Arkansas has the highest teen birth rate in the United States. There is currently no mandated sex education in public schools, and many schools that do teach sex education do so through the platform of abstinence only, not informing students on how to have safe sex. Many studies have shown that abstinence-only education is ineffective in delaying sexual activity and often leaves students with less knowledge on how to use condoms to prevent STDs. Overall, if the Arkansas government enforced a more comprehensive sex education program in public schools across the state, fewer teenagers would be at risk for pregnancy, and Arkansas taxpayers' money would go towards other more pressing issues. The goal is to see teenagers practicing safer sex at a later age and fewer teenagers becoming pregnant.
