Abstinence

According to teenpregnancy.org, almost 47% of teens in public and private schools have had sexual intercourse. Abstinence is becoming more and more of an issue every day, and teens need education so that they can make wise decisions when it comes to sexual intercourse. Some teens may think that since condoms are 99% effective that they can't have children, but according to teenpregnancy.org in 2002 75 out of every 1,000 women aged 15 - 19 were pregnant. So maybe that 99% chance seems a little less friendly.

Abstinence is simply the best way to go. Having sex even with proper protection could result in a pregnancy if the protection is used wrong. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as HPV, HIV, herpes, and gonorrhea, among many others. According to kidshealth.org, many of these STDs can be very harmful to the body if received. Kidshealth.org states that STDs such as syphilis can cause damage to internal organs if it isn't treated properly. All of these STDs can be caught from a partner during sexual intercourse. While condoms work 99% of the time, what if that 1% turns out to be you?

While pregnancy and STDs are the biggest issues of all, many teens want to have sexual intercourse simply because they hear that everyone else is doing it. In high school there is so much pressure to have sex that it would seem easier if you just did it. Since apparently everyone else is having sex, it couldn't be that bad, right? Well, since 47% of teens say they have had sexual intercourse, that means 53% have not. So maybe not everyone else is have sex after all.

Restraint is also a huge provoker of sexual intercourse. If a 16 year old girl is told by her parents that she cannot have sex until she is married, what is she going to do the next time she gets really mad with her parents? The fact that their kids may be having sexual intercourse is one of a parent's biggest worries. Having sex at too early of an age or with the wrong person could ruin many different things. It could ruin the relationship with the partner, if that person went to the same school it would be harder to concentrate, and if that person had an STD, then that could ruin your health.

All teens know that having had sex at too young of an age is looked down upon in society. Most teens don't know the steps that need to be taken to make sure they don't have sex too early. Talking to parents is a great way to learn more about sex and the risks involved. Starting a conversation may be a bit difficult, so making sure that the parent is ready for the conversation is always a good thing. Parents almost always have good information to give to their kids about sex, as well as reasons to avoid it. If a parent can't talk to their teen about sex, counselors are always available to talk. Even talking to a teacher to learn more about the dangers of sexual intercourse could help considerably.

Sex can be both physically and emotionally harmful. STDs take their toll on a person's body if infected, and pregnancy can ruin a person's life. Avoiding sexual intercourse is the obvious choice, because any other way is a recipe for disaster. "I really don't care what people say; right now, sex just isn't worth the risk." - 17 year old female.