Availability of Birth Control in Schools
To prepare for this discussion, read Lecture 2.Adolescent Sexual Activity Rates: Many young people engage in sexual risk behaviors that can result in unintended health outcomes. For example, among U.S. high school students surveyed in 20151Before you start this week’s discussion find at least one article from the online library database about FAS and pregnancy. See the search method below. Then consider one of the online articles (links) below. Does it oppose or support your journal article?
41% have had sexual intercourse.
30% have had sexual intercourse during the previous 3 months, and, of these
43% did not use a condom the last time they had sex.
14% did not use any method to prevent pregnancy.
21% drank alcohol or used drugs before the last sexual intercourse.
Only 10% of sexually experienced students have ever been tested for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).*
CDC data show that lesbian, gay, and bisexual high school students are at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/disparities/smy.htm
Sexual risk behaviors place teens at risk for HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and unintended pregnancy:
Young people (aged 13-24) accounted for an estimated 22% of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2015.2
Among young people (aged 13-24) diagnosed with HIV in 2015, 81% were gay and bisexual males.2
Half of the nearly 20 million new STDs reported each year were among young people, between the ages of 15 to 24.3
Nearly 230,000 babies were born to teen girls aged 15–19 years in 2015.4
To reduce sexual risk behaviors and related health problems among youth, schools and other youth-serving organizations can help young people adopt lifelong attitudes and behaviors that support their health and well-being—including behaviors that reduce their risk for HIV(https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/default.html), other STDs, and unintended pregnancy(https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/index.htm). The National HIV/AIDS Strategy calls for all Americans to be educated about HIV. This includes knowing how HIV is transmitted and prevented, and knowing which behaviors place individuals at the greatest risk for infection. HIV awareness and education(https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/hecat/pdf/hecat_module_sh.pdf) should be universally integrated into all educational environments.
CDC recommends(https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/guidelines/index.html) all adolescents and adults 13-64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine medical care.
Additional Discussion Resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/sexualbehaviors/
Then answer the following questions:
Should high schools be able to dispense contraceptives to students? Why or why not?
What cognitive and emotional developmental issues are at play when tweens and teens make the decision to have sex?
Should schools address these issues if they are going to give contraceptives? If so how should they do this?
What role should parents play in sex education, including pregnancy and HIV?
Support your answer with a solution to the societal problem
Sample Solution
Statistical data shows that teen pregnancy rates have dropped a great deal throughout the past two decades. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services explains that this decline can be attributed to increased contraceptives use as well as a growing number of tens waiting to become sexually active. However, despite its declining frequency, teenage pregnancy is still very common. The fact of the matter is that teenagers are going to have sex if they wish to do so, regardless of whether or not they have been properly educated on the subject. What should be addressed is whether or not high schools should be supplying their students with contraceptions. The only logical place for teens to obtain contraception would be through their high school.
