“For the past twenty-five years, sex education programs have received more than double the funding that abstinence education programs have received,”(Huber 2). Another important topic that many people inquire about when deciding which type of education they want for their students are the benefits of sex education programs. The most prominent benefit of sex education is learning how to use different types of contraceptives to protect the body from sexually transmitted infections and diseases. Knowing how to use contraceptives is identified as being beneficial since it helps prevent the body from contracting, or making worse, the many sexually transmitted diseases, STDs, that can be caused by skin-to-skin contact. STDs can cause scarring in reproductive organs, and this can lead to infertility. Other STDs can cause birth complications or even lead to HIV [Human Immunodeficiency Virus]. HPV, “the cause of genital warts,” has also been found to be a link to cervix, penis, anus, and vulva cancer (McIlhaney 3). Even though contraceptives cannot absolutely prevent the contraction of STDs, studies have proven that they can help prevent them. “Contrary to the assertions in the curricula, the most recent …show more content…
“In recent years federal lawmakers have steadily increased federal funding [for abstinence programs] to more than $165 million annually,”(American Civil Liberties Union 1). “Currently, there are three federal programs dedicated to funding abstinence-only education,” (American Civil Liberties Union 1). The next step when comparing these two topics would be discussing the benefits of abstinence-only education. The first benefit for many who support this side of the dispute is learning how to abstain from any sexual activity. This is a prime benefit for the reasons that if a person is not having sex, they cannot contract STDs. “The two leading factors associated with STD infection are how early in life someone begins to have sex and the number of different sexual partners someone has,”(McIlhaney 2). Also, an abstinent person in a short-term relationship has a better chance of recovery from a breakup than a sexually active person. This is because sexual activity brings one more connection into the relationship; it brings a physical connection along with the emotional connection. Another significant benefit of abstinence-only education is that it promotes a healthy life. “In addition to teaching the benefits of abstaining from sexual activity until marriage, these initiatives focus on developing character traits that prepare youngsters for future-oriented goals,”(Kim 1). Most abstinence programs encourage students to live a very