Reasearch

Zsa-Maine Brookshire

Professor Nyland

English 151 Section 22

November 6, 2013

                                                            Don’t Be Naïve

            Parents tend to want to believe their children will come to them for any problems they may have, but quite frankly that isn’t always the case. Some topics, such as sex, teenagers tend to sway away from their parents for advice because they know they will hear the same “stay abstinent” speech. So to avoid the judgment and curious questions, they look to the media, friends, and the internet for answers. These sources aren’t always the best to get accurate information from, so what is more trust worthy than a public school? High schools in all states should be able to pass out contraceptives as well as teach sex education because it gives teenagers away to protect themselves from diseases, learn all aspects about sex, and sometimes prevents early sexual activity.

            In today’s society some may not want to believe it, but the rate of premarital sex has increased, so by just teaching abstinence will be a naïve way of thinking. According to the Sex Education article, a male tends to have sexual intercourse ten years before marriage and for a female it’s seven years (Issues & Controversies 1). Studies have also shown that the STD’s such as, gonorrhea and chlamydia are more common amongst teenagers rather than adults (Issues & Controversies 2). Schools would be a great way for teenagers to learn about diseases that they could possibly contract because it isn’t on such a personal level. The teacher would be able to list all the possible diseases and their symptoms, but also give ways to prevent such cases. The teenagers will understand that it’s not acceptable to have unprotected sex because it can lead to serious consequences such as teenage pregnancy, HIV, and other sexual transmitted infections (Black’s Medical Dictionary). Showing them the different types of contraceptives and making them available will help them decide to make responsible decisions.

            Teenagers need to know that if they do choose to have sex before marriage, they shouldn’t have to feel ashamed of it. It should be several outlets to go seek information about sex from. Parents should be happy that they want to at least be responsible enough not to harm themselves. No one likes to be judge, so if the teenager feels like they can’t speak up about their decisions then nothing good will come out of their actions. By making contraceptives more easy to obtain it will initially decrease the amount of STD’s being spread and limit unexpected pregnancies.  A poll that was taken in 1980s showed that the percentage of unmarried mothers having children was 81%, while back in the 1960s it had been 33% (Issues & Controversies 2). This was a drastic increase, so one can only imagine what the percentage is now in the year 2013. Sex education programs will teach teenagers how to use contraceptives, such as condoms, and birth control pills properly, and talk about other controversial topics such as, abortion, homosexuality, AIDS and masturbation (Issues & Controversies 1). Knowing about these prevention methods will not be enough, if they still have no clue on how to use them. It would make the whole thing pointless and defeat the purpose of trying to protect them.

            Some people oppose sex education and condom availability because they feel it will encourage teenagers to have sex (Issues & Controversies 1). In a way if people really think about it, sex education can be used as a scare tactic. Teenagers will understand that it isn’t just a simple thing, but it has a lot of components that come along with being sexual active. If the world goes off of that assumption then it would be unfair to the teenagers who actually need to learn these things. Studies show that more than 43% ninth-grade boys and more than 31% ninth-grade girls stated they had been sexually active in a survey done in 1993 (Issues & Controversies 4). The world can’t just turn their backs on the fact that about one million teenage girls become pregnant each year, and about three million teenagers each year contracts some kind of STD be it major or minor (Issues & Controversies 4). This dis simply because premarital sex is a topic that isn’t brought up as much because it is deemed as a sin to some people religion.

            Even though parents may want to try to control this part of their teenager’s lives, it is somewhat impossible. They will not always be around to watch their every move or tell them which path to take. Some people just have to figure out things on their own. If the schools are able to provide as much knowledge as possible and contraceptives then the teenager will more than likely make the right decision regarding their sexual experiences. Society isn’t how it used to be in generations in past where everyone waited till marriage. The school’s education and curriculum should be able to keep up with the changes that are going on in reality today, not stick to the old ways which may cause more harm than good.   

Zsa-Maine Brookshire

Professor Nyland

English 151 Section 22

November 11, 2013

                                                                        Parents Know Best                            

            When it comes to a child and a parent relationship, some things such as sex should be sacred. Most parents teach their child to sustain abstinence until marriage. Schools shouldn’t have the right to go against the morals that parents are trying to install in their children. Although, schools should be able to teach sex education, they should not be able to pass out contraceptives. Simply, because it goes against some religions, confuses the child to thinking premarital sex is okay, and undermines the parent authority to control their child’s activities.

            In some religions it is morally wrong to have premarital sex. If the child is brought up in a church, then the parent should have the right to keep them sheltered away from access to birth control and condoms. By the school giving a child contraceptives, is interfering with one’s religious beliefs. Schools that teach just abstinence based sex education actually benefit financially from the government. According to the article “Abstinence-Only Education”, in 1996, congress passed and Clinton signed a welfare reform law that gave $50 million each year to schools that only teach about the abstinence option. All that congress ask is that the curriculum teaches abstinence as being the expected behavior for all teenagers, and that marriage is the appropriate context for sexual activity (Abstinence 1).

            The child mind is very impressionable and it would be like the schools saying “hey, here are some safe ways to have sex, but you should be abstinence until marriage”. The child will then feel the need to use the products they were supplied with and puts the thought in their head that it is okay to have sex, as long as they are safe. The school should either teach one or the other. By them teaching both at one time confuses the child. Parents feel that sex education courses that pass out contraceptives aren’t stressing abstinence from sexual intercourse (Parents’ 3). Studies have shown that due to abstinence only education, there was a decline in teenage pregnancy. In the year of 1995, there was 101 pregnancies per 1,000 women and it used to be 117 in 1990 (Abstinence 1). The women were between the ages of 15 and 19 years old (Abstinence 1). In the “Abstinence-Only Education” article, the following quote was stated, “The young teenager who is told that [condoms are] safe and reliable may not know she is risking illness, infertility, and even death. Why are we settling for risk reduction when we can have risk elimination?” This quote is simply correct because schools are putting them at greater risk, if the teen chooses to use the contraceptive and it is incorrectly done, then it causes more harm than good.

            Schools are going against parents’ rights to control their children sexual activities and knowledge about certain things. They are completely eliminating the need of a parent approval by providing counseling and confidential reproductive-health information without informing the parent. This leads way for the child to begin to hide things from their parents about personal issues that should be discussed between families. According to the “Parents’ Right-Laws” article, they have always struggled to control children and bring them up with the proper values. Parents just want the schools to encourage the children to follow the parents’ wishes instead of giving them other options to consider. A parent knows what is best for their child and shouldn’t have to compete with the school in order to make decisions concerning them.  

            When it all comes down to the purpose, schools shouldn’t be able to pass out contraceptives. They are over stepping their boundaries by a lot and shouldn’t be allowed to take away a parents right to control what their child learns in a public school. The school shouldn’t be able to give the child an excuse to disobey their parents in any type of way. Each household has its own personal morals and values, that shouldn’t be disturbed or compromised.