I have always believed that sex is something deeply personal. As such, it is up to an individual to decide what constitutes appropriate behavior for him or herself. In other words, I know what is right for me, and I would never use my personal standards to judge anyone else's actions (assuming, of course, that all parties involved are behaving legally).

That said, every so often a story pops up that tests that belief. Most recently, it is a sensational story out of Britain regarding a thirteen-year-old father, Alfie (who was actually twelve when his new daughter was conceived). Alfie's girlfriend, the mother of baby Maisie, is only fifteen herself.

I think about myself at thirteen compared to the person I have become (I am now twenty-three) and the two are worlds apart. The last ten years have been vital in developing me into the adult I have become. How would my life be different had I been trying to raise a child while simultaneously trying to grow up myself? Would I have had the same opportunities and experiences? Personally, I do not want to have children and I am glad that I have never had to ask myself those tough questions.

However, this story is not about me or what I believe. It is about the fact that a teenage boy in England whose voice hasn't dropped yet, and who really looks more like an eight-year-old, is now in charge of another person and an entire country seems to be outraged about it. Furthermore, the British can't seem to decide where to point the finger of blame: the parents? The school system? The Labour party?

In my humble opinion, kids are going to do what they want, regardless of what their parents or their government believe is right for them. If there is a takeaway message that we should all learn from the last eight years of abstinence-only education is that people - young and old - are going to have sex whether we want them to or not. Rather than attempting to regulate who can and cannot have sex, we should work on empowering people to make the decisions that are right for them. In this case, that means teaching students about sex, about contraception and relationships. And we need to reach them while they're still young.

Fortunately for young people in Britain, these lessons are on the way. In October of 2008, the British government, in an effort to reduce teen pregnancies, has introduced a new curriculum of comprehensive sex and relationship education that will be mandatory for all schools, public and private. While this curriculum, known as the personal, social, and health education (PSHE) will not be introduced until next year. You can read more about Britain's reforms in sexual education the US can look to for inspiration, here.