The issue of issuing contraceptives to high school students has raised much debate with some people opposing the move while others supporting the move (Mason-Jones et al., 2012). Those supporting the move say it will help prevent teenage pregnancy while those opposed to the move claim such a move will increase the level of immorality among teenagers.
There are a number of reasons why schools should dispense contraceptives to high school students. One of the reasons is that most high school students engage in sexual activities. This can be seen from the high level of teenage pregnancy (Blumenthal, Voedisch & Gemzell-Danielsson, 2011). Providing them with contraceptives will help reduce the level of teenage pregnancy as well as sexual infections.
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Another reason why schools should dispense contraceptives to students is that it will provide an avenue for increased sex education. Sex education is one of the subjects which have largely been avoided in schools and families (Johnson, Nshom, Nye & Cohall, 2010). Providing contraceptives will provide a way through which teachers and parents will be able to discuss sex issues with their students and children respectively.
There are a number of cognitive and emotional development issues which are at play when tweens make the decision to have sex. One of the cognitive developmental issues is whether tweens are cognitively mature to make decisions about sex (Blumenthal, Voedisch & Gemzell-Danielsson, 2011). Research indicates that the human brain at teenage is not fully developed to make some complex decisions. Making decisions to have sex can thereby affect the cognitive development of tweens. With regard to emotional developmental issues, tweens normally make decisions under the influence of hot emotions. This also affects their emotional development.
Cognitive and emotional developmental issues should thereby be addressed when contraceptives are given to students (Mason-Jones et al., 2012). Teachers and parents should educate students on how to make decisions wisely and not based on emotions.
References
Blumenthal, P. D., Voedisch, A., & Gemzell-Danielsson, K. (2011). Strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy: increasing use of long-acting reversible contraception. Human reproduction update , 17 (1), 121-137.
Johnson, R., Nshom, M., Nye, A. M., & Cohall, A. T. (2010). There's always Plan B: adolescent knowledge, attitudes and intention to use emergency contraception. Contraception , 81 (2), 128-132.
Mason-Jones, A. J., Crisp, C., Momberg, M., Koech, J., De Koker, P., & Mathews, C. (2012). A systematic review of the role of school-based healthcare in adolescent sexual, reproductive, and mental health. Systematic reviews , 1 (1), 49.
