Factors of the Prevalence of Teenage Pregnancies - Essay Example

Further, the breakdown of the family as a cohesive unit is adding to the causes. As shown in the movie, “The American Beauty”, the family is not providing the “centered” feeling for most teenagers leading to their experimenting with drugs and sex. In my opinion, there should be a greater emphasis on sexual education and more openness about telling teenagers about sex by parents. The religious debate over contraception and abortion should not come in the way of making teenagers use them.

My parents were not that comfortable talking about sex with me and I had to rely on what my friends told me and what I could learn from the various books that we used to read clandestinely. Thus, my exposure to sex education was not formal and the route that I had taken was fraught with risk and danger. The point is here, if you cannot prevent something, you should at least regulate it. Since preventing sex among teenagers is proving to be difficult, the least one can do as a teacher or a parent is to alert them to the negative consequences of such an act.

Teenagers also have to bear the responsibility towards themselves and society at large. In conclusion, it is a shared responsibility among parents, teachers, and teenagers themselves to act in a manner that is good for everyone concerned.