Every year two million six hundred thousand teenagers become sexually active, or about seven thousand a day. Three out of ten American girls become pregnant at least once before the age of twenty. Only twenty-two states are required to teach sex education in the United States. At the University of Washington they interviewed 523 women and two-thirds of the pregnant teenagers had been sexually abused. Perhaps if children were taught sex education and how to protect themselves in situations of sexual abuse, the number of teenage pregnancies would decrease. The age at which sex education should be taught has been a subject of debate for many years. 80% of parents want their children to abstain from sexual activity until adulthood, but this often trumps the message that it is OK to be sexually active as long as you use contraceptives. “Adolescent sexual activity is costly, not just for adolescents, but for society. Adolescents who engage in sexual activity risk a variety of negative outcomes, including sexually transmitted infections, emotional and psychological harm, poorer academic achievement, and out-of-wedlock pregnancies. This means that teenagers not only hurt themselves but also others around them when they condone sexual activities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Sex education may not stop adolescent sexual activity but it reduces the number of sexual partners and the amount of "casual" sex. People who were sexually abused before the age of 18 have a greater chance of an unexpected pregnancy and an increased risk of HIV infections. Many people have low self-esteem or self-esteem after experiencing abuse, increasing the risk of sexual activity. “We found that sexual abuse was strongly associated with teenage pregnancy, primarily through the strong association between sexual abuse and high-risk sexual behavior.” This means that if you have been sexually abused you may engage in high-risk sexual behaviors including but not limited to unprotected sex. Sexual abuse also sometimes goes unreported because it involves a peer or someone you have to hang out with on a daily basis. Although on average the predators were about five years older than the victim. Sex education often delays first intercourse and increases the use of contraceptives. Talking about sexual intercourse in a controlled environment can reduce curiosity about sexual activities, thus reducing sexual activities overall. The message “Choose what is best for you” was not as effective as “Always avoid unprotected sex.” Both give teens a choice, but the latter suggests the safest path should teens choose to become sexually active. “Traditionally, sex education messages are aimed at one of two groups: those who are sexually active and those who are not. One study suggests that messages could be adapted to target four groups instead: those who do not plan to have sex in the next year (delayers), those who anticipate starting sex in the next year (anticipators), those who have had one sexual partner (single) and those who have had two or more sexual partners (multiple).” By increasing the number of groups you can help focus education and training programs towards the right type of audience. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay There are many things that increase the risk of the business.