Generally, my generation loves to defy authority, especially when this 'authority' is prohibiting a natural act of nature. Sex. Not only is premarital sex inevitable it is discouraged by society. When teens are told not to do something, it only heightens their thirst for that something, in this case, sex.
Premarital sex rates are not only high in America, but the riskiness of these sexual acts is also increasing.
Recent studies show that only 18% of sexually active high school students use birth control pills before sex. I blame these startling statistics on the abstinence only education. By telling students that abstinence is the only way, they're knowledge of safe sex practices are limited. While it's true that the only way to truly be 'safe' is to not participate in sexual intercourse at all, more often then not, the heat of the moment catches up with 'abstinent' teenagers.
Not only is abstinence education hindering teen education on safe sex practices, but it is also pushing them to engage in sexual acts other than vaginal sex because it 'does not technically break their virginity'. Teen ages 12 to 17 who had abstinence education defined "abstinence" to include many sexual behaviors while avoiding vaginal intercourse and 70% of teens 15-17 have engaged in oral sex. So, as long as the hymen is in place, they are still a virgin. This is what 'abstinence education' is teaching this generation's teenagers.
As a teen of this generation, seeing and hearing the true facts of sex, not the statistics, just emphasizes how much we need safe sex education. Even parents agree with this, knowing that no matter how much they emphasize abstinence, premarital sex is bound to happen85% of parents of 7th to 12th graders say it is important that their child learn about how to use condoms as part of sex education.
Although the abstinence education forces teens to make a 'virginity pledge', the pledge only delays initiation of sexual intercourse, as research says, by 18 months. But, these pledged virgins are one-third less likely to use contraception at first sex than non-pledging peers.
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