Imagine a parent waking up one day to find his or her child being eligible for the infamous show “16 and Pregnant”. This television show touches upon the lives of teenagers after they have conceived a child and discusses how they got pregnant, many times by not using a condom. Condoms and birth control pills fall under the category of contraceptives, items to prevent the spread of disease and pregnancy. Contraceptives are mandatory to prevent unplanned pregnancy and the spread of disease if one participates in sexual activity, but should they be offered in a school setting? According to a 2007 AP-Ipsos poll, “two-thirds of Americans” promote birth control being offered to students within public schools (“Why Schools Give Birth Control” 1).
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Teen pregnancy is an ever-growing issue, impacting both the student, newborn child and community. A teen’s future is at risk with the inability to complete school once she is impregnated. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy states that “less than 2% of [of teenage mothers] earn a college degree by age 30”, demonstrating that the teen mother is truly jeopardizing the child’s destiny and her own (“Why Schools Give Birth Control” 2). The article also noted that 67% of youth who were born to teenage mothers acquired a high school degree, whereas 81% of youth born to older parents received a degree (“Why Schools Give Birth Control” 3). Clearly, children born of very young parents can be subjected to a life of poverty, low-income jobs and possibly unhappiness. Those children may have a difficult time in future years because of their inability to receive a quality education during adolescence. An effortless and reliable way to diminish the teen birth rate is to simply offer contraceptives in a school setting. In addition, the students future fades once they look down and and see two pink stripes, disclosing that they are pregnant. Teenage pregnancy too often leads to an unfinished high school career. Many students do not want to worry about conception and the possibility of having to drop out of school (Gorman 1). Students still want to have a good successful life which, for the most part, requires an education, but pregnancy limits their options. The use of contraceptives can increase the chances of students staying in school. In fact, according to many studies, teen pregnancies have been significantly lessened with the help of contraceptives. Beginning in 1992 and ending in 2005, the city of Baltimore has had a 73 percent decrease in teen childbirth, in part due to the easy access to birth control (Koch 1). In addition,
Teen pregnancy is an ever-growing issue, impacting both the student, newborn child and community. A teen’s future is at risk with the inability to complete school once she is impregnated. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy states that “less than 2% of [of teenage mothers] earn a college degree by age 30”, demonstrating that the teen mother is truly jeopardizing the child’s destiny and her own (“Why Schools Give Birth Control” 2). The article also noted that 67% of youth who were born to teenage mothers acquired a high school degree, whereas 81% of youth born to older parents received a degree (“Why Schools Give Birth Control” 3). Clearly, children born of very young parents can be subjected to a life of poverty, low-income jobs and possibly unhappiness. Those children may have a difficult time in future years because of their inability to receive a quality education during adolescence. An effortless and reliable way to diminish the teen birth rate is to simply offer contraceptives in a school setting. In addition, the students future fades once they look down and and see two pink stripes, disclosing that they are pregnant. Teenage pregnancy too often leads to an unfinished high school career. Many students do not want to worry about conception and the possibility of having to drop out of school (Gorman 1). Students still want to have a good successful life which, for the most part, requires an education, but pregnancy limits their options. The use of contraceptives can increase the chances of students staying in school. In fact, according to many studies, teen pregnancies have been significantly lessened with the help of contraceptives. Beginning in 1992 and ending in 2005, the city of Baltimore has had a 73 percent decrease in teen childbirth, in part due to the easy access to birth control (Koch 1). In addition,