Peer pressure is one of the major reasons that forces young teenage girls and boys towards early sex. In order to be part of the cool gang at high school, students prove themselves by indulging in activities that create a ‘favorable’ image in front of their peers. Most of these kids have no knowledge of safe sex. Therefore, in absence of proper sex education and precautions, most of the girls end up getting pregnant; while boys also face pressures of unplanned and early parenthood.

In order to keep a check on this rising trend, couple of educators devised a plan in the nineties, which is still valid to help counter the issue of peer pressure to have sex among teens. Concerned educators, child health practitioners, therapists, school counselors and community workers came together to devise a program called “Education Now, Babies Later” or ENBL.

The purpose of the program was to develop sense of awareness among the teens regarding repercussions of having early and unprotected sex. Through this program, educators are trying to teach kids about threat of AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases and teen pregnancies. With the help of parents, the educators are fighting to turn back the tide of early sexual behavior and convince young people that it can be harmful to their physical as well as emotional health.

ENBL has been successfully applied in schools throughout the United States of America. This program calls for a combined effort by parents, school administration, churches, communities and law enforcing authorities to educate teenagers to them resist peer pressure to engage in sex at an early age. The program teaches kids to fight against peer pressure and exercise their right and will to choose whether to have sex or not.

Moreover, teen sex and pregnancy has become a national health issue in the USA that needs to be curtailed. Doctors at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta view early teen sex as such a health risk for adolescents that they have cited reduction of teen sexual activity as a national health objective.

Therefore, it’s imperative that parents, teachers and community play their due role to educate their teens about how to deal with peer pressure and abstain from having early sex.