SEX education has always been an issue that has generated a lot of arguments among many cultures, especially in the African society. Tsitsi Matimati
Many parents do not want their children to get sex education. To my surprise, they want their children to be taught about the dangers of drug abuse and they want them to be taught about not to drink and drive.
Sex education is also important for their children.
I have heard people teaching teenagers about contraceptives. Such people have talked about how condoms prevent teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Seriously, why should a 16-year-old know about contraceptives and condoms?
Why not abstinence? Teaching children about contraceptives makes them go astray. To them it presupposes they have been given permission to engage in premarital sex. Parents should raise their standard by encouraging a life of abstinence.
Today, abstinence is a word that causes people to laugh. If you are at high school and somehow talk about abstinence, your peers will laugh at you.
Teenage sexual activity is a major problem haunting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of STIs, emotional and psychological injuries and unwanted pregnancies.
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What teenagers do not know is that abstinence always keeps them safe. Delaying sex debuts or reducing early sexual activity among teens can decrease their overall exposure to risks of unwanted pregnancy and STIs.
There are too many reports of unwanted teenage pregnancies, abortions among young girls and STIs. My point is, the simplest and safest way of preventing risk is abstinence. Teaching safe sex is not the solution.
Teenagers should be taught to abstain.
Will children continue to mess up and make mistakes if we preach abstinence?
I think it is wise for parents to go back to our culture and see how telling their children to abstain helps. Some have allowed the Internet to take over their parenting role. New media technology exposes children to dirty music videos and pornography.
Parents buy gadgets for their children, but these same gadgets are morally destroying the children.
I am not saying it is wrong for parents to buy fancy phones, and tablets for their children, but parents should know that children get exposed to material that pushes them into early sex activity through these gadgets.
Preaching abstinence is the best way to curb abortion, unwanted pregnancies and the spread of STIs.
I know there has been this thing that if teenagers indulge in sexual activities using birth control, they are being responsible with their sex life. However, birth control can and has at most times failed.
If teenagers wish to be responsible, they should always abstain.
Parents should do all they can to encourage abstinence.
