HIV Prevention, Sexuality, Teenage Pregnancy--- Pro-Abstinece, or Pro-Choice? What's your stand?

[Ng Hui Xin]

From these 2 articles, you can see the stark difference between the way people from different cultures handle issues on HIV Prevention, Sexuality, Teenage Pregnancy.

 

Here, they are repealing a Abstinence only program for youths:

http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/end_abonly?source_interior

 

And here they are still supporting pro-abstinece programs:

http://www.wgnrr.org/blog/27/youth-malaysia-bare-truth-about-teen-sex

 

I personally don't like the idea of telling young people that they have the freedom to do whatever they like before marriage. As a young person myself, I still don't think that All of my friends have the maturity to make a decision that can forever affect their lives in the future. At the same time, telling young people that they MUST not have sex before marriage doesn't seem right to me either. I still think they should be educated with some essential knowledge like, how to use a condom, what is contraceptive pill etc. Denying all these knowledge doesn't make sense either.  Many adults see that teaching these things will somehow promote pre marital sex, but I don't agree. After all, a married couple will still use contraceptives for family planning anyway. 

 

I think what is important is to highlight the consequences of their decisions. If one decides to have pre martial sex, the educator must highlight the coming issues they will face, If one decides to remain abstinent till marriage, the educator has to give encouragement to that person. 

This is not exactly forcing them to make and oath/wear a virginity ring, but it's a more subtle way of prescribing a moral solution. 

 

Please share what do you think about this! :)