Abstinence-Only Sexual Education Research Paper

Words: 1569
Pages: 7

The Consequence of Abstinence
Tears fill the eyes of an adolescent girl as fear rises from the deepest pit of her stomach to the pinnacle of her chest, strangling her speak and leaving her at a loss for words. Her absolute worst fears have just been realized; she is pregnant. Unfortunately, this can, and very certainly will be the reality for teenagers who are not taught thorough sex education. Many teenagers have and will fall victim to sexually transmitted diseases, teenage pregnancy, or social outcasting all at the hand of their own government. Abstinence-Only sexual education claims abstinence to be the only proper way to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases, while also usually censoring information about sexual contraception.
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Abstinence-Only programs will teach you to excuse your sexual urges. Because these programs believe in using sheer willpower to refrain from sex, the students attending those classes will not usually be taught about sexual contraception. Students will not be informed of the benefits of using contraception and what it can prevent. Youth attending these classes are taught that contraception is unreliable and ineffective, condoms will not be effective in preventing transmissions of HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases, and condoms have a high failure rate in preventing unplanned pregnancy (Alford). These claims made by Abstinence-Only programs, are absolutely hazardous and lack truth. While these claims do make sense to some, research and statistics convey otherwise. Abstinence-Only programs will not always mention the whole truth regarding contraception, if they do mention it all. When it comes to sexual contraception, if used correctly and consistently, it is extremely effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. The Truth About Abstinence-Only Programs, states: “When used consistently and correctly, contraception can be extremely effective at preventing unwanted pregnancies. While a typical woman who uses no method of contraception has an eighty-five percent chance of becoming pregnant in one year, a woman who regularly uses contraception has a considerably lower chance of becoming pregnant, with a range of failed contraceptive methods ranging from .05 percent to twenty-nine percent.” While the spread of various forms of sexually transmitted diseases (especially those spread through skin to skin contact) is a crucially valid concern; teaching young people facts about these diseases and how to prevent them, is just as important. Abstinence-Only