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Sex Education:
Consequences of sexually active teens

Marcel Porter
English IV
Mrs. Jones
5 March 2015

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Outline

I.

The lack of sex education courses readily available for teens today has led to the previously
stated statistics being todays reality.
It is also reported that American teenagers are responsible for almost half of the sexually

II.

transmitted diseases reported annually.

A. Teenage Pregnancy
1. Effects of pregnancy on teenagers
2. Teenage Pregnancy rates of today
B. Disease
1. Sexual Transmitted Disease rates gradually rising.
2. Teenage health effects statics regarding sexually active teens.
3. Contraception use and how it is affecting teens
III. Education
a. Statistical Facts about teen parents graduation rates
b. post-secondary schooling for teen parents
c. Effects of not finishing secondary education
IV. Cost
1. Why taxpayers and the government have to pay for health care, etc.
2. Amount taxpayers along with the government have to pay annually based on the statistic
provided.
V. Influence
1.
2.

Media entertainment and how it is effecting teens outlook on teenage pregnancy.

Parental and religious involvement of parents with teenagers.
3.

Contraceptive advances in technology today.

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VI. Conclusion
1. Summary of what research concluded
2. thesis reiterated to drive the point to readers

According to Kathryn Kost and Stanley Henshaw, of Guttmacher Institute, 3 of every 10

teenage American females become pregnant at least one time before reaching 20 years of age.

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That totals up to nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies each year. Even with these teenage pregnancy
rates, nearly 50% of teenagers have never considered how a pregnancy at their age would affect
the rest of their lives. The number of novice that are becoming sexually active is also rapidly
increasing. Advances in contraceptive technology used today such as, the Plan B pill, are also
steering teens into believing that they can have unprotected sex without any serious
consequences (Stewart and Kelleen 101). In its article regarding teen pregnancy, The National
Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy reported that teenage parenthood is the
current leading factor in why teens drop out of high school. More than half of teen mothers never
graduate from high school (Stay Teen Organization). The lack of sex education courses readily
available for teens today has led to the previously stated statistics being todays reality. America
is responsible for the largest teen pregnancy rates over all other industrialized countries. It is also
reported that American teenagers are responsible for almost half of the sexually transmitted
diseases reported annually (101).

Pregnancy rates regarding teenagers have definitely diminished over the last decade, but the
United States still leads in teen pregnancy rates over Europe and all other westernized countries.
America is by far one of the largest industrialized countries in the world, which makes it almost
impossible to have teen pregnancy rates as low as countries like Switzerland, Canada, and Japan.
They all have populations that are less than half of Americas. This makes it almost impossible
for their teenage pregnancy rates to exceed their annual standard of nearly 7%.
The United States may in fact have the largest teen pregnancy rates of all industrialized
countries, but statistics have shown that between 1990 and 2010 teen pregnancy rates have
declined by 51 percentfrom 116.9 to 57.4 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls in America (Health
& Human Services). However, in another report by Health & Human Services, STD rates have

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been on the rise in the past half-decade, with teens being responsible for almost half of the 20
million new cases reported each year. It was also recorded that teens blamed their STDs on lack
of knowledge regarding sex education.

In effort to reduce such rates and accusations by teens, a survey was conducted by the Center
for Disease Control and Prevention in 2011. It indicated that almost half of high school students
admit to having had sexual intercourse. Among those teens, 15 percent of them reported that they
have had sexual intercourse with four or more partners. Of the students that reported being
sexually active three months before the survey, sixty percent claimed to having used a condom
and 23 percent reported that they used birth control for their most recent sexual encounter.
Even with the drastic decline in teenage pregnancy rates sexual intercourse can result the result
of having to endure some of lifes most crucial consequences, including sexually transmitted
diseases and fatality.

Approximately one in every four teenage girls will become pregnant by the age of twenty at
least once. Teenage high school mothers are less likely to finish secondary schooling, and are
more likely to live impoverished on government assistance than other teenagers their age. The
children of teenage parents are most likely to become products of this environment. They are
directly correlated with cognitive defects, becoming second generation teen parents, and be
dependent on government assistance programs. Health care, foster care, increased incarceration
rates of children of teenage parents, and lost in tax revenue because of lower education
attainment are all factors that add up (Stranger-Hall et al. 1-11). In turn these responsibilities fall
into the laps of the United States federal government, and the taxpayers of America. Statistics
concluded by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, suggest that

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these factors total up to cost the country about 9.4 billion dollars each year.

Even with statistics like these very little has been done to change the reality of the situation.
Sex education courses still have not been made available for all teenagers. By funding schools
boards and making these courses mandatory in all high schools the government could see an
even larger decrease in teenage pregnancies and in teenage STD rates across the country. This
could result in a tax decrease for not only the people buy the federal government as well. That
money could be used toward other things that demand government attention, such as the
economy and the deficit of the nation.

Most schools, such as Warren Easton Charter High School for example, do not offer sex
education classes at all. Kids nowadays are unaware of what is actually going on when it comes
to sex and the consequences that can be the result of novice teens engaging in sexual intercourse.
Most teens are arrogant and believe that they know everything they need to know about sex.
Such assumptions usually lead to mistakes, which can result in serious consequences. Sexually
transmitted diseases that are ceaseless such as Genital Herpes, and AIDS, along with becoming
pregnant as a teenager. Teen moms are 10-12% less likely to graduate from high school and have
14-29% lower odds of attending post-secondary schooling (Wilson 1-62). To prevent these
statistics, that are currently considered inevitable, the government must work hand-in-hand with
the school board to not only make sex education courses available to every high school student in
the nation, but also make it mandatory for each and every high school student to pass the course
to graduate.
According to Bruce Alpert of the Times Picayune, Louisiana residents ranks among the top
five states across the country as one of the highest STD outbreak rates. Even with statics such as

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these the House of Representatives still decided to vote against the notion in making it absolutely
mandatory for school districts to implement sex education courses into the mandatory curriculum
of all high schools as a part of Health Studies (Alpert). Rates of teen pregnancy, birth and
abortion declined significantly in 2010 for Louisiana in the past 25 years.

The Guttmacher Institute's report in Alperts article regarded teenage pregnancy rates, along
with the rates of sexually transmitted infections in Louisiana. The teenage pregnancy rates in
Louisiana have decreased by nearly 40 percent from 1988. The abortion rates are also down to 57
percent, and the teenage birth rates have reduced by 29 percent over the years (Guttmacher
Institute). Even with their rates down, the state is still responsible for a teen pregnancy rate of 69
per 1,000 teens. This leads to Louisiana's rank of the fifth highest rates in America, only behind
New Mexico, which is responsible for 80 pregnancies per 1,000 teenagers; Mississippi, which
has rates of 76 per 1,000 teens, and Texas and Arkansas both tied, taking third and fourth place,
with 73 pregnancies per every 1,000 teenage girls in the states (Alpert). The fact that Louisiana
teenage pregnancy rates are gradually decreasing is magnificent, but being a state of a small
population, yet also having one of the highest teen pregnancy rates across the country proves that
teenagers are still in desperate need of sex education courses that can give them insight on proper
sexual behavior and also guide them in making better decisions regarding sexual intercourse.

Mass media plays a substantial role in teenagers general outlook on sexual intercourse and
pregnancy. Television programs like 16 & Pregnant, Teen Mom, and True Life, along with Hip
Hop and R&B music of today, all play a significant role in what teenagers of today believe is
appropriate and what actions are socially acceptable (Stewart and Kelleen pp 101). These shows
glorify teenagers that are expecting and make them famous simply because they are pregnant.

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Most of the cast members correlate almost directly with the teenagers who are at home watching
the show. They usually are still in high school and are relatively interested in the same things as
all other normal teenagers. These types of shows prime the teenagers that are observing the show
that sexual intercourse at a fairly young age, and teenage pregnancy is normal and cool enough
that you can possibly become famous. What these shows fail to indicate to their audiences is that
taking care of a child when you are still a child yourself is an extremely strenuous job. They do
not depict the hardship of providing for a child financially, or the fact that almost 80% of teenage
parents do not married happily ever after together with their child (Stranger-Hall 1-11). These
statistics suggest that media influences like these are to some extent responsible for the teenage
percentage of sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancy rates in America today.

Media influence has not been a substantial factor in teenage promiscuity, teen pregnancy
rates, or teenage STD rates. Television shows like Teen Mom, and entertainers of this era have
been blamed for these misfortunes but statistics show otherwise. For the past two decades teen
pregnancy rates have continued to gradually decrease, even with shows like Teen Mom and 16 &
Pregnant being broadcasted on national television. According to the U.S. Department of Health
& Human Services, Americas teenage pregnancy rate has dropped from its high of 61.8 births
for every 1,000 adolescent females in 1991, to 26.5 births for every 1,000 adolescent females in
2013. However, in another study done by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It
was discovered that kids between the ages of 12 and 14, who were heavily exposed to the sexual
induced media outlets of today, were more likely to become sexually active within a two year
time span. This proves that media influences, along with the scarcity of Sex Education courses
available for teenagers have contributed a great deal to America becoming the leader of teen

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pregnancy rates among all industrialized countries.

Some of the most substantial effects of teenage pregnancy are raising a child as a single
parent teen, the chronic stress that teenagers encounter as a result of worrying about the
responsibilities he or she must take on to take care of the child, as well as juggling school and a
social life. There are in fact several different causes for teenage pregnancy the effects are
relatively the same. Most teens believe they know exactly what they are doing and mistakes that
can lead to pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections can not happen to them. When the
inevitable happens most teens are astonished and can not believe that such a thing happen to
them but by then it is already too late. Many religious groups and parents preach to teenagers that
abstinence is the answer but based on the previously stated statistics teenagers do not listen to
them. While many parents, teachers, and religious groups teach that abstinence is the answer,
several teens do not listen. There are several explanations for why so many teens are contracting
sexually transmitted diseases, and why teenagers are getting pregnant, but the fact of the matter
is that these teenagers need sexually educated guidance to improve these statistics overall.

Teenage pregnancy rates may slowly be decreasing across the United States, but without
formal sex education being provided for high school teenagers sexually transmitted diseases will
continue to skyrocket, with teen being responsible for substantial amount of them. And being that
American teenagers are also still responsible for a great deal of the infants that are brought into
this country annually, the government must increase the amount of sex education courses that are
readily available for teens. This way they can be formally educated on how to continue their sex
lives and understand the proper ways to conduct themselves when practicing sexual intercourse.

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These courses have the potential to not only reduce statistics and educate the teenagers of today,
but also better the lives of the future teenagers of America.

Work Cited
Alpert, Bruce. "Teen Pregnancy down in Louisiana, but State Still Has 5th Highest Rate in U.S."
NOLA.com. 6 May 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

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<http://nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/05/report_teen_pregnancy_down_in.html>
American Civil Liberties Union. Preventing Teenagers from getting Contraceptives Unless
They Tell a Parent Puts Teens at Risk. ACLU.org. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.aclu.org/reproductive -freedom/preventing-teenagers-getting-contraceptivesunless they- tell-parent-puts-teens-.>
Emergency Use of Contraception. The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 2011 4th Ed.
Hoffman, SD. Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy.
Washington, D.C. The Urban Institute Press; 2008.
Kirby D., Laris BA, Rolleri L. The Impact of Sex and HIV Education Programs in Schools and
Communities on Sexual Behaviors among Young Adults. Scotts Valley, CA: ETR Associates;
2006.
Kirby, Douglas. Annual Review of Sex Research. Dec. 2007. Pg.143-177.
"Know the Facts." Stay Teen. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 2 Mar. 2015. <http://stayteen.org/teen-pregnancy>.
Kost, Kathryn, and Stanley Henshaw. U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births, and Abortions 2008:
National Trends by Age, Race, and Ethnicity. New York: Guttmacher Institute. 10 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/USTPtrends08.pd>
Stranger-Hall, Kathrin F; Hall, David Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates:
Why we need comprehensive sex education in the U.S. 1 Jan. 2008. Pg.1-11.
Stewart, Alison, and Kaye, Kelleen. National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned
Pregnancy. 2012. 101 pp.
"Teenage Pregnancy Prevention." National Conference of State Legislators. Web. 2 Mar. 2015.
<http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-prgnancy-prevention.aspx>.

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Wilson, Sandra Jo. Dropout and Intervention Programs: Effects on School Completion and
Dropout among School-Aged Children and Youth. Campbell Collaboration, 2011. Print.