One-third of young US girls, about 820,000, become pregnant before they turn 20 (80% are unmarried) and 4 million American teens contract an STD each year. (Teen Sex- Do Abstinence Only Programs Discourage Teen Sex? Web) With these statistics, it is apparent that teens are not making wise decisions regarding their own health and well-being. Nothing is more serious and personal than your health, and teens don’t seem to be able to grasp the gravity of the situation. Teens are bombarded with sex education, and yet have the highest STD rates in the country.
The rate of teen pregnancy is high, as you can see in mainstream America. Girls with babies are now even getting their own shows. Birth control significantly cuts down on the teen pregnancy rate. If a sexually active teenage girl can have open access to birth control, the odds of her getting pregnant
Teens, Television, and Toddlers Today in America, an average of three in ten girls become pregnant by age twenty (McKinnell 41). Adolescents are the future to the United States, therefore it is important for teenagers to make good decisions. However, premarital sex has become a negative, but popular choice that can lead to teenage pregnancy, which prevents teenagers from living the easiest and most stress free life. The teenage pregnancy rate in the United States increased in 2006 for the first time in fifteen years and now the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world (McKinnell 41). Although there are many factors that could have contributed to the increase in teenage pregnancy, the media plays a huge role.
Many children who do not have FAS or FAE, but who were exposed to alcohol prenataly - can still suffer from one or more symptoms of FAS. We also can bring evidence that mothers who were drinking during pregnancy may find behavioural and socio-emotional problems in their children(not only in childhood)(O’Connor, M.J., 2001.). One of many dangers of alcohol consumption during pregnancy is spontaneous abortion risk (highest risk is in 1st trimester), we looked at Kesmodel et al. (2002) study and his look on previous studies - to support this statement. However there are some inconsistencies with this area of research.
The impact that the media in the United States has on the minds of the youth has changed into an increasingly dangerous issue. While the media has many positive influences there are still yet many negative behaviors exercised by many teenagers and young adults. Amongst these behaviors is the acceptance of how sex is ok amongst teenagers. The media has become a pool of promiscuity which has led to the spread of many STD’s including HIV and AIDS. This essay describes how the media has led to the rise in promiscuity and thus leading to the continuous growth of the HIV Pandemic giving other countries a reason to believe that the people in the United States have poor cultural values.
BIRTH CONTROL FOR TEENS BY: MICHELE CLARK COMPOSITION I ENC 1101 – 120 EVEREST UNIVERSITY BIRTH CONTROL FOR TEENS The age long debate about giving birth control to teenagers has gone on for decades. Some says that by giving birth control (the pill and/or condoms) to teens, we are giving them the green light so to speak to become sexually active. That it is the individual parents’ decision to make. Whereas others say by doing so we are protecting our children from sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned teen pregnancies. Birth control can be and is prescribed for more than protection.
Caprice Jones HSC 3315: Health Behavior February 13, 2009 Empowering African American Teen’s & Parents about STD’s Abstract Many parents have a tough time talking to their teen children about sexually transmitted diseases. Talking to teens about sex is one of the things that parents dread. The teenage years are tough on teens and parents alike. Hormonal changes in teens bring about sexual desires, moodiness, irritability and a tendency to oppose rules or parental advice. However, open communication between a parent and a teenager can make a big difference in lowering his or her risk of contracting an STD.
Nearly eighty-nine percent of these births occurred outside of marriage. The 2013 teen birth rate indicates a decline of ten percent from 2012 when the birth rate was 29.4 per 1,000” Avoiding repeat teen births is one of the goals of the putting of condom vending machines in high school. Grant program to States, may use PAF funds to help pregnant and parenting teens complete high school or earn postsecondary degrees, as well as to gain access to health care, child care, family housing, and other critical supports. The government spending will reduce and the money will be put in different use. The money can also be used to improve services for pregnant women who are victims of domestic violence and to increase public awareness and education
The questionable problems that arise from Comprehensive Sexual Education include promotion of teen sex, and the morality of schools, instead of parents, promoting and teaching sexual education. According to Jane Friedman’s report, teen pregnancy has significantly declined since 1991 (1). Right wing conservatives credit abstinence-only programs for this statistic and liberals believe it is their contraception program. “ The federal government only funds abstinence education, even though at least 75 percent of parents say they want teens to be taught about both abstinence and contraception” (1). Although abstinence would be a significantly better choice, it is important for teens to know the consequences of sexual intercourse.
However, unlike with abstinence-only education, it is acknowledged that many adolescents sill still have sexual relations. There are also discussions about contraception, which is largely ignored in abstinence-only models. (ASA) According to records from the Center for Disease control and prevention, 870,000 pregnancies happen each year with young women aged 15-19, and about 30000000 cases of STDs are reported each year among 10-19 years old. (APA 1) HIV is contracted in more than half of cases before the age of 25. (APA 1) Because of facts like this, it is important that adolescents are taught how to protect themselves.