Essay on Distribution of Contraceptives to Students under the Age of 18 in High Schools

There has been an ongoing debate on whether the government should distribute contraceptives to high school students under the age of 18. The paper discusses reasons high school students should receive contraceptives. Examples of contraceptives that should be distributed to high school students are the morning after pill and condoms. Primarily, contraceptives lessen the frequency of unwanted pregnancies in children under the age of 18. The condom, for example, is the most efficient method of birth control, which prevents the risk of unwanted pregnancies, HIV, and STDs. Unintended pregnancies and transmission of STDs represent a significant threat to adolescent health. Individuals who agree that contraceptives should be distributed to high school students believe that it will promote safe sex. On the other hand, people against the motion assert that the distribution will make a majority of high school students to engage in premarital sex. Opponents fail to accept the reality that young people, mostly in high school, participate in premarital sex, and if the number of teenage pregnancies has to reduce, then contraceptives should be distributed to students. On a large note, the distribution of contraceptives among high school students is necessary to reduce the high rates of teenage pregnancies, HIV, and STDs.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The first reason the government should distribute contraceptives to students under the age of 18 is to prevent unwanted teen pregnancies. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) indicates that in 2014, women aged 15-19 years gave birth to almost 249,048 babies, which was a 9% drop from 2013. The report states that the reason for the decline is due to the use of birth control methods. Apparently, pregnancy and birth are the contributors of high school dropouts and high rates of single motherhood. Gyan (2013) affirms that teenage pregnancy affects the society and does not auger well with the development of a girl child. Opponents contend that the distribution condones underage sex. However, the reality is that young people who are approaching puberty will always engage in sex. Ideally, condoms do not promote sex but encourage students to behave in a responsible manner. Moreover, teenage pregnancies result in huge social and economic costs in regards to the long-term effects it has on teen parents and their children. Additionally, teenage pregnancy results in high rates of poor academic performance, low levels of education, and poverty. When high school students become pregnant, they often drop out of school to fend for their unborn child. Afterward, most of them fail to get meaningful employment opportunities, which later result in poverty.

The second reason for the distribution of contraceptives in high school students is to reduce the rate of HIV. According to the UNICEF (2016) report, a growing share of people living with HIV is adolescents. More so, the report notes that in 2015 alone, 250,000 teens between the ages of 15-19 years were newly infected with HIV. Truthfully, teenagers who have HIV find it hard to accept their HIV status and life treatment. Also, HIV among young people results in an emotional turmoil. Even so, most high school students who engage in unprotected sex and contract HIV are unaware of their status. The unawareness leads to transmission of the virus to many other individuals. UNICEF (2016) reports that if the current trends continue, hundreds of thousands of more adolescents will contract HIV. To prevent the contraction and spread of HIV, high school students should receive contraceptives.

The third reason for the distribution of contraceptives in high school students is to prevent the rate of sexually transmitted diseases. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2016), 43% of high school student had unprotected sex and only 10% tested for sexually transmitted infections in 2015 alone. What is worse, many high school students who engage in premarital sex do not have one partner. Having many sexual partners can result in STDs and SDIs, which have adverse health complications. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, for example, can make one sterile and unable to have a baby. Herpes, on the other hand, is recurrent and can affect a student his or her entire life. Even so, some sexually transmitted diseases and infections do not have symptoms, and people can never know whether or not they are infected. More so, through unprotected sex, high school girls can contract human papillomavirus (HPV), which may result in cervical cancer at later stages.

In summary, the distribution of contraceptives among high school students is essential due to high rates of teenage pregnancies. From a personal perspective, it is disagreeable that all high schools should be prohibited from distributing contraceptives to students under the age of 18. Nevertheless, handing out contraceptives to high school students to prevent pregnancies, HIV, and STDs is not enough. Schools and parents should accompany the distribution of contraceptives with high-quality sex education. Opponents should not expect young people to abstain from sex until marriage because there is no guarantee it can happen. Instead, every adult should feel comfortable talking to students under the age of 18 about contraceptives, consent in sex, and health issues associated with unprotected sex.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). About Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Sexual Risk Behaviors: HIV, STD, & Teen

Pregnancy Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/sexualbehaviors/

Gyan, C. (2013). The Effects of Teenage Pregnancy on the Educational Attainment of Girls at

Chorkor, a Suburb of Accra. Journal of Educational and Social Research, Vol. 3 No. 3.

UNICEF. (2016). Turning the tide against AIDS will require more concentrated focus on

adolescents and young people. Retrieved from https://data.unicef.org/topic/hivaids/adolescents-young-people/