Should Kids Be Having Kids?

         Why is sex education important to teach our children especially in today’s society?  34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn twenty, while 79 percent of this pregnant group are unmarried. This clearly answers my question. Teenagers need to be better educated on the topic of sex. It is important that these ‘young adults’ be taught about the consequences of their actions. Not only the expenses of taking care of the child is a downside but also, “sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, it only makes sense to have as much education as possible,” (Martin). From my mother’s perspective raising a child at the age of nineteen was not the easiest task. Working full time, going to school full time, taking me to school, and providing me with food and clothes was the ultimate struggle. She had to put her life on hold just so she can make sure I had a sustainable life.

         Raising a child as a child is not the easiest thing in the world, and that is why these teenagers need to be educated on sex and how to prevent pregnancy. Although many schools don’t think that sex ed. is important because they are ignorant to the fact that it may happen to their students and so the teachers should not interefe with their lives outside of school. CNN, Roland Martin, makes a good point that, “How in the world do we say it's OK for schools to teach our children about math, science, history, and numerous other subjects, yet then get high and mighty with righteous indignation when biology is taken a step further to focus on sex?” (Martin). He is without a doubt correct. Sure the basic classes may help people in the future, but will it help them if they have a kid? Teachers need to ensure that every action is taken to make sure young teenagers are smarter with their sex lives.

        So many parents are in that denial stage about their children being sexually active and clearly point out that they can handle the situation if it ever comes about. Sex education needs to be implemented so that this doesn’t happen. People should not react with disgust when they hear the word ‘sex’ rather they should address it as being something that occurs in everyday life, it’s science.  Blinding our children from the word ‘sex’ and shielding them from reality will only hurt them in the long run.  This is why sex ed. should be mandatory in school, so that we can prevent teen pregnancies in the future.

Some Concerning Statistics As to Why Kids Should Not Have Kids:

•    Only one-third of teenage mothers complete high school and receive their diplomas 

•    By age 30, only 1.5 percent of women who had pregnancies as a teenager have a college degree. 

•    80 percent of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare 

•    Within the first year of becoming teen mothers, one-half of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare.* 

•    The daughters of teen mothers are 22 percent more likely than their peers to become teen mothers. 

Sons of teenaged mothers have a 13 percent greater chance of ending up in prison as compared to their peers.

Works Cited

Martin, Roland, and The Opinions Expressed in This Commentary Are Solely Those of Roland Martin. "Sex Education Should Be Mandatory in All Schools." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/29/opinion/martin-sex-education>.

"Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Teen Pregnancy." Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Teen Pregnancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.html>.

Pregnancy Prevention and Why Is it Important?

                    Young girls all around the world are more and more idolizing teen Pregnancy.  With 16 & Pregnant, Teen Mom, and other teen pregnancy shows girls from all over are starting to have children at young ages because it’s becoming the new ‘normal’.  “Only one out of every five teen mothers receives any support from their child’s father, and about 80 percent end up on welfare. Once on welfare, they are likely to remain there for a long time. In fact, half of all current welfare recipients had their first child as a teenager” (Sawhill). This is a result of these young mothers dropping out of school to support their child but then cannot make a living because they have no education background. So what can we do to make sure teen pregnancy is reduced? We can instill sexual education classes with stricter enforcement. People may disagree and not want it taught, especially in private Catholic schools because Catholics state that you should have intercourse after you are married, so the school faculty automatically thinks that curious teenagers are not having sex. Wrong. Just from graduating a private Catholic high school and not having sex education taught, three of my close friends ended up getting pregnant.
           I believe that stronger administration needs to be implemented when it comes to the topic of sex. People always view it as a bad word or a ‘dirty’ word but as a matter of being pregnant and dropping out of school or not, the word sex doesn’t even compare to the lifelong words that people may call you. If we can spread the word about prevention of teen pregnancy, we will be on a brighter path of more couples either using protection or just not having sex.  From my mother being a teen mom, I know first hand the struggles that she had to go to just to support herself and I. People may view it as being cool, and ‘hip’, but is cool going to get you places in the long run or will book smarts? Actions do speak louder than words, and they have their consequences. Even though a baby is not a consequence, the future has its negatives such as dropping out of school, not being able to find a stable job etc. Now not all drop out of school, and are successful in life but that is a very miniscule group. An increase in sex education may or may not reduce the amount of teen pregnancies, but from personal experience, especially in private school, an escalation in the program would benefit so many students that it may hit them, harshly, with reality, which is necessary.

Works Cited

Sawhill, Isabel. "What Can Be Done to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and Out-of-Wedlock                             

               Births?" Brookings Institution. Welfare, Reform & Beyond, Oct. 2001. Web. 10

                Mar. 2013.  

                <http://www.brookings.edu/es/wrb/publications/pb/pb08.pdf>.

                                                                           I love to travel, and the Dominican Republic is just one of several countries that I have visited. 

                                                                                                                   I love to hang out with all of my friends. This was all of us at graduation.

 I love being apart of service opportunities, and this was my favorite service trip to El Salvador.

                                                                      These are my two best friends at homecoming my senior year of high school. 

                                                                   Again I love to travel and this time a group of friends and I went on a trip to Disney World.