The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. Research studies across the country are showing that properly educating teens about their bodies and being responsible and smart when it comes to decisions about sex is leading to reduce teen pregnancy numbers. Focusing on certain matters that influence young teens to have sex should be looked into in every health class. Students need know how easy one mistake can change their lives. If every state in the U.S. developed and implemented comprehensive, medically-accurate and culturally-diverse sex education in schools along with abstinence programs, unplanned teenage pregnancy could be all but eliminated in the United States.
Some groups argue that sex education encourages sexual behavior in young people, while removing all focus on moral values and abstinence. "Some opponents of sex education and condom availability programs argue that these programs violate the right of parents to educate their children about moral behavior and religious values." "Parents worry that sex education and condom availability encourage an increase in teenage sex" ("Majaka") While these statements were taken from an article about Zimbabwe, it is typical of all opponents' positions worldwide that sex education only encourages sex among teens. Thousands of teens have either considered becoming sexually active or are already having sex. Not properly educating them about safe-sex and about facts vs. myths will guarantee not only higher pregnancy rates, but also higher STD rates.
Teens these days need comprehensive and medically accurate sex education if they are to make better, more informed decisions about becoming sexually active. "More than 8 in 10 (82%) say they are not at all confused about how to prevent pregnancy, but four in ten (42%) don't know that it's possible for a girl to get pregnant during her period" (TNC).