Across the nation, thirty percent of American teens are sexually active, thus meaning that there is a higher risk of contracting an STD and/or young adolescent pregnancy. So what is the government doing to prevent STDs and teen pregnancy? The U.S. national government made it somewhat mandatory that state public schools provide a sex education class or curriculum. The "Abstinence only," tends to be a popular point in discussion about sex safety in today's school. Seventy-five percent of middle schools and eighty-five percent of high schools are taught abstinence as the most effective way to prevent pregnancy, but they are not well informed about contraceptives and the risks of contracting STDs or getting pregnant. In order for adolescents to become more well educated about pregnancy, STDs and the other options available besides abstinence, an organization should be created to promote a healthier and safer sex life for teens through introducing sexual education classes into the school system, creating a curriculum that includes more risks and options regarding sex, and having teachers and counselors provide information about other programs that will accommodate teens in learning more about the subject at hand. .
Statement of the Problem.
Although there are schools that do include sexual education as a class or curriculum, that is only a section of the main problem. The main problem is that only bits and pieces that are in relation to sex are being taught. .
Prior Solutions and Reasons for Inadequacy .
Of the forty-two out of fifty states, thirty-nine states require that abstinence be included, with twenty-seven states requiring that abstinence be stressed, and the remaining twelve to just be sure to cover abstinence ("Facts on American," par. 11). In the state of Texas, sex education must stress the importance of sex only within marriage and stress the important information about abstinence.