Position paper HHS 351
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The topic of providing free and confidential safe sex products to minors and teenagers is that of major debate. This seems to majorly stem from the general difficulty of admitting that teenagers are engaging in sexual acts and that these sexual acts will transgress whether or not protection is involved. The importance of this issue is based is because when teens engage in sexual relations, it should be with the utmost caution. Due to the stigma of buying preventative measures and certain individuals not allowing children to purchase these measures is extremely problematic. If safe sex items like condoms and other forms of contraception are available to the teenage population, without consent of parents, many unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections could be avoided. The case against free contraception for teens and young adults has multiple valid points. The first point is that the government shouldn’t be buying contraception for people who choose to engage in sexual relations and knowingly accept the risks of their actions. Some taxpayers think that giving financial aid to teenagers involved in sexual relations is a waste of their money. The idea here is that if there are people, or children, engaging in sex that they have accepted the consequences and can handle acquiring contraception themselves. The second argument is that if these free contraceptive methods are available then children will think that sexual relations are in fact the right thing to do. The free contraceptives leave no monetary requirement to have intercourse and will enable the teens and children to engage in sexual activity, that they may not have engaged in otherwise. Lastly the religious conflict with contraception has been a cornerstone of the anticontraception camp. Some religious doctrine state that contraception is a sin against god and it is in the same realm as abortion. For certain religions this would mean that the government would be actively disobeying religious beliefs and allowing children to disobey their parent’s religious wishes.. Free contraception is not actually free, and there are definitely factions that see it that way.
description
Oregon state position paper for sexuality and aids and stis. Teacher unknown.
Transcript of Position paper HHS 351
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Thetopicofprovidingfreeandconfidentialsafesexproductstominorsandteenagersisthat
ofmajordebate.Thisseemstomajorlystemfromthegeneraldifficultyofadmittingthatteenagers
areengaginginsexualactsandthatthesesexualactswilltransgresswhetherornotprotectionis
involved.Theimportanceofthisissueisbasedisbecausewhenteensengageinsexualrelations,it
shouldbewiththeutmostcaution.Duetothestigmaofbuyingpreventativemeasuresandcertain
individualsnotallowingchildrentopurchasethesemeasuresisextremelyproblematic.Ifsafesex
itemslikecondomsandotherformsofcontraceptionareavailabletotheteenagepopulation,without
consentofparents,manyunwantedpregnanciesandsexuallytransmittedinfectionscouldbe
avoided.
Thecaseagainstfreecontraceptionforteensandyoungadultshasmultiplevalidpoints.The
firstpointisthatthegovernmentshouldntbebuyingcontraceptionforpeoplewhochooseto
engageinsexualrelationsandknowinglyaccepttherisksoftheiractions.Sometaxpayersthinkthat
givingfinancialaidtoteenagersinvolvedinsexualrelationsisawasteoftheirmoney.Theideahere
isthatiftherearepeople,orchildren,engaginginsexthattheyhaveacceptedtheconsequencesand
canhandleacquiringcontraceptionthemselves.Thesecondargumentisthatifthesefree
contraceptivemethodsareavailablethenchildrenwillthinkthatsexualrelationsareinfacttheright
thingtodo.Thefreecontraceptivesleavenomonetaryrequirementtohaveintercourseandwill
enabletheteensandchildrentoengageinsexualactivity,thattheymaynothaveengagedin
otherwise.Lastlythereligiousconflictwithcontraceptionhasbeenacornerstoneofthe
anticontraceptioncamp.Somereligiousdoctrinestatethatcontraceptionisasinagainstgodandit
isinthesamerealmasabortion.Forcertainreligionsthiswouldmeanthatthegovernmentwould
beactivelydisobeyingreligiousbeliefsandallowingchildrentodisobeytheirparentsreligious
wishes..Freecontraceptionisnotactuallyfree,andtherearedefinitelyfactionsthatseeitthatway.
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Eventhoughthereisevidencethatfreecontraceptionisnotaparticularlygoodprogram,
thereisalsoevidencethatitisanextremelyhelpfulprogram.Thefirstargumentforfree
contraceptionisthatteensandyoungadultswillengageinsex,andhowsafethesexisdepends
heavilyupontheavailabilityofcontraception.Withfreecontraception,teenagerswouldstillhave
sex,buttheymayengageinasafermanner.Thesefreecontraceptiveswouldntbemonitoredand
parentswouldnotbenotified.Thisabilitytoanonymouslyobtaincontraceptionwouldallowthe
teenstogainaccesstofreecontraceptionwithouttheembarrassmentoftheirparentsknowingorthe
monetarycostofbuyingcondoms.Thesecondargumentisthatprogramsinvolvingsafesexwould
alsoinformteensthatsexisahealthyactionandnottaboo,ifoneisengaginginasafemanner.
Comprehensivesexualeducationisveryessentialtoyoungpeoplethathavenotbeentaughtaboutit
otherwise.AccordingtotheUnitedStatesdepartmentofhealthservices,77percentofteen
pregnanciesareunplanned(Lino,M.2014).Theseprogramswouldinformtheteenagersthatsexcan
besafeandenjoyableifdonesafely.Duetothelackofcomprehensivesexualeducationinthe
Americanschoolsystem,thesetypesofprogramswouldalsohelpyoungadultsthatlackproper
knowledge.Properuseofcondomsandothercontraceptivedevicescouldsavemanypeoplefrom
creatingsituationsthattheydonotwanttobepartof.Lastlythistypeofprogramwouldincrease
safesexandreducethecostsofabortionandthefostersystem.Preventingchildrenfrombeing
createdinthefirstplaceisagreatwayofnotproducingunwantedchildren.Inthelongruna
governmentprogramcanspend245,000dollarsonraisingachildaccordingtotheUnitedStates
DepartmentofAgriculture,andcondomscostthegovernmentcents(TrendsinTeenPregnancy,
2014).Justfromafinancialpointofview,ifonechildispreventedfrombeingbornforevery40,000
condomsbought,thenthetaxpayersarestillintheblack.Overall,providingsafesexmaterialsis
costeffectiveandthewellinformedthingtodo.
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WiththeevidenceprovidedforandagainststatefundedcontraceptionIfindthatthe
argumentsforoutweightheargumentsagainst.Supportingthestatefundedprogramseemslikethe
smartchoiceasitadmitsthatteenagesexishappening,andaretryingtomakeitasaferexperience.
Realizingthatunderagesexualrelationswillhappenisaverylogicaltakeontheissue.Theaccessto
safesexmaterialsisagreatwaytoshowteensthatsexisnotsomethingtobesweptundertherug
andnotthoughtabout,becauseitwillhappen,andthemoreknowledgeableaboutsexthatteenagers
are,thesaferitwillbe.InatwoyearstudytitledSaferChoices,showedthatbyputtingproper
condomusetechniquesinhighschoolsexualeducationwemeasurablymorelikelytousethemin
subsequentsexualencounters(Coyle,2012).Hopefullyfreecontraceptivemethodswillresultin
unwantedpregnanciesbecomingnearlyzero,STItransmissionratedrasticallyloweringand
knowledgeofsafesexpracticesincreasing.
Governmentfundedcontraceptionprogramsareagoodideaacrosstheboardfrom
financiallytoeducationally.Financiallyitwillsavethegovernmentmagnitudesoftensindollars
moreifcondomsareprovidedtheniffostercareis.Educationallyitwillinformteensthatsexcanbe
safeandcanbeahealthypartofarelationshipwhenengagedinproperly.Emotionallyitwill
providehelpduetothedecreasedchancesofhavingtogiveupchildrenforadoption,decreasein
abortedpregnanciesanddecreaseinunwantedpregnanciescarriedtoterm.Thisprogramisa
fantasticuseoftaxpayersdollarsandcouldnotbemorehelpfultotheAmericanyouthasawhole.I
wouldsuggestthatfreecontraceptionshouldbeprovidedtoteenagerssandyoungadultswithoutthe
consentoflegalguardians,withoutcostandwithoutguilt.
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