Positive Impacts of Sex Education on Teenage Pregnancies

Introduction Sexual behaviors and attitudes have changed overtime, although not completely. These changes have been attributed to the cultural transformations that have occurred in societies. Some reasons for this include the increased emphasis on sex education especially in schools and in the mass media, the increasing concern on HIV/AIDS and STDs as well as the general formal education acquired by individuals in formal schools and churches, and other organizations.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Positive Impacts of Sex Education on Teenage Pregnancies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These have helped change people’s perception on sexual behaviors. According to Gordon, Lottes and Weinberg (1997), education has played a key role in changing people’s sexual behavior, either positively or negatively. According to Baltzer and colleagues (2008), most teenagers seem to be responsible regarding the issue of sexuality, although some areas of concern still exist. Such areas include teenage pregnancy, AIDS and STDs infection, and their consequences on the health of the teenagers. Newspaper overview ‘’CDC: One-third of sex ed omits birth control.’’ Written by Stobbe Mike on the 15th of September, 2010. According to Stobbe, most teenagers in the US have obtained formal sex education but not all have received formal education on matters of birth control methods. According to the government’s report released on 15th of September, 2010, only two-thirds of those who have received formal education have the knowledge on birth control methods (Stobbe, 2010). Stobbe argues that most of the students do not absorb what they are taught in class about sex education. Therefore, teenage pregnancies have increased, especially between 2005 and 2007, with a slight decrease in 2008. Most students argue that they do not obtain sex education in their earlier ages and they only get it at the age of 18. They also argue that much of the teaching content provided through formal education mainly deals with saying no to sexual advances and STDs but lesser attention is paid towards the use contraceptives and other birth control methods. According to the data provided by the government, only two-thirds of teenagers acquire knowledge on birth control methods by the end of their high school education. The report released by the government also notes that most parents tend to discuss sex and birth control with their teenage daughters more than their teenage sons. According to Stobbe (2010), other research studies carried out on sex education in US seem to suggest that sex education declined between 1995 and 2002 and has not improved since then. This was mainly attributed to the government’s policies on sex education that only stressed on abstinence.Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first pa per with 15% OFF Learn More The program only taught students about STDs but did not focus on how to apply birth control methods. However, over the last two years, much of the federal funding has focused on sponsoring teaching programs that discuss the use of birth control methods. A CDC report that was released at the beginning of this year show that teenagers attitude towards pregnancy and birth control methods have not changed. Education and Teenage Pregnancy Positive Impacts of Sex Education on teenage pregnancies Teenage pregnancy may be defined as pregnancy in a girl or a young woman who has not yet celebrated her twentieth birthday regardless of whether the woman is married or not (Boyce et al, 2002). Education has played a major role in guiding teenagers to change their behavior and attitude towards sexuality. They are able to understand themselves better and carry themselves in an appropriate manner. Most teenagers today play safe sex (Baltzer, et al.). According to Luong and Sen (n. d) and Sex Life Canada (2010), teenage pregnancies have reduced in Canada and British Colombia. This has been as a result of provision of a comprehensive sex education and health information to teenagers. Sex Life Canada, (2010), states that teenage pregnancy in Canada and British Colombia reduced by 37% and 35% respectively from 1996 to 2005. Sex education has enabled teenagers in Canada to apply birth control methods of using contraceptives. Some public hospitals in Ontario, Canada, have reported low birth rates of about 9.5% for young women between the age of 15 and 19 (Chen, Fleming, Demissie, Rhoads, Wen and Walker, 2007). The data above show that education can effectively help teenagers change their behavior and attitude towards sexuality and be able to avoid unplanned teenage pregnancies. According to Baltzer et al (2008) and Mackinnon (2002), majority of teenagers in Canada have acquired knowledge on sexuality and about 29% of boys are ready to abstain and wait till their get the right partners for marriage. Failures of Sex Education in reducing teenage pregnancies According to the article by Stobbe, education has not achieved much in terms of helping students change their attitudes and behavior on sex and use of birth controls. Although education has been perceived to help young women and girls avoid teenage pregnancies, it has not been able to fully achieve this goal. According to Hana (2010), America has seen tremendous increases in teenage pregnancy for girls aged between 15 and 19, over the recent years. According to her, about 0.75 million teenage girls get pregnant every year and out of these pregnancies about 82% is unplanned. These teenage pregnancies have severe impacts on girls especially when they are not planned. These may include problems with their emotional, social, psychological and physical health.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Positive Impacts of Sex Education on Teenage Pregnancies sp ecifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The reasons for the failure of the formal sex education are varied. According to Stobbe (2010), formal education failed to have an impact on teenagers due to the lack of its comprehensive approach. The policies on sex education laid by the government only focused on providing formal sex education on abstinence and awareness of STDs leaving out a very important part of birth control. This means that most students step out of high school with little or no information on application of birth control. Besides, According to Bruce (2001), the average age in which most young girls in America experience their first menstrual period is 12. However, much education on sexuality is mostly concentrated on the upper secondary schools, thus neglecting most of the girls who are also vulnerable to teenage pregnancies. According to the United Press International, (2006), most teenagers do not use condoms while having sex. According to the article, only 28% of teenage girls use protection while having sex. Evidence has shown that young girls even with ages below twelve years have conceived and given birth under normal circumstances. Researches have also shown that most parents do not find it appropriate to discuss matters of sexuality with their children. Only a smaller percentage has been able to this effectively. Most parents shy away from discussing matters of birth control with their children, especially the boys, assuming that boys are not psychological affected by young fatherhood (Dryburgh, 2002). Effective sex education can not be achieved without reinforcement from the parents and those close to the teenagers. Most mothers prefer to take their children to doctors to discuss matters on sexuality rather than discuss it with them since most mothers lack the full information on sexuality to provide for their children (Baltzer et al 2008). They also feel that the terminologies on sexuality are to o strong to be discussed with their teenage children. However, according to the research carried out by the Paediatr Child Health to determine the extent of sex education among the youth in Canada, only 7% of the teenagers had acquired sex education services from doctors (Baltzer,et al, 2008). Formal sex education does not cover all aspects that contribute to teenage sex and how to go about them. It has limited information on playing safe sex since much of the content provided only discusses about STDs and abstinence. They are also not taught how to deal with the influence from their peers who normally convince them into having teenage sex. Most teenage girls are pressured by their boyfriends into having sex. According to Treffers (2003), about 29% of teenagers are pressured by their peers into having sexual intercourse.Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The education provided on sexuality also does not cover matters of post pregnancy psychological consequences on the young mothers and fathers. The content does not discuss on how to deal with post pregnancy trauma. Thus the impacts of pregnancies are really felt by those who become pregnant. Some knowledge about the risks and post pregnancy psychological consequences would better help the teenagers to adapt safe sex while having intercourse. Conclusion Education is very important in changing the adolescent’s attitude and behavior towards sexuality and teenage pregnancy in particular. It is therefore essential to identify factors that bar the youth from getting full information and knowledge about sexuality. Therefore, providing a comprehensive formal sex education should be considered in order to reduce these cases of teenage pregnancies. Teachers, parents and health care professionals should provide a comprehensive and accurate sex education to teenagers. It is also importan t to ensure sexual health information is accessible to all teenagers. Reference List Baltzer, F, Elliot, A, Frappier, JY, Kaufman, M, Lane, M, McDuff, P and Pinzon, J. (2008). Sex and sexual health: A survey of Canadian youth and mothers. Pulsus Group Inc, Rockville Pike. Boyce W, Doherty M, Fortin C and Mackinnon D. (2002). Canadian youth, sexual  health and HIV/AIDS study. Web. Bruce, A. (2001). Adolescent Pregnancy. In Alex Gitterman: Handbook of Social  Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations (2nd ed). Columbia University Press, New York. Chen, X.K, Fleming N, Demissie K, Rhoads G.G, Wen S.W., Walker M. (2007).  Teenage pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a large population based  retrospective cohort study. Int J Epidemiol. Dryburgh, H. (2000).Teenage pregnancy. Health Reports. Web. Gordon, L.E, Lottes I.L., Weinberg, G. (1997). Social class background, sexual  attitudes, and sexual behavior in a heterosexual undergraduate sample. HighBeam Business . Hana, M. (2010). Psychological Effects of Teenage Pregnancy. Web. Luong, M., Sen, A. (n. d). Sex, Teen Pregnancies, STDs, and Beer Prices:  Empirical Evidence from Canada. Stobbe, M. (2010). CDC: One-third of sex ed omits birth control. The Associated Press. Treffers, P. E. (2003). Teenage pregnancy, a worldwide problem. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. United Press International (2006, August 3). Report says teens don’t often use  condoms. United Press International. This term paper on Positive Impacts of Sex Education on Teenage Pregnancies was written and submitted by user Amel1a to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

my stance on war Essays

my stance on war Essays my stance on war Essay my stance on war Essay Essay Topic: All Quiet On the Western Front English 101 Evils of Wars Wars break out for various reasons. There are wars between countries or nations and within the nation. The latter is generally known as a civil war and can occur as a result of differences based on race, religion, socio-economic dissatisfaction among others. Whether wars are waged between countries (interstate) or inside the country between different sections of the communities, the effects are very damaging. There are a number of viewpoints for deciding when war is appropriate, some based on morals, and some based on costs and benefits. There are four theories that serve as justification for violence and wars. The main theories that explain policy decisions about war and peace are the theories of realism, pacifism, Just-war, and the requirement of discrimination theory. l, of course, dont support the idea that war is necessary because it destroys innocent minds, it is bad for the economy, and it is terrible for the environment. War does not always physically injure someone, but it can emotionally scar them for the rest of their lives. First, one thing that we can learn rom war is the recognition of universal similarities. Oftentimes, the soldiers are constantly told that the enemy are beasts and deserve no reason to live. But what makes the enemy different from them? Both sides believe in fighting for the homeland. Also, both sides encounter the destruction that a war brings to soldier mentally and physically. In the book All Quiet on the Western Front, author Erich Maria Remarque explains how even though in war the soldiers may have survived the attacks, they did not always survive the war itself(23). By this statement, Remarque is trying to inform readers that war has negative effects on people, not only physically but also mentally. War destroys innocence. Soldiers in the war never had a chance to live their youth because they had to go to war. Just as they should be starting their teenage years, they were forced to drop everything at once and put their life on the line. If war does not kill you physically, then it will emotionally. Its a simple fact; war is destruction at its best. It does not only destroy lives and emotions, but the economy as well. War has influenced economic history profoundly across time and space. Above all, recurring war has drained wealth, disrupted markets, and depressed economic growth. Wars are expensive in money and other resources. In the book The Real Price of War: How You Pay for the War on Terror, author Joshua S. Goldstein informs that one estimate put World War Is total cost at $400 billion five times the value of everything in France and Belgium at the time(14). Goldsteins point is that in order to maintain a war and be fully prepared for it, a single country will eed to spend billions of dollars on weapons, food, shelter, training, etc. Yet many people might believe that it is worth it to squander billions of dollars Just to kill innocent people, and destroy countries, I think it is an aimless action to act upon. One way governments pay for war is to raise taxes, which is non-beneficial to society. Another way to pay for war is to borrow money, which increases government debt and can drive states into bankruptcy. In addition to draining money and resources capital such as farms, factories, and cities. Throughout history, war has invariably resulted in environmental destruction. Nuclear weapons pose a terrible threat to the environment and human health. The earths environment is battered by war, its preparation, practice and aftermath. It is destroyed as an act of war; it is used as a weapon of war; and its destruction is expensive and sometimes irreversible. In the article The Aftermath of Invasion: A Field Report from Nasiriyah, author Norman Sheehan stated that during the most recent warfare in Iraq, individuals were forced o cut down city trees to use as cooking fuel(1 1). This statement, which Sheehan uses in his article, adds weight to the argument that war destroys the environment. Cutting down trees has many negative effects on the environment, animals, and people. The real risk that conventional weapons pose to the environment is through indirect effects. For example, war affects the quality of our air; emissions from the use of tanks and other military machinery and the use of air bombs leave chemicals and debris in the air, which results in inhaling chemicals that are dangerous for our body. The start of a war only leads to harmful and negative outcomes. There is no doubt that war is an evil one, and it should never occur in history because it destroys innocence, it is bad for the economy, and it is terrible for the environment. There are, doubtless, people who consider war as something grand and heroic and regard it as something that brings out the best man. But this does not in any way alter the fact that war is a terrible dreadful calamity. This topic matters to the world because, us, people need to put ourselves first and think about how much we are going to be ffected when a war breaks down. In one way or another, everyone is affected by war. Therefore, starting a war should never be an option in solving disputes. Goldstein, Joshua S. The Real Price of War: How You Pay for the War on Terror. New York: New York UP, 2004. Print. Remarque, Erich Maria, and A. W. Wheen. All Quiet on the Western Front. Boston: Little, Brown, and, 1929. Print. Sheehan, Norman. The Aftermath of Invasion: A Field Report from Nasiriyah. Environmentalists Against War. Environmentalists Against War, 01 May 2003. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.