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Sunday, September 30
TEEN PREGNANCY
TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Every year in the U.S. about 800,000 teenagers become pregnant. The causes have been heavily debated and concentrate around lack of sex education and lack of parental involvement. Other contributing factors include educational failure, limited or no access to birth control, poverty, single parent household, a mother who gave birth as a teenager, sexual portrayal of teenagers in the media and an abusive home.
Although teen births have dropped by almost a third since the beginning of the 1990s, the US still has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the world. Almost 80% of the fathers of babies born to teen mothers do not marry the mother. Among the girls who get pregnant less than 1/3 graduates from high school.
The social after-effects are serious. Poverty leads to low educational attainment and these two factors increase the likelihood of criminal involvement and imprisonment. According to the book "The Garbage Generation" by Daniel Amneus, children who live in single female-headed households are eight times more likely to go to prison and five times more likely to commit suicide. Thus the total cost of teen pregnancy tops $7 billion annually.
See the comparisons between the US and the Netherlands. Read if you want this article on the pregnancy rates in the Netherlands.
Why do we have such high rates of teen pregnancy?
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I think the reason we have such a high pregnancy rate is because we have a lack of education and fall "in love" too easily. In other countries you have sex education everyday while you are in school, in the United States we either have it for one semester, or a HIV/AIDS awareness class once a year. Sex ed should be taken more seriously in school, especially in the 21st century when 13 year olds are getting pregnant!!!!
Because teenagers usually dont use birth control properly or they arent using it period.
well i agree with ssnipes i think girls should not fall in love so easily they barely know a guy and they sleep with them and if they do get married they have a much higher percentage of getting a divorce cuz they were forced into the marriage b cuz they got pregnant and we neeed alot better sex education in our schools
I think the reason we have such a high rate of teen pregnancy is because of how sexuality is seen in the media and parents aren't parents anymore. It's like now days anything goes. Ther is too much open sexuality and parents are very young. The parents haven't really grown up enough to raise kids. They are still finding out who they are ( having boyfriends--more than one sometimes at the same time) and their children are seeing this. Just as the passage stated that most teen mothers are not marrying the fathers and the children see men/women come and go, so they see no positive steady role models. On TV everyone is shaking, exposing, and, saying everything so the fatherless girls grow up seeing the "attention" a female is getting from males and equate that with love. Its just a vicious cycle that I belive starts in the home and can be fixed in the home.
My opinion is going to have a little bit of religion in it as well. I do agree with the other people that have posted about not enough sex education. But to take that a step further. Right now in the United States sex is a bad thing. I don't think that is the way we need to teach our children. What I mean by this is, don't tell them sex is horrible and just don't do it. Teach them that sex is a good thing, but it is meant for people who are already married. And don't just tell them what the consequences are. We need to explain all the other aspects of the consequences. Like say we tell them not to have sex because they run the risk of becoming pregnant. Tell them what having a baby entails. Like the finances, the responsibility and how difficult it is to raise a child.
Furthermore, another problem I see is that society has no problem with oral sex. They say "it's not sex". And there is alot of peer pressure for that. But if someone can become intimate enough for that, why wouldn't they go all the way.
I also saw someone say something about parents. That is very true. Now, parents are trying to be friends and not the disciplinarian. They need to have a balance in between the two.
I know it's easier said than done, but if we could change some of society's view points and educate parents better on how to discipline and educat their own children, then I think we could start seeing some changes int he numbers. But the other thing is that schools should not be the only one's educating the students on sex. That also needs to come from the household.
One other thought and then I'm done. It is frustrating to hear people make excuses about how children behave based on them being from a split family. I am from a family like that and I know many others who are as well and didn't turn out that way. The root of it is all in how the parents deal with the children nad raise them. If you use it as an excuse and let them get away with behaving that way then yes, that is how they will turn out. But if the parent understands and helps them to deal with the hurt of being from a split family, but still holds them accountable, then it is less likely for them to turn out bad. It is hard for me to fully explain what I mean on here. But I hope you guys get the jist.
This is one of those questions that does not have one concrete answer. You can look at many reasons why this is happening: the media portrays premarital sex and polygamy as being totally natural, and as the way normal people are. One can argue that it is also the lack of people telling each other to use birth control, seeing as many people, including many of my friends, think that it is a waste of time, and that statistics itself will save them. Perhaps if more people were willing to promote the use of birth control devices then the rates would drop. There really is no excuse to not use one of the MANY options there are now, many of which do not inhibit spontanaety, which is a big concern for many people.
I think that the teen pregnancy rate is the highest in the world due to lack of sex education at a young age and the lack of avaiabilty to get birth control. The parental involvement is crucial in the prevention of teen pregnancy, some parents assume these topics will be discussed in school so they do not feel the need to bring it up at home.
scarpenter
You bet it has to come from the household. While the school affers constant back up, not a few hours per semester.
Unfortunately most parents are sort of "embarassed" to talk about it.
Jondeflorence @ Danatrose
The examples that come from media are contradictory. On one hand they warn about STDs and on the other hand "Sex and the City" becomes a hit.
Ssnipes, Diana25 and Ep
Sex education is in limited supply within our school system. Mostly we talk about abstinence.
The reason we have such high pregnancy rate is because us americans all we do is talk about the bad and what do teenagers do about stuff that people tell us not to do? we do it anyways, we tend to break the rules instead following. If we where to educate the teenagers properly about sex we wouldnt see such great numbers in teen pregnancy. Also it has to do with who holds the pant in the households. what i mean by that is a parent needs to be a parent 95% of the time and 5% as a friend. yes they need someone to talk to and by just yelling at them and saying sex is bad if your not married isnt going to cut it. they need to start sitting down with them as soon as they hit the knowledgeable age, and in todays way of life they start knowing about sex at the age of 6. my sister is eight and already tells my mom "you dont have to change the channel i knmow what they are going to do everybody does it when they like somebody" we need to also pay attention to what our kids are watching on tv. we may think that a stupid kissing scene is going to harm them much but one kissing scene may lead into something more. So we shouldnt blame the schools for the lack of education when the parents should be base to their knowledge about sex.
I agree with scarpenter just because you come from a split family doesnt give you the excuse to do what you please up and down the streets. If the child is well discipline from the beginig there shouldnt be anything to regret later on
I don't think the birth control rate is directly related to birth control, or lack thereof. 12 year olds are becoming pregnant nowadays, and girls younger-and putting them on birth control could have extreme health effects due to their lack of hormonal and physical developments.
In my opinion I believe that the high rate of pregnancy is definitely related to the fact that we aren't educating our children on it. Growing up I had one class in elementary school where they split up the boys and girls and taught them about the changes that they will be experiencing during puberty, but it didn't teach one single thing about sex. And then there was no information given until freshman year of high school during one week in health class. By then, most students are sexual active.
I also have another theory, which may not at all be correct but it's something to think about. Sex in America is thought of as something romantic and beautiful, not just for reproduction. That alone removes some fear of pregnancy-you're procreating for love not babies. Also, in the movies and on TV there's always an intensely romantic relationship occurring whenever sex is involved, and seeing as teenagers switch bf's and gf's like they do underwear-they're falling in love every other month once again making sex okay.... because this person loves you, right?
I thought that was an interesting thought, and if it's already been mentioned than my apologies for repeating.
It is an interesting thought Sho...
and original.
I think the reason we have such a high teen pregnancy rate is because we have a lack of education and society makes it seem like it is ok. For instance, no one really explains to these kids how dangerous it is to have unprotected sex. I dont think they fully understand the consequences of having a baby at a young age or contracting an STD. Also evryone in high school was having sex so the younger kids think it is ok to do. Now a days kids in middle school are having sex so no wonder the pregnancy rate is going up. Everyone is thinking of it as a trend or something, almost all of my friends are pregnant or had babies before they were eighteen. Someone really needs to explain the consequences of teen pregnancy or tell them to inform them how pertinent it is to use birth control or condoms.
I agree with ssnipes girls these days fall in love way to easily. They say they love these guys and so they have sex with them and the next thing you know they break up and in a week they are already over it. Then they start having sex with the next guy that comes along which causes alot of trouble. Im sure they didnt use protection so this is how the stds and aids gets started and they have no knowledge of what they are doing because sex education doesnt stress on this. Instead they talk about being abstinent, which you know teenagers these days will not do considering all the peer pressure and environmental influences. The commercial and advertisement industies have ultimatly created a scene to where it is ok for teens to be sexualy active so soon. So the sex education needs to face reality and start teaching these students about birh control and protected sex.
Just as the article states, I believe that teen pregnancy in the U.S results from the lack of in school and out of school sex education. Parents are just so unaware of what their children are doing these days. Another reason I believe that teen pregnancy rates are so high is because there are so many escape routes. It is easy and quite convienent to have a child and give it up for adoption these days. Therefore I think that many teens just say,"Why not; what is there to lose?".
I sort of agree with Sho. Sex is extremely publicized in the U.S. as an act of love or "romance". Teens see it as fun and pleasure rather than for procreation. But doesn't everyone at some point in their life??? The lack of sex education is the flaw in our system.
Nature didn’t design us to live happily ever after. Nature designed us to fall into the possessive insanity most commonly mistaken as love and to mate. After this brief insanity fades most people are left with the nasty out come. This goes for teens in particular, but in my opinion the reason America has such a high number of teen pregnancies is because in America we flaunt sex like it’s candy with adds, movies, books, porn, and then educate are children with nothing more that the “Look but don’t touch” way of thinking. :/
Michael.
Original thought!
"Possessive insanity?" Maybe you have a point there.:))
"We flaunt sex like it’s candy "
Here you do have a point!
I think the reason we have such high teen pregnancy in the United States is also because of lack of sex education. Parents and teachers are too embarrassed to talk about sex, leaving teens to find out on their own. Many teens don't use contraceptives properly, if they even use them at all, because they themselves are too embarrasssed to ask questions or talk about sex.
I also agree with Michael. America does flaunt sex like candy. It isn't taken seriously enough, and I don't think many teens think about the consequences. They see it happening on TV and movies and so on and think of it as no big deal.
I think we have such a high rate on teen pregnancy because many teenagers feel embarressed to ask personal questions about "sex life" and issues that they might run into such as being rushed into sex. If Parents were more open with talking to there kid about this subject i think teenagers could get a better understanding of the dangers of unprotected sex and the reasponsibility of a child.
I personally have been brought up in an "open house", my mom comes from an Italien back ground and grew up in Italy for the majority of her life. She was raised in a close knit family that knew every thing about everything! about eachother. Ever since I can remember i have been able to talk to my parents about personal issues that other kids might feel uncomfortable talking with their parents about. This has opened my eyes to this so called "perfect world" that many kids think we live in. I have understood that the familiar phrase that all of us have said at one time or another, "it wont happen to me." is not true
If parents and teengers just take the time to talk once in awhile about the dangers of unsafe sex and reasponsibility of a kid, I truly think that our teen pregnancy rate would decrease.
THE KEY IS HAVING A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENTS.
There is a very simple answer to this question. We need more sex education in our school systems. It has been proven in many other countries to be very effective. For some reason most Americans believe that if we teach about sex in schools then our children will be more prone to having it. Honestly either way they are going to have sex whether we teach them or not. Personally I feel that at the very least if they have knowledge about it will prevent them from catching a disease and keep them from getting pregnant. This will also help lower the abortion rate. Our media plays a pretty big role in teaching our children about sex. As far as advertising goes everyone knows that sex sells. Just take a look at the Axe body spray commercials. Even if your TV is set so that they can only watch childrens shows, it is still very easy for them to see a commercial at a friends house. Seeing these advertisements only helps to confuse them more. Parents also need to play a better role in teaching there children about sex. I understand that it is an uncomfortable subject to talk to your children about but it can help keep them from making some major mistakes in life.
I agree with you kenny and gatorgirl parents need to have a better more open relationship with their children. It is very easy to get confused by the media. Peer pressure can also come in to play too. I waited until I was 19 to loose my virginity and throughout high school and even in my job I was continually made fun of because of it. Luckily for me I was raised in a very open family so I knew all the consequences that my actions could bring. Plus for me I personally felt I was waiting for the right person to have sex with. I know that if my mother had not been open to me then I could have repeated the same mistakes she did and have a child at 16 years old.
People need more sex education to be able to see the other side of the argument. If they don't have the proper education, then they just "fall in love" to easily and end up making a mistake. We need the proper education so people can get a clue and stop having so many mistakes happen in this country. Young adults are becoming more and more independant, though this may seem like a good thing without the proper basis of education they are literally clueless as to what is really out there in the world.
I think there are several reasons why the rate of teen pregnancy is high here in the United States. Teens seem to be having more sex, at earlier ages, and without the use of contraceptives This could be because of the lack of good sex education. The United States has sex education programs that have only one purpose : to promote abstinence. This is not the way it should be. There needs to be more education on the use of different birth control methods. Although, even with the education many teens may have a hard time obtaining contraceptive services because they do not have heath insurance or it is not in their heath care plan. I think another reason we have more teen pregnancies is because the has been an increase in sexually permissive attitudes among teens. They fall in and out of love frequently. So they go from relationship to relationship and eventually it catches up with them and they become pregnant. It used to be where the dating ritual may have consisted of a dinner and a movie followed by MAYBE a good night kiss, where as now it seems to be a dinner and a movie followed by SEX.
i just want to comment on what sho and danielle posted. You are saying that we fall inlove easily n we do in the act of love n not recreation, and that we see it as fun and pleasure. I dont think that we are the only country that sees it as fun an adventurious thing to do. I bet that all the girls across seas do it just for fun. the only difference is that they know how take care of themselves. We thinking that everything has a remedy in which is a false beliefe bc most std are not curable, and this is what both parents ad the school system needs to start putting into kids head before its to LATE. Someone also mentioned that we dont start getting education till we are in high school and i remember that, and the thing that stuck with me was that my teacher said "if you feel like doing it do it cause i do. Condoms take away the feeling of good sex." I was like wow this is a teacher trying to teach to be "safe" imagen if it was someone that wanted the worst for us. Well the good thing is that she didnt work there the following semester.
mmedina
That is quite a story... about the teacher I mean...
I believe that there are ridiculously high pregnancy rates in America because teenagers dont really think about the consequences before they act in the first place. They're thinking that something like getting your girlfriend pregnant wouldn't happen to them because they think that the chances are too low and that they can take a risk, but the reality is, it's that way of thinking that makes our pregnancy rates so high. Teens should at least wear condoms or take birth control pills.
"People need more sex education to be able to see the other side of the argument. If they don't have the proper education, then they just "fall in love" to easily and end up making a mistake. We need the proper education so people can get a clue and stop having so many mistakes happen in this country. Young adults are becoming more and more independant, though this may seem like a good thing without the proper basis of education they are literally clueless as to what is really out there in the world."
Also I agree with this statement because not knowing what one is getting into when he or she is "falling in love" may have to deal with heavy consequences later on. Having a child is very expensive and having one at such a young age can mess up your present and your future.
I believe that the teen pregnancy rate is so high in the US because sex is such a freely welcomed issue. People do not looked down a premarital sex as much as they used to in the past and many teens think that sex is part of being in a relationship. I believe that more sex education is needed and the community needs to get more involved but some people believe that what people do in their own time is their own business.
I have noticed that many people talk to their children a few times about sex, but they do not get deep into the subject to spare thair child of embarassment.
For me, I got pregnant before I turned 18, and my parents were always very strict on me about boys and sex. So sometimes, its not always the parents that slack off, it can also be the pressure that is placed on the female or male at the given moment and them that slack off to make the right choice.
I agree and disagree with what Crimsonzero said. Many people do think that the worst case senerio will never happen to them, and that is a very incorrect thing to think. But when is comes down wearing a condom or taking birth control I think that is just an excuse for many people to have sex. Even those control methods do not always work. People just need to be more educated and see when kind of responsibily comes along with relationships, sex, and children. The school system should introduce more ways to talk and show the community that sex is not always the right choice.
I think the reason we have such a high pregnancy rate is because parents are not talking to there kids. I mean we can blame it on the school but schools can only do so much. Schools can teach but kids and students hvae to be there to learn. I think alot of parents are doing there own thing.Many are out in the clubs and bars and telling their daughters not to have sex but kids are going to do what they see their parents do. So we can have sex ed in school but if parents are having diffrent men and women in and ot of the house kids are going to think this behavior is accpetable. Bottom line parents need to be parents and stop balming the media and stop blaming schools and take responiblilty!
I disagree and agree with bdraper because yes parents can be stick and that is necessary but you have to talk to your kids as well and i feel that their is a such thing as being to strick because i had freinds who parents wouldnt let them out their sight and they are either pregnant now , have one or two kids and or have had a std. So with that being said you should talk to your kids be real with them but if your to stict once your kid gets out they are going to break loose and go wild Ive seen it happen.
I mean my parents were straight foward didnt hold any punches told me the in and outs sometimes i think to graphic but i know what to except and in the past when ive heard one of my peers giving for information i was able to correct them and that helped me alot!
Sierrablue posted this information about Burma
The situation over there is appalling.
Here is an event going on this weekend to show support for Burma.
(btw: The art museum next door has an exhibit of Buddhist art from India and Tibet opening the same day (http://www.fine-arts.org/).)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pinellas Park, Florida, October 2, 2007
St Petersburg Gathering for Burma, Saturday October 6
A gathering in support of the people of Burma will be held this Saturday, October 6, from 11:00 AM to 2 PM in Straub Park just north of the art museum, in Downtown St. Petersburg. Visitors can sign petitions, pick up literature from a wide range of sources, and discuss how Americans might best help to peacefully resolve the crisis in Burma. At 1:00 PM there will be chanting of the Metta Sutta, a traditional Buddhist expression of loving kindness that has inspired the the monks and nuns who have been demonstrating in Burma.
This will a non-confrontational, non-partisan gathering in the spirit of the initial protests in Burma: "Love and kindness must win over everything." Everyone with an interest in peace in Burma is welcome.
This free event is sponsored by the Tampa Bay chapter of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, an international organization that was founded in 1978, and now has chapters in 29 states and 11 countries. Members come from many different Buddhist traditions. For more information, call Rick Ferriss at 813-850-8168, email rick@bpf-tampabay.org, or visit www.bpf-tampabay.org.
I agree with Michael Rose's comments about America flaunting sex like candy - It's true - It's everywhere. It's actually sickening. Sexuality is everywhere - especially the media. You can't even turn on the TV or read a magazine without some image depicting sex or eluding to it.
The other disturbing trend that I have noticed are the clothes for young girls - and I mean young - like 4,5,6,7 - I see halter tops, tops to show off the belly, low rise jeans, really short mini skirts - Even the shoes are mature - I recently saw girls in knee high boots and open toed platform heels! Little girls!! C'mon! We are sending the wrong messages to young girls, and then wonder why they have sex at a young age. Our society has indoctrinated us and saturated our brains with sex.
I also agree with bdraper - parents can talk to their kids about sex, but kids do not always listen - Just like everything else, teens think they know what's best for themselves at the time and do what they want to do. But - sometimes parents don't go into to sex talk with much depth either - My parents basically said - Have respect for you body and do not have sex before marriage. End of story. Needless to say that didn't happen.
I think not only should there be more education in school and the availability to contraceptives, but we should institute some program like they have for scaring kids straight by taking them into prisons... We should take teens to other teen moms/dads who are stuggling, or take them into hospitals where people are dying of AIDS so they realize that sometimes there are consequences of having sex... I am not saying that having a baby as a teen is a consequence, but most are not prepared for it. I have a few friends who had children as teens, and they love their children to death and they have all said that they do not regret having their kids, but they just wish they had them later in life. More importantly - they missed out on being a kid themselves - finishing school, going to college, having fun, going out, and sewing their oats - they all feel as if their lives were cut short. Unfortunately, they all continue to struggle because their education was cut short. People struggle even when they have them in their 20's or 30's - I give alot of credit to the teen moms that sacrifice to take care of their children. I am 31 & married, and still can't fathom the thought of having a child.
I do have to disagree w/Sho -
I do not believe that America portrays sex as something beautiful or romantic... Although it should be - But I guess what I see is that sex is depicted as just being free with your body, not having respect for yourself, and just acting plain old nasty. I mean - look at realities shows that are on TV - everyone is hooking up with eachother - girls/ guys/ - girls/girls/ - guys/guys.
And thats on day one............
We live in sodom & gomorrah society - Anything goes today, and that's the problem. I really have to go back to the media on this one - We just send the wrong messages - An example - I'm sure most of you saw Alpha Dog - The majority of the movie were teens just having sex or fooling around, I almost forgot about the main plot.
Since you guys have touched upon the role of the media take a llok at this article about banning models younger than 16.
Also here is a NYT article about Calvin Klein having to withdraw child jean ads.
I also think the reason why teen pregnancy is soo high is beacuse of lack of education in school and the fact that not many parents enforce their kids to have more knowledge about sex and the consequences of it. Also how they can protect themselves against pregnancy and diseases. Not just the fact of not knowing but also of peer pressure of everybody doing it, like a new thing.
Jondeflorence said...
This is one of those questions that does not have one concrete answer.
I agree with what Jondeflorence said.. There is no one answer to the cause or the problem. America has a double standard when it comes to sex and teens. We tell them not to have sex, without really giving them a good explanation as to why, then every time they turn on the TV, go to a movie, look at a magazine it is in their face. Sex is used to sell just about everything from cars to toothpaste. Seems like a society that so openly uses sex to sell products and ideas would be a little more freer in talking about it to their children and pointing out the realities and consequences of having sex, especially unprotected.
I agree with SierraBLue
If teens are aware and have enough information they usually make the right choices if they have the information from home and the schools. We need to wake up, realize that rather than to tell kids NO! We need to teach them and support them and respect them and provide them with the things they need to stay SAFE no matter what. Only these way can we actually solve this problem.....
Last night I was talking to a high school teacher (his school is in Tampa). He told me that this year they have an epidemic of student ptegnancies. "As if they are competing" he added.
danatrose has it completely right! Parents aren't parenting any more! Remember, this is not ALL parents but the vast majority. I realize that couples want to start their family early, but if you have kids too fast, the family will be strained in the later years. It's a proven fact. If parents will get in their children's lives more, our nation wouldn't be in HALF the trouble we're in.
Go Madea style and "play an old school game, called 'Tear That Ass Up'." Parents need to stop being afraid of their kids and show them who is really holding the ruling belt.
My dad use to work in a prison as a counselor with juvenile offenders. He says that the boys there believe that if their parents gave him more boundaries he wouldn't have ended up in jail.
I don't know how this got from Pregnancy to Jail, but it works!
We have so much teen pregnancy, because bluntly put, we (as Americans) can't seem to keep our legs closed until we're married. I know we are a nation who thinks promiscuity is acceptable. In order to bring those crazy high numbers down, we need to educate our young. Not just what was given to us, but ten times more.
I know some 3rd graders who know what "fellatio" and "boning" is. Who taught them what that is? Surely not their parents (facetiously). Since they know, we have to educate them some more. Knowledge is power. Of course we don't want our 3rd graders having this kind of knowledge, but what can we do?
In the B/RV area, we have nicknames for the high schools. B High - "Bi-High", Bloomy High - "STD-High", and RV High - "Pregnant-High". I went to Pregnant-High; were it was very "fashionable" to be pregnant. It seemed like out of every 30 girls, at least 4 were pregnant at one time or another. It's sad, I know.
Haven't you noticed that schools spend at least 6 months of our lives teaching us about drugs and smoking and the affects, but they spend lest than 2 hours on Sex Ed.
How messed up is that?
I agree with MMedina10 when I was a teen and my parents told me not to do something then that is what I wanted to do. If parents started educating children at a young age then there wouldn't be as many teen pregnancies, and teens wouldn't go out and have sex just to spite their parents.
just come to say have a nice weekend
Kisses
kmu102806We have high rates of teenage pregnancy because parents are not doing their jobs. I went to a private school that did not teach sex ed and no one at our school became pregnant. Abstinence was brought up in classes but we did not have a structured class. My mom was a teen mom and she would constantly tell me how hard it was. She was open and honest about her life and so I was with mine. I personally do not want my children to be taught about sex at school because that is my job. They are their to learn math, science, english etc... We are cutting music, art and pe because their is not enought time in the day. To me those classses are more important for my kids.
I completely agree with Kenny. It is all about the parents.
Besides the double standard in what we teach our teens there is also a double standard in the way we treat them. My daughters went to a private school for a few years. One of the upper class girls became pregnant.She was a cheerleader he was a football player. She was whisked away to parts unknown for a few months and he continued on his merry way playing football, being the high school hero like nothing had happened. It is usually noted when girls have more than one baby,and sometimes the babies even have different fathers however,guys also sometimes have more than one child and with different mothers. There doesn't seem to be as much negative stigma attached to the male.
I believe the reason we have such high pregnancy rate is because teenagers feel entilted to be pregnant. They lack confidence and try to forge a bond with their "significant other" or what we now, in this day call, "baby mamma/daddy", in order to form some kind of stable relationship they dont really have. Not to mention the pressure from the media and types of shows and music videos our teens are watching on TV. Such things portray that sex is okay and it is cool to have sex. I think sex needs to stop being sugar coated and made up to look so appealing to ours teens and there needs to be a harsh reality check of the affects of sex such as STDs, premature pregnancy, and lack of respect.
The main obvious reason of course is the lack of sexual education. I only took a few hours of sex ed when I was in high school, these people go to school and learn it all twelve years they are there! Definately has an impact.
I also have to agree with Jondeflorence. It definately has a lot to do with how the society functions and what is portrayed around too. American youths seem to be acting differently over the years and are now trying to become outrageously independant and become rude in the process. this behavior can def. lead to sex.
Matt
You will find this rudeness in many western countries... it is not an American phenomenon.
A friend of mine accepted a teaching assignment in Macedonia ( a small country in the Former Yugoslavia) and whenever she would enter the classroom, the kids would rise. Out of respect. During the lesson there would be quiet andd the kids would speak only if they had permission. She thought it was an exaggeration until she returned home where the rudeness hit her on the face as she said. The difference was stiking, that's all.
My husband is contemplating a teaching assignment in Ghana, Africa. He has been to various African countires many times and he was captivated by the politeness and the warmth of the population he came into contact with.
Monica- I believe like mmedina10 education is all that is needed. I also agree with Sho. Unlike a vaccine that prevents a virus as the above article, birth control that stop hormone growth is not the answer. This will stop the teen pregency, but at the same time it can medically change a young womens body as it still grows causing diffrent difects. Low-birth rate possiblty with more vitro needed to produce a baby. Education is the best way to prvent this. Education about sex and education in general. Education promotes awares in the real world and in yourself. I believe it gives you the strenght to chose and have faith. It you do not know you can do something how do you know you want to. In sex if you know all the options and and the facts and problems why would you want to have sex so freely. You would have better understanding and choices- such as welfare- for having a child will not last forever so after you have the baby the young girl will still be poor- her fairy tale vision is out of her mind with the right education
I think the reason we have such high rates of pregnancy is that we lack sexual education in most schools. Without proper education teens dont know how to protect themselves properly thus leading to mistakes.
Also, some teens cant talk to their parents about birth control because their parents are religious and most religions demand you wait till marriage. If there's no education, and your parents aren't involved in helping you, theres is a lot of room for mistakes. If you are going to have sex... be safe about it!
i think the reason why we have such high teen pregnancy is because parents and schools are not doing enough to educate teens. there needs to be more information on diffent type of birth control. and teens need to be aware of the dangers of having unprotected sex.
i agree with michael rose the media has a lot to do with how our kids view sex and relationships. its all over the place like its the thing to do.
I totally agree with ssnipes that the lack in education is our main lead to teen pregnancy. It lacks coming from a teenager's parents as well as in the classroom. Also how ssnipes pointed out that sexual education needs to be taught and taken more seriously with teens as young as 13 becoming pregnant.
The main reason why our pregnancy rates are higher than any other countries is due to the lack in education. Low Dutch rates come from more talk about sex between parents and children. They teach their students from a young age the physical and emotional dimensions of sex. Also, their religion and activity in churches play a significant role in their emphasis on the positive aspects of sex. This was a key example from the passage of how they teach their youth on sex; "Prof Lewis quoted a passage from a Dutch booklet for pupils about making love with patience and pleasure. The Dutch focus is to encourage young people to think about what they want before the situation arises and then act responsibly." This just goes to show you how being taught at a young age forces the students to make a more responsible decision when they reach their teenage years.
I think Teen Pregnancy is at such a high rate because, sex is viewed differently here in the united states. At some point in time sex seem almost not like a choice, its more like a right of passage. Because your peers have done it probably and it puts some pressure on you. I kno this doesn't apply for all but most. And the more and more you have sex, the less serious it becomes and thats when unprotected sex come into play. And all that teen pregnancy, and STD's complications that come along with it.
Another reason i think teen pregnancy numbers are so high in the U.S. is because of the image that controceptives displays. If a girl wants to get birth control just to be safe, and she's a teenager she probably wont be able to get it herself. Because you need to go to a gynecologist, then get a perscription, and it averages around $50 a month. This is a lot for a pre-teen even to a later teen to handle. So most of the time the teen will have to approach their parents and this leaves a strange and aqward situation between the child and parent thats why often the precautions arent taken and we have teen pregnancy. I mean how would you feel if your 13,14,15 year old baby girl came up to you asking for birth control? You cant stop them from doing what they want and at that age(teenage)so their minds are pretty much made up.
i agree with dfrank2. it's a long and costly process to be on birth control. i dont know where 13 year olds can come up with $60 a month and spend it on birth control without their parents knowing. i know a family friend whose daughter was 14 when she asked her mother about birth control and her mom wasnt crazy about the idea of her daughter having sex and she put it like this: "i can either take her and get her birth control, knowing shes having safe sex, or i can not take her and who knows if her boyfriend with wear a condom. who knows if they'll be drinking and won't know what they are doing" and i think she had the right perspective. the other concern ive heard is that these young teens are taking female hormones while their body is inthe early stages of becoming fully developed and they are not sure of the effect it can have 20 - 30 years down the line.
I think most teens are just under informed in the subject of safe sex I even though I do believe that getting teens more educated would help I still think there would be a high percentage will continue to get pregnant because of carelessness.
In my oppinion, the pregnancy rate are high in the U.S. because of the lack of sex education. If the school board would allow the schools to have a better sex education course our pregnancy rate would be so high. Though if we do have the approval from the government to have these courses in the middle and high school. There will be parents protesting against it because they'll probably be think that the school is encouraging young teens to have sex. And they are and they aren't. Sex is always bound to come up in the teen years and friends among friends are going to talk about there experinces. Which is why it should be made neccessary to have courses like that in middle and high school.
I do agree with ssnipes on the fact that people think that there "in love" with each other. When in actuality its mainly the guy just wanting to have sex. And he says he just wants to show his gf how much he loves her and to express his love phyically. Well i say they need to educate people on how to handle perpresure of sex.
In class our teacher made a good point when she said that we don't have enough sex education in the states. In schools they brush over it and thats why the teen pregnancy rates are so high. They need to see the facts and be scared out of their minds about whats actually going on today and it will make a difference in what they do.
It is obvious that the United States do not have a very good reputation of sex education. IT is a shame that it is not like the Netherlands, who are taught sex education since early childhood. So why arent we doing the same? IT works for them!
I agree with SCarpenter. It begins in the household, then in school. I come from a divorce family as well, and i can honestly say that I am not one those "statistics" that portray single family homes as a high risk of teen pregnancy. It is true it truely does begin in the home. Most parents make sex seem like a bad thing and forget to educate the child on the many great affects... when a person is married.
I totally agree with Kung fu Hustla
If the school board or whoever the hell is incharge of having mandoatory classes introduced, I strongly agree that Sex Ed should be one of them, and not just a section in health class in which the teacher just passes over it embarresed.
i think that most of teen pregnancy it just stuped decisions teens think that geting pregnent will not happen to them so they have sex without condoms but the effect hurts more then just them
and yes i have hurd that it is easy for guys to just walk out and leave the women with the kid but not all guys are like that and yest it dose effect guys as well
i think the reason for such high teen pregnancy rates is the lack of parental awareness of what there child is doing. parents need to be more involved with what is going on in there kids life and then maybe numbers would decrease.
i agree with chris martinez when he says it is also carelessness. maybe even just safer and protective sex would help the numbers we see go down.
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