Great Essay

Only available on StudyMode
  • Download(s) : 139
  • Published : February 10, 2013
Open Document
Text Preview
For the longest time, there has been a huge controversy over the implementation of a school-base sexuality school education. The debate always seems to go back and forth on whether the implementing of an abstinence-education in school systems will lower pregnancies and transmitted diseases such as HIV/STD’s. Abstinence-education is a form of sex education that teaches individuals to be abstinence from having sex. This type of education encourages others by not having sex until marriage and avoids the discussion of using contraceptives (birth control products). The first person to recognize and give support to the abstinence education was Ronald Regan in 1982, with the Adolescent Family Life Act administered by the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs. In 1992, the funding for abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs grew drastically with the enactment of welfare reform. This law mandated to provide over 50 million dollars a year for the abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage program. Today, due to societal changes, there have been many disputes amongst scholars who believe that abstinence education does not provide an effect in preventing pregnancies and STD’s because many people engage in sexual activities and there have been higher rates of pregnancies and STD’s. While, on the contrary, there are still those who believe that the abstinence-only and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs still has a great deal of effect on such causes. In the following essay I will provide two articles that discussion the following topic: abstinence-base education. One article will debate that abstinence education increases pregnancies and sexually transmitted STD’s, while the article, will argue for the abstinence base education, which prevents STD’s and has a great deal of effect on low pregnancies. “Abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education and the initiation of sexual activity and teen pregnancy” does not support the abstinence base education. Sexually transmitted diseases and high pregnancies is the highest in the United States than any other country. In 2001, abstinence only education received 80 million dollars in federal funding to continue in providing an abstinence only education. Over the years until today the 80 million dollars in federal funding has doubled in continuing to provide the abstinence base education. However, even with all this federal funding the effects of abstinence base programs regarding lower pregnancies and STD preventions have been minimal. The question that the researchers asked whether abstinence-base education is most effective in reducing teen pregnancies and transmitted diseases such as STD’s? The method used to provide the statistics from NSFG. NSFG is a nationwide survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Trained personnel collected data with the University of Michigan from January 2002 to March 2003 through an in-home interview process. The information included demographics such as: knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding family planning issues, and self-reported sexual behavior and previous diagnoses of STDs. The sample included 12, 571 males and females from different income, and racial backgrounds who responded and were between the ages of 15-44. Adolescent from the age of 15-19 were asked additional questions such as sexual behavior, pregnancies, and STDs. This sample restricted married people; it was only for heterosexual non-married individuals. The first question that was asked, was did they receive any formal instruction in school, church, a community center or any other place about how to say no to sex? And a follow-up question was asked about birth control? Participant who had only had “say no to sex” were put in abstinence base education while those who were asked about birth control plus the first question were classified in the comprehensive sex education. They asked the participants some series of questions regarding...
tracking img