High school students are sexually active, so there needs to be more conversation. With the prominence of social media and shifting cultures, each year high school students adopt mature sexual behavior. In 2015, 41 percent of high schoolers reported having sexual intercourse, according to Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention(ReCAPP). However, this generation has the power to destigmatize sexual behavior and be safer. Generally, sexually active high schoolers deal with sexual behavior safely, displayed by the majority of people in statistics do not have STDs or are pregnant. However, there needs to be more education and discussion of safety to ensure that more students are being safe, and minimize irresponsibility.
There are significant portions of upper school students that are sexually active, but because of stigma there aren’t a lot of conversations on being safe. At WIS 16 percent of people across the upper school are sexually active, according to a health survey administered to the upper school, which displays how relevant these conversations would be in the WIS community. People age 15 to 24 account for 50 percent of annual STD infections, but because most are hesitant to speak about it with doctors and nurses to stay safe or get tested. For example, in WIS 36 percent of sexually active students reported that they didn’t use a condom the last time they had sex. There have been some programs to discuss sexaul behavior, like in Physical Education. 98.1 percent of parents thought sex education had some degree of importance according to a survey conducted in Alabama, but only 24 states and DC have sex education programs in high school. Through this data one could conclude that there is a lack of knowledge on safety and there needs to be more support systems for these conversations.
High Schoolers generally aren’t responsible enough for the responsibility of children, if they do become potential parents. The aren’t responsible, driving forward the need for better education on the issue because not every sexually active high school student isn’t going to stop being sexually active. There is always a chance of pregnancy and high school students generally aren’t responsible enough to take care of a child. Similarly, facing moral or ethical issues are extremely hard for high school students, which some have to deal with when faced with unplanned pregnancies. For example, 12 percent of all abortions in the U.S. are from adolescents.
According to a sexaully active student in California, interviewed by her school paper, she understands the responsibility of becoming a parent and thinks she wouldn’t be able to deal with the effects on her life.
There are a lot of influences that can make students want to be more sexually active. They feel obligated to, or because it is something that can be seen as cool. Media is hypersexualized with people that look older portraying young people, or influential people exhibiting sexual behavior. So the constant exposure has lead teens to start more adult-like behavior in high school. Also, there are actors in tv shows and movies with adults playing teenagers which can affect people and make them want to look older, which can subject them to being more sexually active. Because high school students are more easily influenced there is a greater chance of being sexually active, meaning there needs to be more conversations with the shift in culture and idea around sexual behavior.
With more people becoming sexually active early on, having conversations are a necessity, because being sexually active is a big responsibility. Contrarily, an alarmingly small percentage of schools provide the necessary education and this can lead to large health problems later on. Also, the use of mind-altering substances before having sex is something that can be a issue that affects decision-making skills, which can put people at risk. In WIS, 22 percent of sexually active people reported using substances before having sex. So high school students being sexually active is an important conversation, no matter how stigmatized.
According to alumna, Amra Zegeye, there are some programs to educate about sexual behavior, but believes there could be more being done.