Sex Education Essay: Teenagers Should be Allowed to Access Contraceptives

The issue of sex is in most of the cases not discussed by parents, and this makes the parents assume that their children are not sexually active which not the case is. This is why many parents never think that their teen girls need to take a contraceptive. While some parents may not accept their children to use contraceptives, there is a discussion on whether the contraceptives should be availed to the teenagers who need them without the consent of the parents. The paper explains why there is a need to allow the teens get contraceptives even without the consent of their parents.

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First, many young teenagers are sexually active and may not be ready to inform their parents. Many have been raised with strict teachings that they should remain virgins until they are married and this makes it difficult for them inform their parents that they are actually active. Regardless of whether the children try to ensure that they do not engage in sex, they are greatly influenced by their peers and end up engaging in sexual activities (Mollborn, 2017). Considering that many parents would not allow their children to take contraceptives, there is a need to ensure that these young girls get the drugs from the hospitals whenever they need them.

The young girls are mostly in school and pursuing their dream career and would not wish to be parents at such an age. It would strain their parents, and in some cases, they would have to leave school in order to take care of the child. It would be worse if the parents of such teens are not financially able since it would mean that the teens would leave school so that they are employed so that they support their child. Since parents would not wish their teens to give birth, then it is reasonable that the teens are allowed to get contraceptives with ease (Grigg-Spall, 2013). It would ease the burden associated with the unwanted pregnancies to both the parents and the government.

Many parents do not support abortion, and it is known that abortion has more adverse consequences as compared to the pills. As the number of unwanted pregnancies increase, so does the number of abortions (Mollborn, 2017). If the society wishes to eliminate incidences of abortion, then there is a need to ensure that teens have access to contraceptives.

Some people do not support the argument on the basis that some of the contraceptives have an adverse effect on the health of the women. However, denying access to contraceptives would be more dangerous for the teens since they would access them illegally without getting the necessary advice from experts to ensure that they take the right dose (Tamara, 2013).

The other counter argument is that allowing the young girls get access to contraceptives would encourage them to engage in immoral acts. Those who think from this point of view forget that as long as these young teenagers are sexually active, denying them access to contraceptives is no a solution, instead, advise can help them learn the dangers that they are exposing themselves to and if they cannot abstain from sex, then they can avoid unwanted pregnancies. This is a better reaction to the reality as opposed to denying them access to the important drugs (Tamara, 2013).

In conclusion, many parents would never support their teens taking contraceptives, but there is a need to evaluate the issue from a sober point of view and realize that many teens are sexually active and it exposes them to the risk of getting unwanted pregnancies. Such pregnancies can ruin the lives of such teens since it can hinder them from pursuing studies. The fact is that there is a need to inform the teens of the dangers of sex before marriage as well as the negative effects of contraceptives. However, there is a need to allow the children access the contraceptives so that they have better control over their bodies in case they are sexually active.

References

Grigg-Spall, H. (2013). Sweetening the pill: Or how we got hooked on hormonal birth control. Winchester, UK: Zero Books.

Mollborn, S. (2017). Mixed messages: Norms and social control around teen sex and pregnancy. New York, NY : Oxford University Press.

Tamara E. (2013). Parental consent: required for minors use of birth control? Retrieved from https://www.mercatornet.com/family_edge/view/parental_consent_required_for_minors_use_of_birth_control/12360