3 of 39

No

Write now Article Tools

We have tried everything to keep teenagers from having sex. As parents we have preached abstinence, the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy and its devastation, the Bibles viewpoints on sex and marriage, and even the fact that a teenager is emotionally and mentally unprepared for sex. We have run the gamut of reasons to say an emphatic,

'NO' to teenage sexual activity. But none of it has ever worked. Teenagers have sex. Over seventy percent will have sex before the age of eighteen. Its a cold hard statistic. Its reality. So how can we delude ourselves into thinking that if the Federal Government steps in and mandates a law that sets the sexual consent age for teens its going to somehow miraculously stop teenage sex?

What if a teenage couple breaks the 'law' and has sex before the governments consent age? What happens to them? Are the placed in jail? Are they sent to a foster home? Are they put into some kind of juvenile facility to rehabilitate them from their wayward ways? Its all insane, if you ask me. The government cannot stop teenage sex anymore then the parents can stop it or the schools. Its going to happen, that reality. If you are parent and you think that you are child will not have sex then you are more then likely just delusional. You have got to be prepared for your teenager to have sex because its the statistics say its more then likely going to happen.

So I think that we are faced with education as our only hope in saving teens from sex. We need to continue to teach them about what might happen if they have unprotected sex. The schools and parents need to also be faced with the fact that the teenagers will more then likely have sex no matter what education we bombard them with so then we need to have birth control available for them and also condoms to prevent disease. We need to be prepared to face the cold hard facts.

If we let the government step in and take control with laws that set the consent age then we are setting our teens up to be even more withdrawn and less forthcoming before they indulge in sex. This means they will not be seeking out the much needed birth control and protection. So, ultimately, we will see a rise in teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease because they will be too embarrassed and scared to turn to teachers, health care facilities, and parents if they feel they are breaking some sort of law that the government has set forth.

We need to keep communication open with our teenagers. We cannot treat sex as a crime but a mistake. A mistake that far too many teenagers will make. But a forgivable mistake. A mistake that might not shatter lives if we continue to provide birth control and protection to the teenagers that are going to have sex.

Learn more about this author, Kim Sharpe.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Should the federal government set a national age for sexual consent for teens??
We want to hear your view. Write now!