Teenage Sex Issues - Essay Example

Teenage Sex Total Number of Words 068 Introduction As a teenager, I have personally experienced encountering friends who are sexually active. There were even some cases wherein some of my friends would openly ask me questions whether or not I have experienced engaging myself in any forms of sexual activity. As a result of peer pressure, a lot of adolescents are at risk of engaging in teenage sex. In fact, CDC recently reported that 34.2% of the entire high school students throughout the United States are sexually active and that approximately 38.9% of high school students who are sexually active do not practice the use of condom while having sexual intercourse with their partner (Eaton, et al., 2010). Upon gathering related research articles from the UAH-Salmon Library, the moral, ethical, health, and social issues related to teenage sex will be tackled in details. Eventually, significant ways on how my cultural background and the place where I grew up affect my attitude and values regarding teenage sex will be provided in this study. Prior to conclusion, the pros and cons of incorporating sex education in the school system will be thoroughly discussed. Moral, Ethical, Health, and Social Issues related to Teenage Sex Morality means that the act of a person should not go against religion which could lead a person to experience “defilement”, “sin”, and “guilt” (Farley, 2006, p. 175). In relation to morality, ethics is a moral philosophy which is commonly used when judging whether or not a specific human action is classified as moral or immoral. Religions like Catholics, Protestant, and Jewish acknowledges that the act of making love should be done within the context of marriage (between the husband and wife). Therefore, it is immoral and unethical for high school students to engage themselves in teenage sex. Teenage sex is a serious socio-economic problem because the act of engaging in sexual activities at an early age could lead to unplanned pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is one of the most common reasons why a young woman would drop out from school (The National Campaign, 2010). Because of the tight competition in the labor market, there is a strong possibility that a pregnant teenager who is not able to finish school will have more difficulty finding a decent job. Therefore, teenage pregnancy could lead to serious economic problems after a teenage mother gives birth. In relation to unprotected teenage sexual activity, the health of the mother is compromised because of the increased risk of becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases like HIV, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Almost all teenage women who become pregnant at an early age are not mentally, physically, psychologically, and financially prepared for this kind of responsibility. Because of mental and emotional stress associated with teenage pregnancy, the overall well-being of the child becomes affected. Other than having a higher tendency for premature and low birth weight (Martin, Hamilton & Sutton, 2006), children born out of wedlock are most likely to suffer from physical and emotional abuse as they grow older (Hoffman, 2006). Specifically the culture and place where I grew up significantly affected my personal views regarding teenage sex. I belong to a very religious and conservative family. Because of my parents’ religious belief, my mother constantly reminded me to refrain from having sex until such time that I get married. Every time my friends would talk about having sex with their partner, I always remember my mother telling me that refraining from losing my virginity is the best gift I could give to my lifetime partner. Discussion There are pros and cons with incorporating sexual education in high school curriculum. Upon examining the research study result that was conducted by Schuster et al. (1998), teaching high school students about the use of condom does not prevent them from engaging in sexual intercourse but makes them more aware of the importance of using condom while having sex. It simply means that wrong way of delivering sex education to high school students could be effective in terms of preventing the socio-economic consequences of teenage pregnancy. I agree with the research findings of Schuster et al. (1998) such that incorporating sex education in high school curriculum could only increase the number of high school students engaging in teenage sex. This is true since incorporating sex education in high school curriculum does not necessarily solve the moral and ethical issues behind teenage sex. Teaching high school students about the negative socio-economic consequences of teenage sex could make more young women aware of what is likely to happen when they agree to have sex with a man. Since young girls are at risk of becoming pregnant after a sexual activity, it is the young girls who are more likely to think twice before engaging themselves in teenage sex as compared to young men. Since dissiminating sensitive information to the students could contribute to the development of wrong sexual beliefs, school teachers should carefully plan and develop strategic ways on how the school could properly incorporate sex education in high school curriculum. My personal attitude and values regarding teenage sex is totally different from the attitude and values of most high school students. Because of peer pressure and environmental influences such as the media, almost half of my classmates in high school are open to the idea of getting involved in teenage sex. To prevent high school students from engaging in teenage sex, I strongly believe that incorporating sex education in high school curriculum can somehow be useful in changing the personal views and attitudes of some of the high school students with regards to teenage sex. If there is no sex education program in school, the number of teenage pregnancy and cases of STD infection is likely to increase. Conclusion Teenage pregnancy could adversely affect adolescents’ future socio-economic status, work opportunities, overall health and wellness, and the well-being of the child. As a result of properly incorporating sexual education in high school curriculum, young women can protect themselves not only from getting infected with sexually transmitted diseases but also the health and socio-economic consequences of becoming pregnant. Although making sex education available to high school students can be useful in preventing teenage pregnancy, it does not necessarily solve the moral and ethical issues behind sexual activities outside the context of marriage. For this reason, school teachers should carefully study and develop strategic ways on how they can raise the students’ morality when it comes to teenage sex. *** End *** References Eaton, D., Kann, L., Kinchen, S., Shanklin, S., Ross, J., Hawkins, J., et al. (2010, June 4). Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Retrieved July 9, 2010, from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance — United States, 2009. Vol. 59, No. SS-5: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss5905.pdf Farley, M. (2006). A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics. The Continuum International Publishing Group. Hoffman, S. (2006, October). The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved May 22, 2010, from By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Adolescent: http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/pdf/pubs/BTN_Full.pdf Martin, J., et al. (2006). Births: Final Data for 2004. National Vital Statistics Reports. NVSS , 55(1), 1-104. Schuster, M., Bell, R., Berry, S., & Kanouse, D. (1998). Impact of a High School Condom Availability Program on Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Family Planning Perspectives , 30(2), 67-72. The National Campaign. (2010, March). Retrieved July 9, 2010, from Why It Matters. Linking Teen Pregnancy Prevention to Other Critical Social Issues: http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/why-it-matters/pdf/introduction.pdf Read More