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Oped: Importance of sexual education
While infant mortality rates have dropped over the last three decades, the U.S. is still only ranked 27th among leading nations. The U.S has worse rates of adolescent pregnancy, birth, abortion, HIV, and STIs than any developed countries. Only 24 states require public schools to teach sex education and among these states, only 21 taught sexual health education and HIV education. In addition, amongst those states that teach sexual education, fewer teach all of the 16 topics that fall under it umbrella. Studies show that 75% of pregnancies among 15-19 years olds are unplanned, the average age at first sex in the united States is 18 and the pregnancy rate among 15-19 year olds would have been 73% without publicly funded family planning such as sex education. According to an expert from Guttmacher Institute, "school-based health center can play a key role in addressing unplanned teen pregnancy, and failing to provide contraceptive services on-site, for whatever reason, is self-defeating. We know contraception has been the main driver of the steep decline in the U.S. pregnancy rate among 15-19 year olds, which is why it's so important to give students easy access to the information and services they need".
It is very important to teach students and teens alike all the aspects of sexual relations. Young people deserve to lead healthy lives and an age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education is a fundamental part of helping them take personal responsibility for their health and well-being.
Studies have shown that a comprehensive sex education is effective at assisting young people to make healthy decisions about sex and to adopt healthy sexual behaviors. Sex education is primarily taught to prevent students from future outcomes with STI's, and unwanted pregnancies, which could potentially lead to the death of the pregnant teens or the infant.
Advocates for Youth champions efforts that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. They believe it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health. It is also important to note that U.S government spent billions of dollars on a program ( abstinence-only), which proved to be a fail attempt. An effective sexuality education is based on building an evidence and rights-based approach to healthy decision-making, yet this attempt will only reach its potential when all 50 states are involved.
Federal, state, local, and U.S Foreign policies affect young people's ability to maximize their potential. Advocates for Youth also works to educate Members of Congress, State Legislators, the Administration, and local elected officials on a variety of issues that impact the sexual and reproductive health of young people in the United States. As such, I urge other programs, organizations to use their platform and influence to motivate policymakers in reforming how sex education is taught and to make sure all 50 states comply it.