In the United States, it should be very important to discuss the importance of abstinence among young people of the ages 10 through 25. In industrialized countries, it is very common that teenagers would start indulging in sexual activities at the same age. Studies have proven that adolescences sexual behavior helps to increase self-esteem and identity formation, which helps with the social and romantic interactions in their society. Studies have shown that these behaviors and characteristics are relevant to birth and pregnancy rates, as well as to the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including: human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 19 million new cases of STIs occur each year. (Weinstock H, Berman S, Cates W Jr. Sexually transmitted diseases among American youth: Incidence and prevalence estimates, 2000) Half of the percentages in the recent studies, have shown that most people who are affected by STDs and STIs are teenagers, which caused to have a cost of 10.5 billion dollars in medical costs in the year of 2017. Majority of teenagers in the United States are sexually active, but do not take the appropriate precautions on preventing pregnancy and spreading of sexually transmitted infections. Adolescences, compared to adults, could be persuaded to participate in dangerous sexual activities without even thinking of long term consequences that their personal invulnerability could cause them. (Hall, Holmqvist, & Sherry, 2004) Adolescences are constantly involved in sexual behaviors that will put their health at risk, and they would not think about it because they are so focus on the immediate. This is an issue and concern for primary care clinicians, because they would have to figure out ways on how they are able to deliver the information to their patients, if they are infected with an STI or STD and helping them tell their patients’ unseen partners. Clinicians should care about risky activities, because of a good medical reason to avoid the spread of sexual transmitted infections. Among Teenagers, there has been more than 15 million new reports of STIs to occur annually, especially with the most common nonfatal STIs such as: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Human Papilloma Virus. Adolescences and teenagers are at higher risk for contracting an STI or STD directly which increases the chances of catching HIV/AIDS.
Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a growing concern within the United States. This paper discusses what NAS is and the effects it has on the newborn infant. If first discusses the incidence of NAS as regard to maternal age, race, and ethnicity. It explains the types of drugs most commonly associated with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome. However, I have excluded alcohol from this paper because it results in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. This paper will then explain the types of physical symptoms associated with NAS for the full-term and premature infant. It discusses the different classes of drugs and the unique symptoms newborns experience with each. Furthermore, it discusses the long-term cognitive and behavioral effects that newborns can experience as they grow. In addition, this paper discusses how Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome is diagnosed and the how the Finnegan neonatal scoring system is used to help physicians determine the severity of NAS in each newborn. Lastly, this paper explains the treatment for NAS and the important roles of the nurse when caring for a newborn with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.
Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the U.S. in the early 1980s the issue of sex education for American youth has had the attention of the nation. There are about 400,000 teen births every year in the U.S, with about 9 billion in associated public costs. STI contraction in general, as well as teen pregnancy, have put the subject even more so on the forefront of the nation’s leading issues. The approach and method for proper and effective sex education has been hotly debated. Some believe that teaching abstinence-only until marriage is the best method while others believe that a more comprehensive approach, which includes abstinence promotion as well as contraceptive information, is necessary. Abstinence-only program curriculums disregard medical ethics and scientific accuracy, and have been empirically proven to be ineffective; therefore, comprehensive sex education programs which are medically accurate, science-based and empirically proven should be the standard method of sex education for students/children in the U.S.
Medicalization describes the shift in authority concerning abnormal human conditions. Quirks previously seen as by-products of maturation began to see heavy examination and were classified under medical terms. As a result, the past few decades have seen an obscene number of compulsions and disorders deemed medical conditions, further exacerbating the unnecessary institutionalization of many harmless irregularities. This string coincides with the growing popularity of sex addiction and the debate over its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The mere thought of such a neurotic desire potentially joining the DSM alongside major mental and learning disorders epitomizes the depths to which society has sunk in recognition of truly straining abnormalities. The medicalization of sex addiction demonstrates the lengths at which medical authority will go to inject another fabricated disease into the blood of society.
Teenage sexual activity is a major problem confronting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and teenage pregnancy. The existence of HIV/AIDS has given a sense of urgency to the topic of sex education. The issue of sex education in schools especially in the formative years has been a subject of intense debate among parents, school officials, health scientists and religious authorities worldwide for a considerable period of time. The debate centers on comprehensive sex education versus abstinence-only sex education in school. Abstinence only sex education is a sex education model that focuses on the virtue of abstinence from sexual activities; therefore, encouraging sexual abstinence until marriage. This form of sexual education completely ignores all other elements of comprehensive sexual education like safe sex and reproductive health education issues like the use of contraceptives and birth control methods. Comprehensive sex teaching encourages promiscuous sexual activity as “a natural part of life.” Proponents of abstinence only education activists cite several reasons why this type of education is the best. It focuses on the upholding of moral virtues. They also claim that sex outside marriage hat is “encouraged” by the comprehensive sex education which as a result, has some emotional and physical downfall especially when done at a very young age. They blame the comprehensive sex education for failing to discourage premarital sex especially at this time when the HIV pandemic is busy devouring young people in various parts of the world (Deborah 2). In fairness, both programs were designed to decrease the incidence of STDs...
Kirby D. (2007) “Sex and HIV Programs: Their Impact on Sexual Behaviors of Young People Throughout the World.” Journal of Adol
During the 1980s, efforts increased to alert the public to the dangers of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy, yet these problems have increased. Adolescents and young adults have been especially hard hit. Pregnancy and birth rates among teenagers are at their highest levels in two decades.
Teen pregnancy falls into the category of pregnancies in girls age 19 or younger (NIH). Although statistics have shown a decrease, the number of teen pregnancy in the U.S. is still relatively high compared to the rest of the world. Sexual health is one of the top priorities in early adolescence health in the United States. Consequences of having sex at a young age generally results in unsafe sex practices. The consequences can be due to the lack of knowledge about sex education, and access to birth control/contraception (NIH, 2005). Due to the lack of knowledge and access to birth control, adolescents involve in risk taking when they start to explore sexual intimate relationships. Consequences of unsafe sexual behavior include sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy (NIH, 2005). This paper will focus on the majority aspect of pregnancy in adolescent.
DiClemente, R. J., McDermott-Sales, J., Danner, F., Crosby, R. A. (2011). Association Between Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Young Adults’ Self-Reported Abstinence. Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. February, 2011; 127: 208-213.
During the abstinence exercises for my Addiction Recovery and Social Work Practice course, I learned how to mentally abstain from my desires. During the weeks of abstaining, I decided to abstain from sodas, sex, cigarettes, and social media in order to understand the equivalence of individuals who have an addiction for drugs or alcohol. While abstaining from my desires, I found healthier ways, and activities to keep me focus on the assignment; for example, during my social media exercise, I decided to stay away from all social networks and spend time with family, and going on dates to work on my communication skills. Overall, the learning experience for the abstinence exercise has taught me that I have more mental power than I expected and
Not surprisingly the lack of useful sexual information is one of the reasons of the spreading sex related diseases. According to The American Social Health Association (1998) each year there are near ten million of new cases of sexually transmitted diseases among the teenage...
Arielle Massiah SW 7300 Sunday, March 29, 2015 Article Critique Teenage Sexuality and Media Practice: Factoring in the Influences of Family, Friends, and School Jeanne Rogge Steele Literature Review and Theoretical/ Conceptual Framework The social problem that the research addresses is the outrageously high rate of unprotected teenage sexual engagement and encounters. The problem was made apparent due to a survey that disclosed that not only had “three quarters of the 2,439 participants engage in sexual intercourse by their senior year, half of the participants reported that they did not use condoms and one third of the population failed to allocate the use of birth control at all; drastically increasing their exposure to HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy”. Steele, 1999, p. 339.
As young children, ages 12 and up to 17, one should be worrying about going to sports tryouts, having bubble guts worrying if they are going to make the cheerleading team or the basketball team. They should be outside in the summer time taking in the beautiful weather with their friends. Many teenagers are starting to build relationships with the opposite sex as early as 12 or 13. With relationships come other new experiences like sexual intercourses. “Fewer than 2% of adolescents have had sex by the time they reach their 12th birthday. But adolescence is a time of rapid change. Only 16% of teens have had sex by age 15, compared with one-third of those aged 16, nearly half (48%) of those aged 17, 61% of 18-year-olds and 71% of 19-year-olds.[1]
Many teenagers and adolescents have been given false information or hold fabricated beliefs concerning teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Because teenagers are misguided and hold false convictions about teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, they are more likely to make undesirable choices that may negatively influence their futures. If they are educated properly, teenagers could live a productive and healthy life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), “teenagers between the ages of 15-24 represent almost half of the 20 million sexually transmitted diseases and cases that occur yearly“. Gillette (2012) asserts, “United States has the highest teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease cases” compared to other industrialized countries.
Humans are environmentally and genetically predisposed to developing a motivated addictive behavior. Addiction is a brain disease and a behavior. All behaviors are choices. Choices that adolescences make at a young age directly affect the outcomes of their futures. Many factors contribute to an adolescence becoming an addict or exhibiting a drug seeking behavior. Nearly all drugs of abuse increase dopamine release. Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in drug abuse and addiction. Dopamine plays a role in reward motivated behaviors, motor control and important hormones. It’s known as the “feel good hormone” which is why people abuse drugs that increase the release of dopamine. Since life is unpredictable, our brains have evolved the ability to remodel themselves in response to our experiences. The more we practice an activity the more neurons developed in order to fine-tune that activity causing addictive behaviors to be detrimental.
As we grow older we learn that there are many teenagers all over the world that are analyzing sex more and more today than ever before, It’s not only shocking but it’s also frightening. Learning to prevent teen sex and others at risk are very important, teen sex not only affects teenagers but their families, school and their communities. Teen sex than leads to teen pregnancy. There’s more teen pregnancy due to teens having sex at a young age. Once teens start to experience sex some forget the outcomes that come with it like babies, STD’s and HIV, which is becoming a major issue in the society from Planned Parenthood too Christian opinions.