It’s all around us. Television, movies, magazines, the internet; all secrete one thing into our minds- SEX. In a society filled with sex and temptation, does anyone abstain from sex until marriage anymore?
According to www.livestrong.com, the United States has the highest number of teenage pregnancies in the industrialized world. Hollywood glamorizes pregnancy. Movies such as “Juno,” “Knocked Up,” and even the show “Teen Mom” on MTV put a spotlight on young, single women getting pregnant.
However, as many teen mothers know, having a child at a young age is not at all glamorous. Statistics show that teenage mothers have a significantly lower chance of graduating high school, as well as lower math and reading skills than their childless counterparts.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one third of girls get pregnant before age 20. It is reported that there are 750,000 teen pregnancies each year. Of these pregnancies, eight out of 10 are unintentional. Most teen pregnancies are not planned.
The pregnancy pact which occurred in Gloucester, Massachusetts in 2008 was an extreme display of this phenomenon. This pact was created by teen girls at Gloucester High School, and resulted in 17 girls getting pregnant. According to www.time.com, the girls involved in the pact were looking forward to becoming mothers and having their children play together. The plans made by these girls display a skewed reality of parenthood; especially teen parenthood.
I myself became pregnant at 18, a few months after graduating high school. I moved into an apartment with my boyfriend, thinking we were going to be a happy family. Needless to say, it did not turn out that way. He moved to North Carolina when I was eight months pregnant, and I was left alone to raise our daughter. I could not go to college like I had planned, so I worked full time for two years.
Nothing seems to turn out as planned when you are a teen mother. I could not do all the things that my friends were doing, and I felt alone. Aside from the struggles I have faced, I am extremely lucky to have a supportive family who have always been there for me. Now, my daughter is three, and I could not be happier. I am so proud to be her mother. She changed my life in ways that I did not know were possible. I have been through so much more than most people my age, and it gives me a greater perspective of life.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there are young people who wish to abstain from sex until marriage.
Famous figures such as the Jonas brothers, Miley Cyrus, and Jordan Sparks all claim to be saving themselves for marriage. These figures have made purity a new fad. Purity rings became popular within Christian abstinence groups in the 1990s. Abstinence movements have a large following of young people.
One of the major abstinence movements is called “True Love Waits.” Supporters of these movements typically do not agree with the option of schools providing birth control to students. They believe abstinence-only education is the only way to promote the sacredness of sex in the institution of marriage.
Abstinence-only education teaches students to save themselves for marriage, and disregards discussing birth control and safe sex options. Former President George W. Bush was a promoter of abstinence-only education within schools. He created Community Based Abstinence Education (CBAE) to fund these programs in schools.
Many people take issue with abstinence-only education within schools. Particularly, professionals in the medical field argue that these programs are unsuccessful in providing sufficient information to protect the health of teens. There is often an emphasis on the morality aspect of abstinence.
Many critics see this as an infringement on secular schools by incorporating religious beliefs in education. According to www.ucsusa.org, abstinence programs may actually increase the number of teen pregnancies.
The real question is if teens are less likely to engage in sexual activity as a result of abstinence education. “Abstinence programs may make teens think twice before they have sex, but in the end they will probably end up doing it anyway” said Matt Besson, a junior at Millersville.
Aside from unwanted pregnancies, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are also prevalent among young people. The CDC reports that 19 million new cases of STDs occur each year. Almost 50 percent of these new cases occur between the ages 15 to 24. The American Social Health Association (ASHA) has reported that half of all new HIV infections occur in teens. The ASHA also reports that less than half of teenagers in the America have talked about sexual health and STDs during health visits or in school.
Chlamydia is the most common STD in America. According to www.familyfirstaid.org, 2.8 million new cases of chlamydia are reported each year. The amount of cases reported has dramatically increased in the last decade. Many health professionals feel this is due to the increased numbers of people getting tested for the disease.
Chlamydia is one of the most under-diagnosed diseases in the country. This is due to the fact that many times it is asymptomatic. It is most commonly seen in the age range of 15-24, and is three times more likely to be seen in women than men.
Whether you choose to have sex or practice abstinence, the best tool to staying safe is obtaining knowledge. Being informed about the positive and negative aspects is essential to making the best decisions regarding sex.
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