Some people also believe that having children out of wed-lock is bad for the child, the parents, and even society. .
Abstinence education might seem as though it would help the teen pregnancy problem, but in reality it is doing just the opposite. Most teens aren't practicing abstinence and those who are usually give way to the heat of the moment and don't have the proper protection either. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle found that teenagers who received some type of comprehensive sex education were 60 percent less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. (Beadle) There are also numerous studies that show that abstinence only programs do not help in preventing teen pregnancies. According to UGA Today, "States that prescribe abstinence-only sex education programs in public schools have significantly higher teenage pregnancy and birth rates than states with more comprehensive sex education programs, researchers from the University of Georgia have determined." This clearly shows that prescribed abstinence-only education in public schools does not lead to abstinent behavior. ".
Another big problem that abstinence only education has is that it is only focusing on a certain group of people. These groups of people are the ones that will say no to sex. What about the one's that will have sex? How will they learn about proper contraception? They won't, and this is yet another reason why abstinence only education is not very effective in preventing pregnancies. They are only focusing on a small target audience instead of addressing the bigger picture. According to the CDC, in 2005, 47 percent of high school students had had sex at least once, and 14 percent had had four or more sexual partners. Abstinence only programs are not helping that 47% and the I'm sure that percentage of teens has grown within the past 7 years as well. With such a high percentage it is crucial for schools to teach students about contraception and ways to stay safe as well as abstinence for those who have yet to have sex.
