1 in 5 Americans between the ages of 15 and 55 are currently infected with one or more sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). 12 million Americans are newly infected each year. Is this a result of ignorance or is it because they weren't provided with the right information to protect themselves? Almost 1 million teens become pregnant each year. 58% of those teens become parents, 30% of them end in abortion, and 12% miscarry. Did these teens know about birth control or contraceptives? Because of this lack of education, these teens are turning to the only sources of information they have. Whether it's an award-winning web site, a magazine, or the "experienced" guy next door, teens are struggling to piece together what they need to know to survive. Why should those teens have to be embarrassed and left scrambling for every scrap of information that could very well make the difference between life and death for them?
             The answer is simple: they shouldn't. These teens want to know how to keep themselves safe. So why is sex education limited to scientific terms, or goes no further than the constant nagging and repetition of practicing abstinence? The consistent plead to be abstinent seems to be helpful -- but what about the other 5% of the population that have STDs, 63% of which are under the age of 25? Many people think that information on how to have safe sex would prompt sexually promiscuous activity. So why is it that in North Carolina, at one particular high school, their teen pregnancy rate dropped from an overwhelming 300 out of 1000 females to an astonishing 35 after the opening of a health clinic?
             A sexual education program, a family planning course, or a child development class in high school would prove to be beneficial to teens. Provided with relevant and useful information about something they are curious about will help them to make educated and confident choices in the future. Would you rather your teenager ...