Abstinence During Adolescence

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Adolescents that are between the ages 13 -16 are exploring relationships and becoming sexually active and curious about their bodies. It is a time that their body begins to change and they are exploring new relationships with the opposite sex. As adults, it is our responsibility to provide adolescents with the knowledge to understand their own mind and body and to make healthy decisions regarding relationships and sex. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to knowing your body and the standards and morals to which you want or desire to live by. There are many outlets a person can pursue when it comes to the practice of safe sex and healthy relationships and during adolescence is a perfect time to explore this subject to give accurate …show more content…
There are many outlets to turn to that will allow a person to practice safe sex. Abstinence will always be the most effective form of safe sex because there is no chance of the sperm fertilizing the egg (Gavin, 2013). Abstinence is not having sex or any type of sexual encounter (Gavin, 2013). Abstinence has a 100% protection against pregnancy and STDs, as long as there is no sexual interaction of any kind. Abstinence is ALWAYS a guaranteed protection from pregnancy and STDs. If a person decides that they are ready to have a sexual encounter it is important to understand and practice safe sex. Condoms are a good option for a person practicing safe sex. Recent studies have shown that condoms are 98% effective and that “two out of 100 women using male condoms as their contraceptive will become pregnant in one year” (NHS, n.d.). Besides abstinence, using a condom is the best way to protect oneself from contracting an STD or STI. It is crucial that adolescents remember condoms are not 100% effective like abstinence is. Young boys and girls need to understand that any time they have sexual intercourse there is a chance of pregnancy. Using birth control is a good way to prevent pregnancy although it is not 100% effective. There are many types of birth control methods like the patch, pill, shot, cervical cap, etc. (Crooks & Baur, 2014). If a person, male or female, decides they are ready to be sexually active, it is their responsibility to talk to someone knowledgeable about which birth control option would be best for