Comprehensive Ignorance - 1553 Words

Currently, there is no national standard regarding sexual education in America. Soaring sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates are occurring at a national level – there are approximately nine million new occurrences of STIs in the United States each year among teenagers and young adults alone (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). Consequently, the United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the developed world—more than twice as in Canada (Alan Guttmacher Institute 2011). This large number of infected teenagers combined with the startling pregnancy rates has caused a state of panic in many states, provoking discussion on the topic of introducing comprehensive sexual education into the classroom as a†¦show more content†¦Although teaching abstinence is useful and can benefit an individual, it clearly is not enough. While the department of education does include a recommendation for school districts to develop and implement age-a ppropriate sex education, it’s not mandated in many states. There is confusion among teenagers about the different methods they can use to protect themselves; for example, contraceptives (such as birth control) do not prevent STI’s, but do prevent pregnancies. In fact, almost 37% of 18-25 year olds incorrectly believe at least one of the following: transmission of HIV is possible by sharing a glass, kissing, or touching a toilet seat (The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation 2006). Without the proper knowledge, teens simply cannot be expected to act accordingly. Abstinence-only education gives students an incomplete education, and expects students to disregard the gaps in teachings. This isnt just unfair; it is dangerous. In a study performed by the American Journal of Public Health involving 4,000 teens over a period of seven years, they found that adolescents who used condoms during their first intercourse had on average the same number of partners as those who di d not use a condom. However, the former group was 30 percent more likely to have used condoms in their most recent sexual encounter,Show MoreRelated John Rawls and Political Liberalism Essay1640 Words   |  7 PagesJohn Rawls and Political Liberalism Describe in detail the role that the ideas of â€Å"overlapping consensus† and â€Å"comprehensive doctrine† play in Rawl’s theoretical answer to the fundamental question of Political Liberalism: â€Å"How is it possible for there to exist over time a just and stable society of free and equal citizens, who remain profoundly divided by reasonable religious, philosophical, and moral doctrines?† (Rawls 4). 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