November 10,2010 Argument Essay Word Count 503 Condoms in Public High Schools This year nearly one million teen girls will become pregnant and over fifteen million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) will be reported in this country. Each year teen pregnancies cost our nation’s taxpayers over fifteen billion dollars. These statistics show that we need something done to make them lower. Public high schools need to realize it is time to take action and help protect these students. Providing public high school students with condoms will help reduce teen pregnancy rates and help control the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
To ensure that pregnancy rates, STD cases, and stress levels are low in teenagers, I feel that birth control pills and condoms should be readily available to high school students First of all, the pregnancy rates of high school teens in America are showing some large numbers. In 1987, researchers were seeing pregnancy rates in high school students at some very high points. Although, “teenage pregnancy rates have declined to about seventy-five per one thousand, down from a 1990 peak of one-hundred seventeen, nearly half of teens aged 15 to 19 report having had sex at least once, and almost seven-hundred fifty-thousand of them a year become pregnant (CBS News: Healthwatch).” The availability of contraceptives is a key component in the constant downslope of pregnancy numbers. As a matter of fact, some of the teens who got pregnant wanted to practice safe sex but couldn’t afford to purchase pills or condoms as needed. It is evident that if contraceptives were available in the schools around the country, the number of teenage pregnancies would cut down drastically.
Students across American are dropping out of high school at a rapid rate. Researchers who study this problem do not know the cause, nor do they know how to fix it. CBS news reported in May of 2010 “You have some schools in America that send more kids to prison, than they graduate.” This is a problem that America can no longer afford to ignore. Students dropping out of high schools across America are a major problem that needs an immediate and effective solution. In 2010 The U.S Department of Education announced that “1.2 million students between the ages between fifteen and twenty-four had dropped out in one year alone.” (Women forum).
A collaboration between parents, school and community agencies can greatly reduce the number of teenage mothers. Schools can began early using preventive measures before the child reaches eleventh grade. By the eleventh grade children may have experimented with sex. School
Due to media, peer pressure, and curiosity many teens and pre-teens are starting to willingly have sex at a younger age. Also, with maturity and physical looks a minor can no longer be pointed out by their appearance. The age of consent and statutory rape age range should be widened because younger minors and young adults will have sex regardless but giving someone a felony or misdemeanor and registering as a sex offender for consensual sex is unconstitutional. I think the age range should be from age 11 to 21 because age 11 has become the new age many minors are starting
For example, pedophiles often prefer children close to puberty who are sexually inexperienced and use pornographic photos to demonstrate to their victims what they want them to do. Moreover, pornography often promotes sexual promiscuity and other activities that if pursued, would undoubtedly contribute to unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) such as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). According to the article of The Effects of Pornography, Patrick F. Fagan (2010), it was well stated that “Pornography’s frequent depiction of intercourse without condoms (87 percent of the time) is an invitation for the promiscuous to contract a STD to have a child out of wedlock and to have multiple sex partners. Pornography also promotes sexual compulsiveness, which doubles the likelihood of
Not only has “sexting” transitioned to name calling and bullying in high school, but also teens younger than 18 could be charged with child pornography and sent to juvenile jail. Worst of all it has lead to death. Now that teens and parents are becoming more familiar with these stories about “sexting,” concerned parents, schools and anyone who really cares is trying to take a stand. Most times teens are into watching MTV, so what better television station to get the message across about the dangers in “sexting”? MTV aired a half hour special called, “Sexting In America: When Privates Go Public.” They say, “it’s a good reminder for teens that taking and sending nude pictures is never a good idea” (Magid 1).
Duret stated that “nearly 1.5 million high school students across the country experience physical violence at the hands of a dating partner each year” (par.2). Dating violence can affect both genders, however today girls are abused more frequently in relationships. Across the U.S., 20% of adolescent girls report facing violence from their
Media depicts the bullies like heroes.” Teachers see the violence transferred to classrooms. Usually the most violent person in TV, movies, and video games is the most notices and, therefore, the child are leaving that violence is good. In high schools, like the school Peter went to, the popular kids with more power tend to be the bullies. Children are easily influenced by their friends. Research has proven that bullies have above average self-esteem, good leadership skills, and make friends easily (Quotes about Bullying).
It would not cure the issue at hand but it might help in the long run. I feel that we as parents need to talk to our children about sex, so they don’t listen to the media. What are the effects of the media’s portrayal of sexuality on adolescents’ sexual lives? On the positive side, many teens say they have learned something helpful from sexual scenes on TV, like how to say no to a sexual situation that makes them uncomfortable (60%) and how to talk to a partner about safer sex (43%). The survey, Teens, Sex and TV, is a nationally representative sample of more