Sex Education Two drastic emergency room cases were handled in 1998 at Mary Washington Hospital. Worried mothers took their 12-year-old daughters to the hospital thinking they were suffering from severe stomach pain or even appendicitis… both girls were actually in labor (Abstinence, 2002). The United States has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies, births, and abortions in the Western world (Planned Parenthood, 2003). Are teenagers getting enough knowledge about sex and how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies? Another heartbreaking statistic is that teenagers have the highest rate of STDs of any age group, with one in four young people contracting an STD by age 21 (Sex-Ed Work, 2003). Does sex education really work in school? Or do we need to change the type of curricula taught? There is no doubt that sex education should be taught in schools, but the question is: how? The purpose of this article is to determine which sex education programs should be taught in schools to be most effective in reducing rates of STDs and teen pregnancy. The first type of programs involves abstinence only. Abstinence-only curricula are taught to over 50% of students worldwide (Sex in Review, 2003). Abstinence programs teach teens how to say no. It doesn't teach them about sexually transmitted diseases and how to protect themselves, thus keeping them in the dark about sex. This type of curriculum typically uses fear and shame to encourage premarital abstinence. It usually provides a distorted view of sex and can lead to sexual anxiety. Students are taught misinformation and lies; You will learn that sex is horrible unless it happens in a monogamous marriage. President Bush asked Congress for a thirty-three for... half of the document.......) Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fssexcur.htmI used this website for studies showing how comprehensive programs have proven effective in reducing STDs and unwanted pregnancies. Sexuality education in schools. (n.d.) Retrieved April 8, 2003, from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/vox/sexedschool.htmlI used this to show how Congress is calling for an increase in abstinence programs when these types of programs have not even been proven helps adolescents.Zwillich, Todd. (1994). Parents want more comprehensive sex education in schools. Retrieved April 23, 2003, from http://wwwbiology.ucsd.edu/classes/bild36.FA00/extra_html/sexand_school.html I used it to show what kind of education parents would like their children to receive in schools today to contribute to reduce the rate of sexually transmitted diseases.