Premarital sex is something that happens in all cultures (Lauer, 2012). No matter how people view it or whether they agree with it or not, it is something that is not simply going to disappear. Sexuality as a whole is a sensitive topic to discuss, and being intimate in that way before marriage is even more difficult to talk about. This is a subject many high school and middle school students ponder over, and exploring their sexuality at such a young age requires guidance and advice. There are many factors at play with premarital sex, and there are also many implications that come along with it, including those that are physical, social, and psychological. People’s opinions of premarital sex have altered through the years. A century ago, a …show more content…
If a teen girl is having sex without proper knowledge and protection, there is a high possibility she will get pregnant (“Premarital Sexuality”). Teen births were at an all-time high in the 1990s, lowering and then rising again in 2006 (Lauer, 2012). 88% of these births were undesired. Besides pregnancies, both unwed females and males risk getting diseases, as they are often not mindful of their partner’s previous sex life (“Premarital Sexuality”). Major diseases include the following: AIDS, genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia (Lauer, 2012). These illnesses can be avoided, and yet people still choose to have the unsafe sex that leads to …show more content…
As stated before, reputations can be ruined if someone is considered promiscuous. In this society, rumors and gossip can either elevate someone’s status or sink it. Teens can be rejected and considered unworthy (“The Effects”). Their relationships can be severed, resulting in a loss of friends or families. Perhaps one of the most damaging consequences of premarital sexual activity occurs psychologically. Someone can easily have sex and not be emotionally or mentally prepared for it. Having sex without being married can cause people to feel a sense of guilt or shame, especially religious people (“The Effects”). Deep in their minds, they still consider it a sin, so they feel conflicted on what is deemed right and wrong. Also, if adolescents are already feeling insecure about themselves and their bodies, then having sex can make them more vulnerable. People can even become
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).
Studies show that between 2006 and 2011 there was an average drop of about 30% of teen pregnancies and 50% of teens involved in any kind of sexual activity (not just intercourse) in America. According to a recent study as of 2008, teen birth rates in the U.S., (which have been declining for tw...
Teaching our young teens to abstain from sex until marriage seems hopelessly obsolescent when television and other media are repetitively reinforcing the widespread notion that promiscuity is acceptable because “everyone is doing it.” (Seagren, 2002). So to teach anything but abstinence is crazy. Comprehensive sexual education is sending teens mixed messages at best and at worst it is unknowingly condones promiscuity. It is does not set a clear understanding of what the consequences are for premarital sex. Comprehensive sexual education is proven affective in the decrease of teenage pregnancy but at the same time it is encouraging the teens to engage in premarital sex, which most of the teens are really not ready
According to a 2000 poll done by the Centers for Disease Control, 48% of sexually transmitted diseases are accounted for in people between the ages of fifteen to twenty-four. It is also reported that teens are more likely than other age groups to have multiple sex partners and practice unsafe sex more often. The three most common diseases in teens are Chlamydia, human papillomavirus (HPV), and trichomoniasis. These diseases account for more than eighty-eight percent of new cases in this age group (Davidnow, 2004).
The rise of the teen pregnancy rate has caused us to question the effectiveness of the prevention programs that are offered to adolescents. There have been several programs focused on preventing teen pregnancy from abstinence-only to more comprehensive sexual education programs. Abstinent-only advocates believe that abstaining from having intercourse is the only way to prevent unwanted teen pregnancy. While practicing abstinence is the only 100% secure method of reducing this rate, it is not a logical view. Adolescents will continue to have sexual behavior, and it is important in teaching them more precise education when it comes to sex education. With-holding important information and facts about sexual behavior can change an adolescents’ life forever. Whether it be from teen pregnancy or from a life threatening STD.
Pre-teenagers and teenagers are having sexual intercourse or participating in other sexual acts. According to the Center of Disease Control in 2009 46% of students have had sexual intercourse (Center for Disease Control, 2010). That is almost half of America’s high school students. Nationwide 5.9% of students have had sexual intercourse before the age of thirteen (Center for Disease Control, 2010). Out of those students surveyed 34.2% admitted to not using any type of protection to prevent sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy (Students Againist Destructive Decisions, 2010). It is important to remember that these teens are having sex with little to no formal education on the topic of sex.
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...
Sex before marriage has always been a major issue. Teen pregnancy seems to double yearly: with no sign of stopping. Some teens use contraceptives and birth control incorrectly. They think pregnancy just can’t happen to them. In a lot of cases their embarrassed to buy protection or just simply unsure of how to use them. Many unplanned pregnancies happen beca...
Three million teenagers will contract a sexually transmitted disease and one in three women will become pregnant before they are twenty years old. Teens are contracting sexually transmitted diseases and getting pregnant at an alarming rate, causing the government, schools, and parents to scratch their heads. America is the country with the highest teen pregnancy rate in the world. Many are wondering what can be done to stop this. A debate has been going on about whether abstinence education is doing any good for high school students in America.
Sex before marriage is very often a touchy subject. However, I feel that sex before marriage is a very important subject that is not brought up and talked about enough. There are many different viewpoints brought to the table when talking about this particular subject. The standards of society are constantly changing. One sign of this change is that nowadays many young adults seem to be open to premarital sex. Although I have heard many good arguments from people both pro- and anti- sex before marriage, I have yet to change my stance on this matter. In my opinion, having sexual intercourse before getting married is absolutely a bad tendency in our society.
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:
Rates of sexually transmitted disease and teen pregnancy are higher in the United States than in any other domesticated country. Not surprising since American culture has brought sex to the forefront over the last few decades. The need for comprehensive sex education in schools can teach children that the romanticized relationships and sexual interactions in the media aren’t showing the whole story. For children with ...
This article was published to explain to young people some of the consequences of having sex. More young people are having sex these days without looking at what really can happen. Aggleton shows an overview of the pregnancies, STD’s, and other emotional things that can stick with someone the rest of their lives. Aggleton shows teens the truth about sex instead of something seen as romantic and a risk, and they seeing themselves as people who are experimenting with new things. However, to others it is not a sign of romance but a risk that keeps haunting teenagers with AIDS and pregnancy.
Teen pregnancy is the term used in reference to those young ladies who get pregnant before attainment of legal adulthood that is between 13-18 years age group. It is a circumstance under which a teenager becomes pregnant unintentionally affecting her life-span development. Teen pregnancy is a prevalent factor among many teenage women especially in their 16th to 19th birthday. Pregnant teenagers are today faced with many obstetrics problems similar to those of the women in their age gap of 20s and 30s. Additional medical concerns are experienced by pregnant teenagers in the developing countries especially women aged 14 or younger. A wide range of teenage pregnancy is unplanned and therefore more risk factors are experienced especially the socioeconomic risks. In the developing countries, teen pregnancies lead to social issues and life complications due to early motherhood. The associated social issues include lower educational levels, increasingly poverty level and other poor life outcomes. In the developed countries, teenage pregnancy occurs outside of marriage, thus leads to the development of social stigma in variety of cultures and communities (Carlson, 2009).
Before moving on, one must know that sex education is about, but not limited to the discussion of sexual intercourse. As a Buzzle article states, it involves a multitude of topics that introduce human sexual behaviors such as puberty, sexual health, sexual reproduction, sexuality, and more (Iyer). If formally received in school, these topics are brought up and discussed at age-appropriate times over the course of children’s junior high and high school education. Moreover, as I have introduced earlier, the way sex education should be taught is divided into two approaches. It is between taking either a conservative, abstinence-only approach or a more liberal, comprehensive approach. Abstinence-only education, approaches students by stressing the importance of “no sex before marriage” as be...