SEXEDISNOTREPRODUCTIVEHEALTH

Rosemonetlittle

AFLA funds are distributed to services for pregnancy testing, adoption counseling, and abstinence education but neglect comprehensive sexual programs or abortion counseling services within adolescent education. But, Congress enforced AFLA to support abstinence-only education in order to decrease and prevent adolescent pregnancy. Abstinenceonly education is not the best or only solution, as research reveals that improved implementation of contraceptives, increased availability, and education have more effectively decreased adolescent pregnancy rates by 27% and birth rates reduced by 33% in the US since 1991. Authorizing funds that solely support conservative health organizations to subsidize curriculum that limits inclusive and elaborative reproductive education to serve political agendas prevents improvement for sex education. Promoting safe sex and abstinence is only one part of reproductive health education. Children, teenagers, and young adults need to have a complete understanding of relationships, sexuality, gender identity, and sexual intercourse, all of which fall under the umbrella of reproductive health. Public health policies that incorporate inclusive reproductive health in the educational system in the United States must be a priority for both state and federal government to ensure the health quality, equity, and viability for diverse communities.

About The Author

Rose Monet P. Little is a dependable and advocacy leader with the ambition to provide quality and inclusive health communication within a clinical and community healthcare environment. As a current Public Health graduate student, she has a strong desire to learn and explore new opportunities in health and medical systems She is a person who strives to expand health education and improve accessibility to quality care within underserved communities through various outreach programs