Blog Stage Three: Substantial commentary or criticism #1

      As we all know, Texas is one of the U.S. state having highest teenage pregnancy rate and nearly about one-third of the Texas high schoolers surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are admitted being sexually active. It is because there's something terribly wrong with the sex education in Texas. The article "Why is Texas so afraid to talk about sex at school?" published in The Dallas Morning News by the Dallas Morning News Editorial Board shows how Texas school districts didn't teach sex education in school because of shame and fear.
     According to Texas Freedom Network Education Fund Report, more than 25 percent of Texas school didn't teach sex education at all in the 2015-2016 school year. Because of lack of sex education among students in Texas, it makes Texas one of the state having highest teenage pregnancy rate. Due to teenage pregnancy, teen mothers drop out their school, which affects their future as well as their baby's life. It also increases school drop-out rate of the state. To avoid all these kind of problems, the state requires to talk about sex in public schools and give students medically accurate information. The state requires that when sex education is taught, public schools must focus on abstinence first; then, if they choose, they can also teach them about birth control methods. As Reams of Research has repeatedly shown that kids make smarter choices when they are provided with relevant science-based information. So, state Rep. Mary Gonzalez, D-Clint, is taking a step forward by filling HB 1547, which would require districts to adopt medically accurate abstinence-plus programs.
    Ultimately, I completely agree with the abstinence-plus programs in the public schools, which would provide students medically accurate information. I think school board members should address this issue without being afraid so that teenagers might get the basic knowledge and would make smarter choices, which will decrease several problems such as teen pregnancy, school dropout, and STIs.