Abstinence Only Education

Abstinence-Only Education

Teen abstinence is a smart choice to choose when one is not ready to have sexual relations. What is sexual abstinence? Sexual abstinence is when one chooses not to partake in having sexual intercourse or any other sexual activity. Choosing too refrain from having sexual intercourse can have many benefits. Teens are less likely to get pregnant, less likely to have a sexually transmitted disease, and more teens stay out of trouble. Teenagers who choose abstinence rarely have any regrets, but those teenagers who choose to remain sexually active most often have regrets. Abstinence is the only one hundred percent effective birth control method. Many teenagers are scared to say no because they are scared of hurting their partner’s feelings. Sex education should only include abstinence training because it does not overeducate the children about sexual issues, it teaches children to have self discipline, and it leaves room for the children’s parents to give them advice.

The teaching of sexual education began in the United States in the nineteen sixties. For over a quarter century, the government has supported an abstinence only education program that eliminates information to youth. In the United States, sex education is taught two different ways: comprehensive sex education and abstinence only education. Comprehensive sex education teaches students that abstinence is the best choice, but it also teaches teenagers how to use contraceptives and how to avoid getting sexually transmitted diseases that could actually affect the rest of their life. Abstinence only education teaches that avoiding sexual intercourse or any other form of sex should be avoided until marriage. Teenage sexual activity has been a major problem that has caused more and more teenagers to catch a sexually transmitted disease. These sex education programs have been proven to be effective in reducing the rate of early sexual activity in adolescents (Rector).

Children who are...