Where in the first world would you expect the teenage pregnancy rate to be the highest? Surprisingly, the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of any developed country, more than double that of twenty other first world countries and almost ten times that of Switzerland. . Although some of the disparity can be attributed to factors such as income inequality, the presence of abstinence-only education has a major impact on birth and STD rates in the United States by compared to other countries with more comprehensive programs. It is clear that this difference in approach is having a significant effect and that the United States must act to ensure the health of its citizens. Urgent action is needed as abstinence-only education becomes increasingly popular in the United States and more school districts adopt it. Despite its popularity, it has not been proven to be effective in achieving its goals of reducing teen pregnancies and STDs. In fact, there is strong evidence and reasons for its ineffectiveness which should, compared to the lack of evidence of any benefit, make it clear that this is not an effective approach. Not only is it ineffective, but it also harms American adolescents and society by attempting to discourage sex by claiming that condoms are unsafe, leading to a decrease in contraceptive use and therefore an increase STDs and pregnancy. And finally, when comparing America and other first world countries with abstinence-only curricula to countries that have a more comprehensive health education methodology, it becomes clear what is the most effective approach. Abstinence-only programs for adolescents are both ineffective in addressing...... middle of document ......ent Education: Ine. " bepress Legal Series. Np, 2004. Web. April 25, 2012. Santelli, John, Mary Ott et al. “Abstinence and abstinence-only education: A review of U.S. policies and programs.” Journal of Adolescent Health 38 ( 2008): April 27, 2012. .Slater, Jon. “Britain: sex education under fire” UNESCO Courier, July 2000: 18. Web, May 25, 2012. “The Abstinence-Only Delusion.” , April 26, 2007, pag. Valk, Guus. “The Dutch Model,” July 2000: 19. Web... 2012.