Encouraging Comprehensive Sexuality Education Comprehensive sexual education is the most realistic way of teaching sexual education today. While remaining abstinent is the only way to be one hundred percent sure that you will not have an unwanted pregnancy or contract a sexually transmitted disease (STD), this is not realistic in today's society. Adolescents, as well as adults, engage in premarital sexual activities. STDs can be a serious or life-threatening disease. Effective and comprehensive sexuality education should contain detailed information on sexual development and reproduction, birth control methods, sexually transmitted diseases and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), abortion, and different religious and cultural views on sex and sexual diversity. With this information, young people are better equipped to make choices about their sexual behavior. The debate is not whether you agree or disagree with premarital sex. The debate is whether you are educated enough to help reduce the spread of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases by knowing how to properly use contraception. The way of teaching sex education has been controversial for a long time. Beginning in 1981 under the Regan administration, federal funding had been directed to sex education programs that promoted abstinence only until marriage and excluded any other approaches to sex education (Caplan). This approach has been controversial as the public supports sex education programs that include not only abstinence, but also information about contraceptives (Caplan). More than seventy percent of young women and eighty percent of young men approve of premarital sex (Caplan). Abstinence will not work against protecting individuals who wish to have sex. Young Americans want to be sexually active,...... half of document ......es S. “Marriage and divorce.” CQ Researcher 10 May 1996: 409-32. Network. 31 July 2011 Clemmitt, Marcia. “Teenage pregnancy”. CQ Researcher March 26, 2010: 265-88. Network. July 31, 2011.Elliott, Emma. “Abstinence-only sex education reduces adolescent sexual activity.” Adolescents at risk.Ed. Auriana Ojeda. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale Opposing views in context. Network. July 31, 2011.Friedman, Jane. “Teen sex.” CQ Researcher 16 September 2005: 761-84. Network. July 31, 2011.Glazer, Sarah. “Sexually transmitted diseases”. Researcher CQ 3 December 2004: 997-1020. Network. July 31, 2011.Glazer, Sarah. “The future of feminism”. CQ Researcher 14 April 2006: 313-36. Network. July 31, 2011.Jost, Kenneth. “Custody crisis”. CQ Researcher 27 September 1991: 705-278. Network. July 31, 2011. Price, Tom. “Child welfare reform”. CQ Researcher 22 April 2005: 345-68. Network. 31 July 2011.