The United States government has a plethora of responsibilities- however, being a teenage girl’s moral compass is simply not one of them. Everywhere one may go, we find discouragement against unprotected sex and encouragement to practice abstinence. Nevertheless, teenagers continue to be sexually active. Teenage boys are receiving contraception at the drop of a hat in response to this, yet conversely, there is little in place to stop girls from reaping the inevitable consequences of unsafe sex. Moreover, it is very rarely even necessary for teenage girls to undergo a medical exam before going on birth control pills- so why is it that these pills are unavailable to teenage girls over the counter? Upon walking into any grocery, gas station, …show more content…
But you usually don’t need a Pap test and pelvic exam, especially if you are a teen. The tests can even be harmful.” Pap tests are run to check women for cervical cancer, and the chances of a teen having it are extremely slim. The results of a teenage girl’s Pap test are unreliable and misleading, and it’s even recommended to wait until the girl is an adult before getting one. The other unnecessary exam teenage girls often think they need before being prescribed birth control is a pelvic exam. The article adds, “many young women are anxious about having their first pelvic exam, so they put off getting birth control. This is bad for their health because it can lead to unplanned pregnancies. Preventing unwanted pregnancies is important for emotional, physical, and financial health.” There is no exam necessary to be prescribed birth control pills. If the only danger of taking birth control pills applies to women with specific conditions, cases, or injuries in their medical history, then birth control pills could simply be shelved and a warning label addressing those conditions placed on the package. The reality that must be faced is that teenagers will continue to be sexually active notwithstanding any risk or consequences. Whether it is because they’re uninformed, “in love,” hormonal, bored, or looking for approval
... Moreover, contraceptives enable sexually-active students to avoid sexually-related dangers such as STDs. Finally, despite the fact that contraceptive use by students attracts different reactions, birth control is necessary for students to prevent the numerous harmful effects that come from unsafe sexual practices. Works Cited “Birth Control” at School? Most Say It's OK.”
Today’s young Americans face strong peer pressure to be sexually active and engage themselves in risky behaviors (Merino 100-109). Anyone deciding to have sex must first think about all the risks involved. Kekla Magoon, author of Sex Education in Schools, says that “half of all teens aged 15 to 19 years old in the United States have had sex” (Magoon 64-65). It is currently not required by federal law for schools to teach Sex education and those few schools that do teach Sex education have the decision to determine how much information is allowed. Advocates from both sides of the Sex education debate agree that teens need positive influences in order to make practical decisions (Magoon 88-89). Opponents of Abstinence-only education believe it fails because it does not prepare teens for all the risks of sex (Magoon 64-65).
2. Main Point B: Secondly, I’m going to talk about how the morning after pill works and why it is not an abortion pill.
Just imagine a 17 year old girl sitting on her bathroom floor. She is staring at this plastic stick that is now going to determine her choices for the rest of her life. The little plus sign causes her stomach to tense up and her throat to choke up. Who will help her? Who will pay for the food her and her baby need? Who is the father? Will she finish high-school and go to college? How will her parents react? This young girl has a choice that will have major impact on her life no matter what she decides. What if she was able to decide when and how she wanted these decisions/questions to come up? That young girl isn’t the only girl thinking about this choice; actually thousands of girls are. The United States has the highest teenage
Freely accessible birth control for teenagers has always been a topic of debate, but it prevents pregnancy, abortion, and it also has many health benefits. There are cons to the argument that suggests a rise in promiscuity in the adolescent demographic, but in spite of these cons the rise of birth control continues, because access to birth control helps adolescents make an informed and safe decision on whether or not to participate in sexual activities. It doesn’t make the decision for them.
We already know that some minors are stupid enough, naive enough, or defiant enough to have sexual intercourse with another person. That is all you need to know to figure out if minors should or should not be able to use birth control, if they’re going do it anyways, they should be able to protect themselves for the future. Approximately 1 million adolescent teens become pregnant each year and 86% of STI’s (Sexually transmitted infection) happen between ages 15-29 years old, showing just how big of a social issue this is for Americans. A valid argue against is, if you don 't let them protect themselves, they won’t have sex at all, fearing the consequences. This essay will cover why it is imperative that it is legal for minors to use birth
Welcome to America: land of opportunity and most importantly, free. Well, unless you're a young, possibly teenage girl seeking birth control. We have people with extreme morals and religious beliefs making those decisions for you! Let us not forget the people saying sex education is tainting our youth's brains, yet wonder why they lack the basic knowledge on STDs. Remember, "Choice is an essence of personal freedom," (Brooks, ...About Life Control). Therefore leading to the point that birth control should be complimentary to all.
A report published by the U.S Department of Health and Human Accommodations “suggests that as many as 50% of all adolescents are sexually active” (White, 2008, p. 349). A portion of those are puerile women who will become pregnant, adolescent men who will contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and teenagers who will suffer from emotional distress and regret. Albeit the majority concurs inculcation is the solution to this dilemma, one q...
Stating the obvious, no one can choose the gender they are born with. It is possible to change genders through extensive surgery once you are older, but you cannot choose how you are born. Maybe one day there will be the technology and science that provides that possibility, but today it does not exist. It is no new topic, but government mandated health care is something to be addressed. Though people’s opinions go back and forth and there is no leading side, many people have heard of the topic of government mandated birth control. The main argument in support of this is the question of why women should have to pay for something out of their control, while men do not.
As we see in the world today many teens are becoming mothers before they finish high school or before they turn 18. Although some teens are on birth control already many are not because they are afraid to tell their parents which may lead to their parents thinking they are sexually active. Moreover, teens usually find themselves in a professional clinic trying to seek different options of birth control but they are derailed by having parental consent or notification. Many clinics have a policy were teen needs to have parental consent to receive birth control. Many parents feel that teens should be able to make the choice by themselves if they are having sex or just being careful.
The government likes to pretend that if high school students get taught the “abstinence-only” method they would never think of taking part in sexual activities. Statistically this is incorrect. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “56 percent of high school students are virgins”(Martin). For the 56 percent abstinence only is doing them well, but there are still 44 percent of high school students engaging in sex without knowing the precau...
middle of paper ... ... By providing teenagers with means and information for obtaining different forms of contraceptives, the likelihood of teenagers protecting themselves against the risks of sexual intercourse increases. A number of people do not support teaching or providing contraceptives to teenagers. In the article “Distributing Condoms in Schools Encourages Teen Sex”, John D. Hartigan wrote, “.
The glamorous side of sex is everywhere; music, tv shows, movies and social media. To a mature adult, it is easy to ignore the sexual messages in those outlets. However, to a teenager, going through mental and physical changes and peer pressure, it is extremely easy to fall for what is shown to “cool.” Everyone has fallen for half truths to be cool in their teenage life. It just so happens that teen pregnancies and STDs are not one of those things that one can simply walk away from. Babies and STDs leave a lasting effect on everyone involved. The National Conference of State Legislatures states:
Martinez, Gladys, Joyce Abma, and Casey Copen. “Educating Teenagers About Sex In The United States”. CDC.GOV. Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 15 Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Feb.2014
The topic of condom distribution in public schools has caused many heated debates throughout our country in the last decade. Proponents of distribution state that free condom distribution will ensure that teenagers will practice safe sex and that the rate of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy will decline. Opponents of distribution state that free condom distribution will encourage sexual activity and foster the idea that premarital sex is acceptable. Judges in federal court have even considered whether or not condom distribution and sex education without prior parental notification violates parents' First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The only viewpoint absent in a discussion of this very controversial topic is the one that holds the most value: the viewpoint of America's teenagers. Teenagers are the only ones who can fully explain why condom distribution fails to respond to the needs that foster sexual activity among young people.