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Teenagers need to understand risks of sex
Read the article / show / issue that provoked me to write a letter and my response below that or go straight to my response
Date Posted on this Site
December 21, 2006
Publication
Belleville Intelligencer
Publication Date
December 21, 2006
Published Content
When it comes to sex, many young Canadians cannot resist the urge to explore, leaving the local health unit with a perplexing problem - how to reduce the teen pregnancy rate.
This area has the fifth highest rate of the province's 36 health units, with 40 pregnancies for every 1,000 in the 15 to 19 age group (figures as of 2005). The provincial average is 30 per 1,000.
"We cannot ignore teenage pregnancy," said Pat Brown, director of nursing for the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit. Surveys show that more than 70 per cent of Canadians have sexual intercourse before the age of 20.
The result of young females bearing children is that the babies can have low birth weights and health problems. It can also split families and force teens into decisions that they are simply too young and inexperienced to make. And it can propel many young mothers and their babies into a cycle of poverty from which it is difficult to escape.
The health unit realizes education is the key to reducing the numbers of both teen pregnancy and the rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We agree.
But there are obstacles standing in the way.
For example, Grade 9 students take one month of health education, which includes contraceptives, reproduction, and STDs. But after Grade 9 the program is not mandatory, and many teens turn their backs on a course that could be one of the most important lessons in their lives.
Sex education, health education - call it what you will, it should be compulsory through high school, just in case they weren't listening in Grade 9, and to reinforce the lessons.
And don't forget, with only four years of secondary school now in Ontario, students are graduating at age 16 and 17. Sex education is even more important with some of these younger students leaving home for the first time to attend colleges and universities.
The health unit conducts sexual health tours that teach teens about birth control methods and STDs. The health unit is also careful to say that the contraceptive methods are not foolproof. The only sure way to prevent pregnancy is abstinence.
But not all students are allowed to take the one-hour tours, which are targeted to those in Grade 9.
While surveys show that 85 per cent of parents think that sex education should be taught, the Catholic church forbids birth control.
As a result, sexual health tours are not attended by Catholic students. The schools teach that doctrine and cannot condone students going on the tours, even though some of those students come to the health unit fo its services. While the health unit does work with Catholic schools on getting the STDs message to the students, many of them are missing out on the lessons offered by the sexual health tours.
In the end, teens will be teens no matter how often parents preach abstinence to avoid pregnancy and STDs.
All we can do is beef up the sex education to warn them of the pitfalls of the dangers.
The rest is up to them.
My Response Letter
In a society where sex is trivialized as a commodity and a form of recreation, divorced from marital fidelity and procreation, how can we expect more from our children than an increasing number of teen pregnancies and higher rates of STDs?
Rather than scapegoat the Catholic Church and others, we need parents to take responsibility for the rearing of their children. This means explaining to children and teens that sex is only appropriate within marriage. What is wrong with teaching abstinence until marriage and fidelity within marriage? These are the only methods proven to reduce teen pregnancies and STDs. We wouldn't think about teaching our kids half measures when it comes to drug use (say no to drugs). Our children deserve the truth.
Jason Gennaro
Was my response published?
No
Did I get a response?
No