Let's Talk About Sex

Nationally, nearly one million young women under the age of 20 become pregnant each year. That means close to 2,800 teens get pregnant each day (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 117). A study by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation shows that approximately four million teens get an STD every year. Experts estimate that as many as one in three sexually experience young people will have an STD by the age of 24 (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation). So is this because of lack of education about sex or are teenagers just that careless? It could be a mix of both, but lack of sexual education seems to play a big part in this problem. Sexual education should be increased in school because problems like teenage pregnancy and STDs are becoming more of an issue and having more knowledge could help teenagers learn the consequences and risks of irresponsible sexual behavior. The problem is a lot of parents do not agree. They think that by teaching and talking about sex, it will condone it. But a 1997 Kaiser survey of 13 to 18 year olds found that peers were the primary source for teens of information about sexual health issues. So maybe kids are engaging in sexual activity because they hear their peers talking about it and making it look “cool.” Learning about sex in sex education classes may not have anything to do with the reasons kids are doing it. For years now, sexual education advocates have been deflecting criticism by explaining that teenagers were born to rebel. At the same time, advocates were giving reasons to teach safe sex, the number of teenagers having sex was rising every year, and most parents blamed the expansion of sex education. Parents blamed these sex advocates for the climb in teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, and hated that they were having detailed talks about sex and handing out free condoms at school. Today, however, the sexual revolution is receding among teens. In the early 90’s, teenage pregnancy was on a

Cited: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, “When Teens Have Sex: Issues and Trends: A Kids Count Special Report,” January 20, 1999 Atalbe, Joan. “The Teen Mindset on Sex.” Contemporary Issues Companion: Teens and Sex. Ed. Immell, Myra H. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Print. Gulli, Cathy. "Suddenly Teen Pregnancy is Cool?" Maclean 's Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. (January 2008) Jarrell, Anne. “A Matter of Concern: Sex in Middle School.” Contemporary Issues Companion: Teens and Sex. 2002 Print. Shelton, Deborah. “Does Sex Ed Focused on Abstinence Work?” American Medical News. January 17, 2000 Westheimer, Dr. Ruth K. Dr. Ruth’s Guide to Teens Sex & Today . 2008. Print. “You Gotta Go There to Come Back .” One Tree Hill