach teens the skills they will need to not have sex. The good thing about abstinence is that “The abstinence message can reach youth who are already sexually active.” Paul Weyrich stated in his article Abstinence-Only Education Prevents Teen Pregnancies. Teens that are sexually active can join an abstinence group to change their life and stop making poor choices when having sex like not using a condom. If parents have teens that are having sex or even a teen mother, they should convince their teen to join a group and explain why they think it is a good idea.
Teen mothers face many problems like losing friends, failing school, raising a baby at a young age, and sometimes worrying about if the father will stay in the baby 's life. These things that young mothers have to deal with can make them depressed and stressed out. According to Diana Mahoney, “Depression can interfere with a mother 's ability to provide emotional and psychological support and attachment, as well as proper and adequate nutrition and physical care for her infant.” This happens with teen mothers because they are too young to handle the responsibility of taking care of a new born baby. Young mothers between the ages 13-17 cannot give their baby all the attention they need and it causes the baby to not want to corporate with them in feeding, changing diapers, or even putting the baby to sleep. Everyone knows trying to feed, change, or putting a baby to sleep is hard enough; for young mothers, it can seem over whelming because of the added pressure from still being in school or having a job. If schools were allowed to give student condoms or even birth control, the chance of teen pregnancies would lower down.
High school sometimes is an issue for teen mothers because they have to deal with all the homework and balance a baby too. According to Sandy Ryan “having a baby when you’re in high school is much more than tough. It requires hard work and sacrifices that most girls can 't even imagine--” High school is a place where teens learn, make friends, go to sporting events, and get ready for homecoming and prom. Teen mothers have to give up all the fun things high school has to offer them because they have the responsibility to take care of their baby.
Many teens are too scared to have sex because of all the sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) and possible pregnancy that can occur while having sex. Those who do have sex end up becoming teen parents in high school and many of the times, it is just the mother taking care of the baby. Teen mothers have a hard time in high school because they have to take care of the infant, homework, and sometimes work to have money for food, and clothes. Having a full load like that can put young mothers into a depression where the mother cannot take care of the baby properly which stresses the young mother out more.
School should have the option to give out contraceptives like condoms and birth control; there will be less teen mothers struggling in high school. Even if schools do not pass out contraceptives to students, schools can form abstinence groups to help students stay away from sex and unwanted pregnancies. Parents have a big part in their teen’s life and thoughts on having sex or not. When parents talk to their teens about sex and why they think their teen should wait until they are older or marriage, parents should remember to talk to them and not at them. Teens listen more if they feel that someone is listening to them and how they feel. Parents should remember to practice what they preach to their teens because that can mislead them and to think it’s okay to have sex. If parents and schools do not speak to teens about sex, protection, or abstinence, more unprepared teens will become pregnant.

Works Cited
"Birth in their teen years." Policy & Practice (Aug. 2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
Chen, Grace. “Schools, Parents, and Communities Should Contribute to Educating Teens About Sex.” Teenage Sexuality. (2008): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
“EDITORIAL: Student Health: Access to condoms in schools.” Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA] (14 June 2008): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2012.
Mahoney, Diana. "Teen Mothers Are at Greater Risk for Depression and Repeat Pregnancy." Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. (2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. Olson, Greg “Teen birth rates still issue in region.” Jacksonville Journal-Courier [Jacksonville, IL] (11 Apr. 2012): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
Sandyfertman, Ryan. “The real "reality" of being a TEEN MOM.” Girls ' Life. (Aug/Sep2011): Vol. 18 Issue 1, p77-84, 2p. ebscohost.com. Web. 25 Oct. 2012
Weyrich, Paul. “Abstinence-Only Education Prevents Teen Pregnancies.” Do Abstinence Programs Work? (2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.

Cited: "Birth in their teen years." Policy & Practice (Aug. 2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. Chen, Grace. “Schools, Parents, and Communities Should Contribute to Educating Teens About Sex.” Teenage Sexuality. (2008): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. “EDITORIAL: Student Health: Access to condoms in schools.” Philadelphia Inquirer [Philadelphia, PA] (14 June 2008): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. Mahoney, Diana. "Teen Mothers Are at Greater Risk for Depression and Repeat Pregnancy." Teen Pregnancy and Parenting. (2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. Olson, Greg “Teen birth rates still issue in region.” Jacksonville Journal-Courier [Jacksonville, IL] (11 Apr. 2012): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. Sandyfertman, Ryan. “The real "reality" of being a TEEN MOM.” Girls ' Life. (Aug/Sep2011): Vol. 18 Issue 1, p77-84, 2p. ebscohost.com. Web. 25 Oct. 2012 Weyrich, Paul. “Abstinence-Only Education Prevents Teen Pregnancies.” Do Abstinence Programs Work? (2010): Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.