Young teens tend to do many things that they don’t realize will have an impact on their lives. Most kids do what they think they want but regret it later. Thankfully, according to the CDC, the teen pregnancy rate has plummeted within the last 15 years. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t practice safe sex. 

A common misconception is that safe sex only means to use protection during sex; however, it has more than one meaning. 

“Safe sex is who you’re with, where you are, and having reliable resources that you can rely on,” a sophomore at AAHS said.

Now more than ever is when kids should be prioritizing their safety over their desires. Although it might seem like an uncomfortable topic, talking to a trustworthy adult is a good course of action in order to remain safe and within your comfortability. 

“Abstinence is important and giving tools and resources for both males and females is important. That means using condoms or birth control for males and females. Also giving the tools to be consensual, if someone is under the influence then that isn’t consensual sex,” CNA Vicki Garcia said. 

Now obviously also taking the proper precautions to avoid pregnancy is also a big key point in safe sex. Having a child at a young age or before both parents are ready, can be detrimental to your future. 

 According to the CDC, pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, whereas approximately 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high school. 

Unfortunately, in teen pregnancies more times than not, women take more of the responsibility and men tend to get off a little easier.

With that being said, that should be more than enough reason to stay safe. Getting the proper resources you need to be safe shouldn’t be something that kids are afraid of doing, 

“I think that we definitely should give kids the resources they need to be safe because kids are gonna do it anyway. If kids were a lot more educated on the topic then they would be a lot safer,” AAHS CNA Vicki Garcia said.

Also not only does having a child when not ready affect the parents, but you are also putting a newborn child in an environment that is not suitable for a child. Having a child is a big responsibility and taking the proper procedures to avoid having a child until you are ready, is important for both the parents and the child.

Another big part of safe sex that a lot of people forget about, is preventing the spread of STDs. STDs are more common than people realize. Having an STD can prove to be very damaging to many things including your overall health, your future partners, and even your fertility.

“STDs are very common in teens and they aren’t really talked about. Many kids don’t really feel comfortable talking to adults and talk about getting tested, kids should be given the resources to test and to treat it as well as be educated about the subject,” CNA Vicki Garcia stated.

 By practicing safe sex, not only can you avoid an unwanted pregnancy, but you can also make sure that your health is not at risk from an STD. 

Safe sex might be a topic that many teenagers and young adults have difficulties discussing, but it’s important that all people are comfortable with what they are doing, and take the proper precautions to avoid an unwanted pregnancy or STDs. In other words, always be safe, and don’t allow your desires to take priority over your safety.