Classical English Literature
Introduction
Teen pregnancy is a complex issue due to social, economic, emotional, and physical consequences that badly affect the life of teenage girl. In the United States, 3 out of every 10 teenage girls become pregnant before attaining the age of 20 (Shuger). There are about 50% of the high school students that have sexual intercourse in their teenage (Schuster, Bell, Berry, and Kanouse). The teen pregnancy, however, brings considerable economic and social cost to the teenage parents, to their children, and to their communities. One half of the teenage mothers do not even complete their high school.
The teenage pregnancies without marriages are more common in the developed countries as compared to the developing countries (Woodside, and McClam). Because of the harmful consequences of the teenage pregnancies, the methods of preventing the teenage pregnancy should be given high priority. The success of these preventive methods requires a persistent commitment in order to meet the difficult challenges that the youth of the nation is facing. The responsible sexual attitude includes the involvement of both the male and female in the decision of having sex.
Proposed Solution and its Explanation
The best way of preventing the teen is abstinence from the vaginal, oral and anal sex. It is the major behavior that is considered as 100% effective in preventing the teenage pregnancy. Abstinence is a constraint that is imposed by the person himself/herself, so that he/she remains protected from involving in the bodily or physical activities, experienced extensively for the pleasure. The National Campaigns also emphasize that abstinence from the sex is the best option for the teens as it helps them to avoid pregnancy in early age. The abstinence, however, ensures that the girl does not become pregnant as there is no chance of fertilization of an egg by the sperm (Mofatt). Moreover, abstinence also provides protection against the sexually transmitted diseases (Santelli, Ott, Lyon, Roggers, Summers, and Schleifer). Some of the sexually transmitted diseases spread via the oral genital sex, or with the intimate skin contact even without any penetration. Herpes and the genital warts are the examples of the diseases that are transmitted through the skin contact. Hence, avoiding all kinds of the close genital contact is effective in the prevention of the pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
Complete abstinence consists of avoiding all kinds of the intimate contacts genitally. Prevention of the teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases is completely possible only when abstinence is ensured. It is because an individual does not have any kind of the close sexual contact, when abstinence is practiced, and also there is no risk of the transmission of the infections. Moreover, there is consistent abstinence, which means that people practice the abstinence continuously or all the time, because even one sex can result in pregnancy.
There are several benefits of abstinence such as it has no hormonal or medical side effects; it allows people to focus properly on their school, education, on the extra-curriculum activities. It also allows people to support their moral, personal, and the religious values and beliefs. But, if sexual relationships are considered, they offer several risks, while abstinence is a best way to delay those risks till a person become capable of handling those risks.
Furthermore, abstinence is also justified religiously, in a way that Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism have emphasized on abstinence. Judaism has forbidden the sexual intercourse without marriage. The intercourse without marriage is termed as zenuth or the promiscuity in Judaism. Moreover, in Christianity, it is emphasized that the sexual intercourse can only take place when people are married, and abstinence is required if people are not married. Islam has also forbidden the intercourse without marriage, where intercourse without marriage is regarded as Zina or Zena, and it is considered as a sin (Poya). Moreover, in Hinduism, the Brahmacharya’s tradition has greatly emphasized on abstinence as a method of harnessing energy of the mind as well as of the body in order to attain the objective of the spiritual realization (Chakravarti).
Counterarguments and the Establishment of the Credibility
Some people have suggested that contraception is a best method of preventing the teenage pregnancy. The contraceptive methods such as use of the pill can help in the prevention of the pregnancy, aas it releases certain hormones in the body of a female in order to stop ovulation in her body. When a female does not ovulate, the egg will not release, and there will be no egg available to the sperm for fertilization. However, the contraceptive method in which pill is used can prevent the pregnancy, but it does not protect a female from the sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections. Moreover, they also causes hormonal imbalance within the body of females, change in the sexual desire intensity, vaginal discharge, breast tenderness, viginitis, depression, urinary tract infection, headache, skin problems such as acne, changes in flow during menstruation, and inflammation of gum etc. Additionally, the contraceptive pill also paves the way asthma. But, there are no side effects of abstinence, so wise decision in order to prevent the pregnancy particularly in case of teenage females is to adopt the practice of abstinence.
The teenagers should wait and avoid the sexual intercourse until they attain the age of 20, so that they become mentally prepared for the sexual intercourse, and become better aware of the difficulties that the children of the teen parents can have. Children of the teen parents can have the behavioral problems such as higher levels of delinquency, hostility, and desire for sexual experience at an early age (Hofferth, and Reid). They can have lower chances of completing the high school education, and have poor educational and cognitive results. The teenagers should wait so that they become capable of planning for their future, such as estimation of the expenditures in order to meet their own needs and the needs of children. However, the females who abstain till they attain the age of 20 enjoy several health benefits as compared to the females who do abstain from the sexual intercourse. This is because of the fact that women who refrain from the sexual intercourse remain protected from the becoming infertile and developing the cervical cancer.
The importance of the abstinence can be analyzed from the comprehensive sex education program and abstinence-only-until marriage education programs. The comprehensive sex education program educates children about the abstinence and describe that the abstinence from the sexual intercourse is highly effective method in order to prevent the unintended pregnancy as well as the sexually transmitted diseases (Boonstra). This program is effectual as it gives education based on the values, and provides opportunity to the students in order to define and discover at individual, family, and community level. The program, however, also includes various topics related to sexuality, e.g., the human development, sexual expression, interpersonal skills, culture, society, and the relationships. It comprises of the factual medical information about the sexually transmitted diseases, and teaches the methods through which people can avoid the sexually transmitted diseases. It also gives positive messages regarding the sexual expression as well as sexuality, which includes the advantages of the abstinence. Furthermore, the comprehensive sex education program is effective as it plays a significant role in the decision of an individual about the sexual expression, and offers the teenager the opportunity of exploring her own religious values as well as the religious values of her family, so that they prefer abstinence over the sexual intercourse.
Abstinence-only-until marriage education program has also emphasized on the fact that the sexual intercourse or sexual expression without marriage is harmful because of its physical, social, and psychological consequences (Hendricks, and Howerton). This education program has taught that to abstain from the sexual intercourse till marriage is the sole acceptable behavior. It teaches the morally correct social values to the teenagers. This program is effective as it has used fear strategies and tactics for promoting the abstinence and limiting the sexual expression. Furthermore, it also describes the particular religious beliefs regarding the abstinence in order to convince the teenagers to avoid the intercourse so that pregnancy can be prevented.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, the abstinence is the best method for the prevention of the teen pregnancy, because it ensures 100% prevention of the teen pregnancy, and it has no side effects. There are several benefits of abstinence such as it protect the teenage girls from the sexually, transmitted infections, from becoming infertile, and from any hormonal imbalance. Comparatively, there are several disadvantages associated with the use of contraceptives such as they pave the way to the hormonal imbalance in the body of female, do not provide protection against the sexually transmitted diseases, causes viginitis, urinary tract infection, depression, and headache, etc. Most of the religions have also supported abstinence. The teenagers should wait so that they become mentally prepared for the sexual intercourse, and develop responsible attitude towards children. The comprehensive sex education program and abstinence-only-until marriage education programs are also promoting abstinence so that teenagers become aware of the harmful effects associated with the sexual intercourse at an early age without marriage that will play an important role in preventing the teenage pregnancy.
References
Boonstra, Heather D. "Advocates Call for a New Approach After the Era of ‘Abstinence-Only’ Sex Education." Guttmacher Policy Review 12.1 (2009): 6-11. Print.
Chakravarti, Sitansu S. Hinduism, a Way of Life. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1991. Print.
Hendricks, Jennifer S., and Dawn Marie Howerton. "Teaching Values, Teaching Stereotypes: Sex Education and Indoctrination in Public Schools." Journal of Constitutional Law 13.3 (2011): 587-641. Print.
Hofferth, Sandra L., and Lori Reid. "Early Childbearing and Children's Achievement and Behavior over Time." Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 34.1 (2002): 41-49.
Moffatt, Gregory K. The Parenting Journey from Conception through the Teen Years. California: Greenwood Group, 2004. Print.
Poya, Maryam. Women, Work and Islamism: Ideology and Resistance in Iran. London: ZED, 1999. Print.
Santelli, J., M. Ott, M. Lyon, J. Rogers, D. Summers, and R. Schleifer. "Abstinence And Abstinence-only Education: A Review Of U.S. Policies And Programs." Journal of Adolescent Health 38.1 (2006): 72-81. Print.
Schuster, Mark A, Robert M Bell, Sandra H. Berry, and David E Kanouse. "Impact of a High School Condom Availability Program on Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors." Family Planning Perspectives 30.2 (1998): 67-72 & 88. Print.
Shuger, Lisa. "Teen Pregnancy and High School Dropout: What Communities Are Doing to Address These Issues." The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and America’s Promise Alliance. (2012): 1-16. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
http://www.americaspromise.org/sites/default/files/legacy/bodyfiles/teen-pregnancy-and-hs-dropout-print.pdf.
Woodside, Marianne, and Tricia McClam. An Introduction to the Human Services. Canada: Nelson Education, 2014. Print.
