Safe Sex: Do Not Plant a Seed Before Your Future Has Grown
Abstinence is the best way to ensure that an unwanted pregnancy or STD takes place. Everyone realizes that is difficult with the pressures, curiosities, and hormones that goes through the developing and maturing mind and body. The cost of not waiting or not protecting is much higher than abstaining or being careless in actions. With all of the glamourization and taboos relating to sex on the television, movies, and peers; abstinence is a rare occurrence.
Today, statistics show that of the 12 million cases of STD’s reported in the United States, 3 million of those cases are among teenagers between the ages 13 and 19. Don’t allow yourself to be one in that 3 million. There are ways to at least protect yourself such as condoms. Condoms are inexpensive and can be bought at just about store these days, and prevent most STD’s and unwanted pregnancies. Condoms and birth control pills can also be gotten for free at most Health Departments. They are also easy to use. Birth control pills, creams , and diaphragms can also be attained for the young women but, they do not prevent STD’s. One sexual encounter that is unprotected can leave you with a consequence that will effect the rest of your life and in some cases even terminal diseases. A terminal disease has no cure and many die from incurable STD’s every year. Don’t let yourself be the one to wake up one morning and think, “this could have been avoided.” Think SAFE, and you won’t have that fear.
Teen pregnancy is an epidemic and preventable. Parents need to inform their children of consequences of not using protection and birth control. Some are afraid to though they won’t to always think of their child as “their child forever” and this is totally not the case. Children are also afraid to tell their parents if they are sexually active because they are afraid of rejection and punishment. Sex is natural and informed children who have adults that they can talk to who will listen are more likely not to be a statistic.
Statistics show that 4 in 10 young women become pregnant before the age of twenty and 8 in 10 of those are unintended pregnancies. Teen mothers are less likely to finish high School (only 1/3 get a diploma) and more likely to end up on welfare. Majority of both boys and girls wish that they had waited until they were older to have sex. Parents? Let’s open our minds and not shut down our children. Let us help our youth by listening and teaching them so that they do not become one of the ones who wishes that they would have waited, but are the ones who are glad that they did.
