There is a misperception surrounding the issue of contraception for teens. Some people believe that if we educate teens about birth control and other prevention options, we are actually encouraging them to have sex. This is incorrect. Studies show that if we educated young people about sexuality, including both abstinence and contraception, then they are more likely to delay sex.
Young people are going to be curious about the changes that their bodies are going through, and naturally, there are questions about sex. These questions are natural and healthy, and should be met with open and frank discussions.
It is a young person’s right to receive information about their own bodies. Withholding facts about how to stay healthy is criminal. As adults, parents, and mentors, we have three options for how to handle these conversations.
1) We can ignore the issue entirely, and silently allow our young people to make life altering mistakes.
2) We can talk about only one piece of the issue, and then have our children believe that they are getting the whole story while in reality still leaving them unprepared.
3) We can be adults and have fact-based, comprehensive sexual health conversation that includes both abstinence and contraceptive options. This approach gives young people the information and tools that they need in order to make the best decisions for themselves.
When our youth is educated about their bodies and health, they make better decisions. We need to stop hiding facts from our kids and start talking to them.
Tags: Ab-Only, Columbia, Comprehensive Sex Ed, Lilly Filler, Sexual Health, TTWomen
Let’s arm them with the information they need! Join our march and make a difference, 1 email, thats it!
This blog entry makes some wonderful points! By the time I took a sexual education course in a South Carolina public school, two of my 15 classmates were already pregnant. Education is so important, and it saves lives!
When I was right at the age of learning what sex actually was I remembered I cried during the birds and the bees talk. Oh to be young again! I never realized the great opportunity my mother gave to me when she opened those doors. And now I feel that I am equipped with the knowledge of knowing how to be sexually responsible.
You go DIVA !!!! We need to keep these messages alive and ongoing. It is the only way to make a difference in statistics and individual lives. Boys & Girls need to hear more about their bodies and sexuality. Join the march!!!!
I have a 20 year old friend who is talking to her mother about getting on birth control. Her mother is very upset and refuses to allow the daughter to use insurance to help with the cost of her birth control. People will find a way to do what they want, so let’s help them do it safely. This is just a personal experience, but think about if all residents in South Carolina were prevented access to birth control? It seems ridiculous but it’s happening. Join the march to help support our friends, daughters, mothers, and the women who have fought throughout time for our rights.