Contraceptives Should Be Taught In Schools Research Paper

Contraceptives are devices used during intercourse which help to prevent the spread of STDs and to prevent pregnancy. Teenagers sometimes do not have access to contraceptives and are more likely to acquire STDs or to become pregnant than adults are. There is a debate over whether contraceptives should to be provided to high school students or if abstinence is a better method of preventing these problems. As a mother of a teenage daughter entering high school, I believe it is ideal that schools provide contraceptives to prevent pregnancies and diseases that can be avoided and to allow teenagers to focus on education.

Learning about contraceptives can teach teenagers how to avoid pregnancy and STDs better than just teaching abstinence can. While many might argue that teaching abstinence discourages teenagers from having sex, "The South, which has the highest percentage of schools (55%) that require abstinence be taught as the only means of preventing pregnancy, has the highest rate of teen births" (Welsh 4). The fact that schools which rely on abstinence education produce the greatest number of teenage …show more content…
Statistics state that only "half of girls who had children before age 18 graduate from high school, and less than 2% earn a college degree by age 30" (Welsh 3). But the parents aren't the only teenagers whose education and success are affected. "About two-thirds of children born to teen mothers earned a high school diplomas vs. 81% of children of older mothers' (Welsh 3). So both teenage parents and their children are less likely to complete their education and pursue a professional career through a college degree. If contraceptives were made more available in high schools, these pregnancies might be prevented and would allow teenagers a chance to focus on their education and pursue careers, which they might not be able to do if they had a child to care