In a perfect, disease-and-accidental-pregnancy-free world, all young people would wait until marriage to have sexual intercourse and start popping out the 2.5 babies perfect Americans are supposed to produce. In a perfect world, there would be no poverty, no social classes, and no homework. However, we do not live in Utopia- we live in the Real World, a world where teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases run rampant throughout society. Unmarried, underage, and inexperienced teens are learning the consequences of sex the hard way because of the push to ban or sugar coat sexual education in schools.
Conservatives across the nation are preaching Abstinence as a form of birth control. Ironically, the state with the highest rates of teen-pregnancy, according to MSNBC is Mississippi, a very "religious" state that generally frowns on the use of contraception. The people who preach about the values of waiting for sex and being monogamous are the ones who are to blame for the current epidemic of teen birth rates (in my humble opinion). What teens and young adults need isn't a bible lesson or a lecture on morals- it's education and access to contraceptives. It's human nature to be sexually charged and curious, a trait that sets in right around puberty. It isn't something that can be suppressed or changed. Sexual Education needs to be more thorough and fact-based in it's teachings of anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, prevention, and treatment. Telling horror stories about the repercussions of sex only makes it more dangerous, and therefore alluring. According to a very informal and casual survey I conducted, most teens lose their virginity at or around the age of sixteen. At sixteen year's old, kids live with their parents and depend on them for transportation and money. They can't really ask Mom and Pops for a ride to the drug store to pick up a box of Trojans after school. This is why I firmly believe schools should educate students about the various forms of birth control and offer free condoms at the health station. I do not believe giving children the accessibility to contraceptives condones or encourages them to have sex; rather, I believe allowing them to access such items helps them in making responsible and mature decisions about their sex lives and helps protect them against pregnancy and STDs. Let's face it: They're going to do it whether or not they have access to birth control. It might be distasteful to be so blunt, but sex is normal and natural. Educating students on all aspects of sex is critical to the health of society.
I ask you this: Do you believe Sexual Education classes in schools should be refashioned and modernized to include a more in-depth look at the potential outcomes of sexual intercourse and a safe haven for students looking to score (pun intended) free contraceptives?
