A PROPOSAL : promoting communication between parents and children on the topic of sex education - Essay Example

Teen sex and the possible pregnancies that occur would be easier for both parents and teens to understand if there was better communication between them. Pregnancy during adolescence can be having profound consequences on those affected. Many of these unwanted pregnancies may result in termination, which can have important psychological implications and may influence health and future fertility in young women. When teenagers and parents lack a decent communication, a teen girl may decide on an abortion to hide the fact that she had gotten pregnant.

The consequences of teenage motherhood can be equally difficult and include economic disadvantage, withdrawal from education and the widening of any existing social inequalities. A Unicef report (2001) on teenage pregnancy in industrialised countries listed the United Kingdom as having the highest teenage pregnancy in Europe and the second in all industrialised countries in the world after the U.S.A. Parents are potentially an important source of information and support to their children on sex issues.

There is limited information on research on parents’ involvement in sex education and relationships and the impact they would have towards promoting sexual health, rather than simply avoiding ill health and unwanted pregnancies. Britain now has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe and second highest in the world. Government-led initiatives providing ready access to free condoms available through schools is another variation on the same theme of underage sex and will surely contribute significantly to the amount of pregnancies that can be caused because of a lack of knowledge and resources.

A change in parental attitude has also occurred in the latest generation. Parents have become more tolerant about the depiction of sexual intercourse on the television and the concept of teenagers experimenting with sex. I feel that parents represent a huge and currently untapped resource that could help