Sex Education Should Be Taught Rather Than Abstinence only

"When you arm students with the knowledge on how to deal with sex than there are certainly going to try it. Teaching teens about sex and how to prevent pregnancy and STDs while also encouraging them to not do it will confuses teens. You're saying "here is how" but "don't do it". When you learn about something it strikes a natural curiosity. If you then tell them it is completely safe to go forward in having sex than it will ultimately loose the importance in the eyes of the students. Sex is something that has to be handled with caution because even if contraceptives can make the situation 98% safer, there will always be teens who do not use contraceptives correctly or at all. According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC), "In 2009, 34% of currently sexually active high school students did not use a condom during last sexual intercourse." What I believe my opponent is saying is that by giving students knowledge on how to deal with sex, they will go out and as soon as possible use this because they now have the knowledge. Also, there would be mixed messages because students would be taught how to have sex but be told specifically not to have it. Giving individuals the knowledge on a topic would not make them go out and do it. This would be like saying, by teaching about how a dictatorship is made in a history class, students would use this knowledge and go out and use it. By gaining the knowledge, individuals can use this to their advantage, and know how to fully protect themselves keeping them safe, something that abstinence only education lacks. Abstinence only education does not provide any form of knowledge other than "don't have sex until your married." There is no discussion of contraception, protection, or how to be safe while having sex. The main focus for this debate is how to keep individuals safe in the long run, and safe sex education provides this safety because of the knowledge that is gained on contraceptives and STD's. While agree there will always be those who do not use contraceptives, even after learning safe sex education this would come down to them not using the knowledge that was passed on to them. One could say that a person who learned abstinence only, if they do not use the knowledge passed on in that class(being don't have sex until marriage), odds are they will definitely not use a condom because they may not know what it is. They do not have the knowledge to protect themselves, whereas a person who learned safe sex, does have this knowledge, and ultimately the choice is theirs to use it or not, but it is advocated to always use protection. My main goal in this debate was to prove that individuals who learn safe sex education have the knowledge to live healthier and safer lives, and often will. They know how to use condoms and other contraceptives, and they do use them. They get tested for STD's prior to having intercourse, and their partners are also tested because they learned to be cautious through safe sex education. The knowledge that is given is what will make them live healthier and safer lives because when sex does come up, they have the knowledge to protect themselves, whereas those who learn abstinence only may not be tested or use contraception if they fail to follow "save yourself until marriage".