Sex Sex in Philadelphia (or lack thereof)

Posted by Caleb McCreary on

​A teenager in the United States is likely to experiment sexually at some point before adulthood. While perfectly natural and fun, if preventative measures are not taken against STDs, STIs, or pregnancies, embarrassing and possibly threatening ailments can change teenager’s life forever. There are so many things that can be done to prevent something like this from happening. I want to highlight this exact point throughout my project, and make prevention an easy thing to do.  I am interested in the subject of safe sex awareness because of the fact that if you are still in highschool, you should NOT be in a situation where you have a child, or need to deal with an unflattering illness for years on end. That is something a student should never need to worry about!

Image result for diagram
In this diagram, it is illustrated that Philadelphia has a large amount of STDs, when compared to other cities. Philly has a very high rate of both gonorrhea and chlamydia.

I have zero personal connection to this topic. The people I know that do choose to have sex usually do it safely, and make it a casual and not unusual thing. I admire this, because I feel like there is a weird stigma towards safe sex, or rather, having to worry about putting a condom on, having  a conversation, or making sure you’re ready before sex. It matters to me that this stigma is wiped away, and replaced by an enthusiasm to be safe! That being said, it is important for teenagers to realize that it is essential to take precautions and be careful before, during, and after sex.


Within the various resources I explored, I grimaced at the various statistics, stories, and other sources that ultimately paint a disgusting portrait of chlamydia, different pregnancy rates between races, and infertility. The CDC reported in 2015 that 229,715 children were born to 15-19 year old women. While actually being lower than previous years, the CDC incidentally reports that that the U.S has a “teen pregnancy rate [which is] substantially higher than other western industrialized nations”. While unwanted teen pregnancy certainly affects the individual, it’s essential to consider how the people living among this problem go through. The CDC has also reported that “teen pregnancy and childbirth accounted for at least $9.4 billion in costs to U.S. taxpayers for increased health care and foster care, increased incarceration rates among children of teen parents, and lost tax revenue because of lower educational attainment and income among teen mothers.” Pregnancy and STIs can be avoided using multiple tools and dialogue. There are multiple tools (condoms, lubricant, dental dams, etc.) that make sex between you and another person safer, and more comfortable.

Conversation and preparation before sex, albeit awkward, can make sex easier, and possibly less harmful. Many agree that even though it may be weird to talk about wearing condoms, or using other measures to prevent STDs, it is better than a possible lifetime of embarrassment from an STD.  (image gathered from this source).


To conclude,  throughout my research, my pre-obtained knowledge of the subject I decided to dive into was added on by facts I had no idea were true! Who knew that race, economic status, and other factors contribute to pregnancy statistics? Prevention is a very easy thing to accomplish with you and  sexual partner. When you take the precautions needed before sex, both you and your partners are safer as a result.

Such as the ones included in this photo, there are many ways to use birth control. Often, you can find condoms or other methods to prevent pregnancy/STDs for free in school, or outside location.




ANN BIB



Comments (3)

Reneke Hart (Student 2021)
Reneke Hart

Great job Caleb. Your first paragraph was very eye catching and you wrote your report in a way that was informative and interesting. Your spelling and grammar was phenomenal.