Sex Education for Adolescents

Posted by Waikhu

"According to a national study by the Alan Guttmacher Institute in 1988, about 85% of all schools offer sexuality education" (Kirby et al., 1994). Debate exists over the type of sex education which should be taught in schools. Currently, there are three models of sex education.

Model #1 Comprehensive Sex Education

This model is based on the assumption that teens are going to have sex no matter what, so sex education should focus on reducing the risks associated with sex, such as pregnancy and disease. Advocates of this model believe the following:

• Teenage sexual activity is inevitable
• Sex education should be value-neutral
• Schools should be open about sexual matters
• Information about contraceptives should be included in sex education (Lickona, 1993)

Model #2 "Abstinence, But"

This model is based on the idea that abstaining from sex is the only 100% sure way of preventing pregnancy and disease; however, due to the AIDS epidemic, it is imperative that those teens who choose to have sex anyway are educated about contraceptives in order to lower their risks. Proponents of this model do the following:

• Advocate that students practice safer sex through condom usage
• Teach abstinence while promoting condom usage (Lickona, 1993)

Model #3 Directive Sex Education

This model evolved in response to the failure of the previous two models. It focuses on promotion of values to keep teens from having sex. This model contains the following characteristics:

• Sexual abstinence is the only morally responsible and medically safe choice for unmarried teenagers
• Premarital sex is not responsible sex just because a condom is used
• Having sex with your marriage partner who is only having sex with you, is the only way to have sex safely (Lickona, 1993)

Effective Sex Education Programs:

• Focus on reducing only a few sexual risk taking behaviors
• Teach young people how to avoid sex or how to use contraceptives
• Provide basic, accurate information on the risks of unprotected sex
• Address social and media influences on sexual behavior
• Provide modeling and communication skills
• Emphasize behavioral values and norms (Kirby et al., 1994)

Examples of Effective School-Based Sex Education Programs

• Sex Respect

• Deals with peer pressure and dating
• Promotes abstinence from sexual intercourse by teaching respect for self and others
• Uses cartoons
• Comes with a syllabus for the teacher, a student textbook, and a guidebook for the
• student's family
• Effectiveness: Teens in this program showed a significant amount of change in their attitudes towards premarital sex. Changes in attitude were shown to have a positive effect on actual sexual behaviors (Olsen et al., 1991).

• Schinke-Blythe-Gilchrest.

• Stresses that teenagers should avoid having sex or use some form of birth control during sex
• Talks about media influences on teen sexuality
• Includes discussion on "lines" used to get someone to have sex
• Effectiveness: Teens who were sexually active before involvement in this program showed an increase in contraceptive use after the program (Kirby et al., 1994).
• Postponing Sexual Involvement
• Designed for middle school students
• Focuses on helping young teens to delay sex
• Talks about media influences on teen sexuality
• Includes discussion on "lines" used to get someone to have sex
• Effectiveness: This program helped teens to delay first intercourse, as well as decreasing the frequency of intercourse among those teens who were previously sexually active (Kirby et al., 1994).
• Reducing the Risk
• Discusses how certain situations might lead to sex
• Talks about social factors that discourage teens from using birth control
• Stresses that teenagers should avoid having sex or use some form of birth control during sex
• Effectiveness: This program helped teens to delay first intercourse (Kirby et al., 1994).
• AIDS Prevention for Adolescents in School
• Targets teens who are at higher risk for contracting AIDS
• Emphasizes avoiding risky situations and using condoms
• Talks about media influences on teen sexuality
• Includes discussion on "lines" used to get someone to have sex
• Effectiveness: Sexually experienced teens in this program showed an increase in condom usage (Kirby et al., 1994).

According to 1994 studies by Kirby and associates, teenagers in school-based programs that emphasized contraceptive usage were found to use such devices more frequently. Additionally, these studies showed that providing information on contraception delayed or had no effect upon the time of first intercourse. In contrast, a 1986 Lou Harris Poll indicates that teens who took a sex education class that included information on contraception were significantly more likely to begin having sex than teens whose sex education classes did not include information on contraceptives (Lickona, 1993). These contrasting results are typical in studies that explore the effectiveness of sex education programs.

Besides having contradictory results, it should be noted that different sex education programs have different outcomes in mind. For example, comprehensive sex education aims to prevent teens from getting pregnant or getting a disease through sexual intercourse. On the other hand, directive sex education's goal is to prevent teens from having premarital sex altogether. While both types of sex education have shown a degree of success, the question still remains as to whether or not it is better to teach kids abstinence, or to hand them a condom and expect that they will have sex no matter what kind of instruction they receive. In any case, more research needs to be done on this topic.

The issue of sexual crimes is one topic that often goes unmentioned in teen sex education programs. Because so many young people are the victims or perpetrators of such crimes, this issue needs to be addressed more thoroughly.

To Read More:

• Kasun, J.R. (1994). Condom nation. Policy Review,68, 79-82.
• Krueger, M.M. (1993). Everyone is an exception: assumptions to avoid in the sex education classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 74, 569-572.
• Tapia, A. (1993). The radical choice for sex ed. Christianity Today, 37, 24-29.

The Lack Of Contraceptive Information In Sexual Education Programs

Angela Coble

Sexual education in school systems has been adopted by many states in the country. However, it is the states' right to choose the content and time period that this particular cirricula will be introduced to the adolescent students. " Six states, however, actually prohibit discussion of particular topics, such as contraceptive use by unmarried minors, abortion or homosexuality." (Fischler and Pine, 1995) Adolescents lack the overall knowledge of what contraception is, where to obtain it, and how to effectively use it.

The rates of unplanned teenage pregnancies are overwhelmingly high. " As is documented… the result is about 1,000,000 unwanted teenage pregnancies each year in the United States.". (Byrne, 1983) A major contributing factor to this statistic is the lack of contraceptive information available to adolescents. " If contraception information is included in sexuality education programmes, it is associated with fewer pregnancies due to more effective use of contraception." (Fischler and Pine, 1995) One study concluded that "…increasing the legitimacy and availability of contraception and sex education is likely to result in declining teenage pregnancy rates." (Fischler and Pine, 1995)

The following key contraceptive concepts should be introduced to sexual education programs:

• various types of contraception available (birth control, condoms etc..)
• effectiveness of the contraceptive device in preventing pregnancy and sexually
• transmitted diseases
• places to obtain the contraception (clinics, family practicioner etc…)

Providing the answers to the previous statements would be quite beneficial to the student.

Many sexual education programs focus completely on the rule of abstinence. This rule disregards the sexually active adolescent youth. " Fewer than one-third of state guides include any sexual behavior topic other than abstinence". (Fischler and Pine, 1995)

The lack of contraceptive information availble to adolescents is disturbing. Providing a more extensive sexual education program would dramatically contribute to the adolescents sexual decisions and overall knowledge about contraception. " Knowledge and information about sexuality and contraception has been shown to contribute to increased contraceptive use, particularly among teengers." (Fischler and Pine, 1995)

The next step is to implement contraception into our sexual education programs. The knowledge of contraception has been linked to the reduction in teenage pregnancy, and that benefit alone should be reason enough to include extensive education about contraception into our existing sexual education programs.

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Telling Your Parents,That u are Pregnant

Posted by Admin

No teenage girl wants to have to tell her parents that she is pregnant and no parent of a teenage girl wants to hear that news. Still, if you are a pregnant teenager, it is important to tell your parents and allow them to help you through the experience. This article offers some ideas about how to tell your parents that you are pregnant.

Why Tell?

If you are pregnant, you have three basic choices. You can give birth to the baby and keep it. You can give birth to the baby and give it up for adoption. Or you can have an abortion. If you’ve chosen one of the first two options, your parents definitely need to know—your changing body will make it easy for them to guess anyway. If you tell them yourself, rather than waiting for them to notice it, you will have much more control over where the conversation takes place and how it goes.

If you choose the third option, abortion, you may be able to keep your parents in the dark. However, some states have parental notification or consent laws. Even if your state doesn’t, you should tell your parents that you have been through something so important and potentially life-altering.

The only reason not to tell your parents is if they have a history of abuse and you fear for your safety. If this is the case, contact a women’s clinic or hospital and make an appointment to see their social worker.

Preparation

Before you talk to your parents, double check the results of the pregnancy test. Some of the early-detection tests are not very accurate and may give false positive readings.

If you are sure you are pregnant, take a day or two to think through your options.

Plan what you are going to say to your parents. Do you want to talk to them together or would you rather tell one of them before the other?

Find a time to speak to your parent or parents in private, when they have some time to talk and are not rushing off to work or another commitment. If it is hard to catch them in a free moment, ask them to schedule some time to talk to you about something serious.

Tempting as it may be to tell your parents in a public place, like a restaurant, avoid this impulse. Tempers run high at such a moment, voices may get raised, and you don’t want a bunch of strangers witnessing a big fight between you and your parents.

Most parents of pregnant teens try to be supportive, but just in case the talk goes badly and they throw you out of the house, or you feel unsafe and want to leave, it’s a good idea to have a Plan B. Could you stay with your baby’s father or with one of your girlfriends for a couple of days? Is there another relative who might take you in?

The Talk

There is no way you can cushion your parents from the natural shock and grief they will feel when you tell them you’re pregnant. There’s no gentle lead in, no way to make a joke of it, and it’s cruel to make them guess. The mature thing to do, once you have your parents alone in a private place is to simply say, “Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant.”

Be prepared for an intense emotional reaction, such as crying or yelling. Be prepared, too, to answer questions about who the father is, how the pregnancy happened (for instance, were you not using birth control or did your birth control fail), and what you plan to do now.

Some parents may take over and start making plans for you. Although this may feel very comforting at the time, make sure your voice is also heard, especially if you and your parents have different ideas about how the pregnancy should be handled.

There is no “typical” reaction to hearing the news that one’s daughter is pregnant. Some parents are immediately reassuring, others may be angry, still others will try to ignore (deny) the news.

If your parents have an extreme reaction, give them a few days to pull it together. Then approach them again. Hopefully they will be calmer and more able to give you the support you need once the idea has sunk in.

Having to tell your parents that you are pregnant is one of the hardest things you’ll ever have to do. But if you can be direct and honest with them, they may turn into a valuable source of support and comfort.

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Puberty and Periods

Posted by Admin

When girls begin to go through puberty (usually starting between the ages of 8 and 13), their bodies and minds change in many ways. The hormones in their bodies stimulate new physical development, such as growth and breast development. About 2 to 2½ years after a girl's breasts begin to develop, she usually gets her first menstrual period.

About 6 months or so before getting her first period, a girl might notice an increased amount of clear vaginal discharge. This discharge is common. There's no need for a girl to worry about discharge unless it has a strong odor or causes itchiness.

Baby girls are born with ovaries, fallopian tubes, and a uterus. The two ovaries are oval-shaped and sit on either side of the uterus (womb) in the lowest part of the abdomen called the pelvis. They contain thousands of eggs, or ova. The two fallopian tubes are long and thin. Each fallopian tube stretches from an ovary to the uterus, a pear-shaped organ that sits in the middle of the pelvis. The muscles in a female's uterus are powerful and are able to expand to allow the uterus to accommodate a growing fetus and then help push the baby out during labor.

As a girl matures and enters puberty, the pituitary gland releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to produce other hormones called estrogen and progesterone. These hormones have many effects on a girl's body, including physical maturation, growth, and emotions.

About once a month, a tiny egg leaves one of the ovaries — a process called ovulation — and travels down one of the fallopian tubes toward the uterus. In the days before ovulation, the hormone estrogen stimulates the uterus to build up its lining with extra blood and tissue, making the walls of the uterus thick and cushioned. This happens to prepare the uterus for pregnancy: If the egg is fertilized by a sperm cell, it travels to the uterus and attaches to the cushiony wall of the uterus, where it slowly develops into a baby.

If the egg isn't fertilized, though — which is the case during most of a woman's monthly cycles — it doesn't attach to the wall of the uterus. When this happens, the uterus sheds the extra tissue lining. The blood, tissue, and unfertilized egg leave the uterus, going through the vagina on the way out of the body. This is a menstrual period. This cycle happens almost every month for several more decades (except, of course, when a female is pregnant) until a woman reaches menopause and no longer releases eggs from her ovaries.

How Often Does a Girl Get Her Period?

Just as some girls begin puberty earlier or later than others, the same applies to periods. Some girls may start menstruating as early as age 10, but others may not get their first period until they are 15 years old.

The amount of time between a girl's periods is called her menstrual cycle (the cycle is counted from the start of one period to the start of the next). Some girls will find that their menstrual cycle lasts 28 days, whereas others might have a 24-day cycle, a 30-day cycle, or even longer. Following menarche, menstrual cycles last 21–45 days. After a couple of years, cycles shorten to an adult length of 21–34 days.

Irregular periods are common in girls who are just beginning to menstruate. It may take the body a while to sort out all the changes going on, so a girl may have a 28-day cycle for 2 months, then miss a month, for example. Usually, after a year or two, the menstrual cycle will become more regular. Some women continue to have irregular periods into adulthood, though.

As a girl gets older and her periods settle down — or she gets more used to her own unique cycle — she will probably find that she can predict when her period will come. In the meantime, it's a good idea to keep track of your menstrual cycle with a calendar.

How Long and How Much?

The amount of time that a girl has her period also can vary. Some girls have periods that last just 2 or 3 days. Other girls may have periods that last 7 days or longer. The menstrual flow — meaning how much blood comes out of the vagina — can vary widely from girl to girl, too.

Some girls may be concerned that they're losing too much blood. It can be a shock to see all that blood, but it's unlikely that a girl will lose too much, unless she has a medical condition like von Willebrand disease. Though it may look like a lot, the average amount of blood is only about 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) for an entire period. Most teens will change pads 3 to 6 times a day, with more frequent changes when their period is heaviest, usually at the start of the period.

Especially when menstrual periods are new, you may be worried about your blood flow or whether your period is normal in other ways. Talk to a doctor or nurse if:

• your period lasts longer than a week
• you have to change your pad very often (soaking more than one pad every 1–2 hours)
• you go longer than 3 months between periods
• you have bleeding in between periods
• you have an unusual amount of pain before or during your period
• your periods were regular then became irregular

Cramps, PMS, and Pimples

Some girls may notice physical or emotional changes around the time of their periods. Menstrual cramps are pretty common — in fact, more than half of all women who menstruate say they have cramps during the first few days of their periods. Doctors think that cramps are caused by prostaglandin, a chemical that causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.

Depending on the girl, menstrual cramps can be dull and achy or sharp and intense, and they can sometimes be felt in the back as well as the abdomen. These cramps often become less uncomfortable and sometimes even disappear completely as a girl gets older.

Many girls and women find that over-the-counter pain medications (like acetaminophen or ibuprofen) can relieve cramps, as can taking a warm bath or applying a warm heating pad to the lower abdomen. Exercising regularly throughout the monthly cycle may help lessen cramps, too. If these things don't help, ask your doctor for advice.

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