Teen births up for first time in 15 years

[Ban my account ffs!]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/05/teen.births.ap/index.html

Likely attributable to "abstinence only" sex education.

This is troubling.  It's time for the federal government to fund comprehensive sex education for young people that includes an emphasis on contraceptives to prevent pregnancy.

It's just common sense.

It's yet another policy of the religious right that is failing our country.

[DownWithTheLeft]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/05/teen.births.ap/index.html

Likely attributable to "abstinence only" sex education.

This is troubling.  It's time for the federal government to fund comprehensive sex education for young people that includes an emphasis on contraceptives to prevent pregnancy.

It's just common sense.

It's yet another policy of the religious right that is failing our country.

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

[Gabu]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

[DownWithTheLeft]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

[Gabu]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

Uh huh... so explain why teen births have been going down in the past.

[Ban my account ffs!]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

You read just like a book called "popular lines of a right-wing hack"

[Ebowed]

lol @ the idea that leftists encourage unprotected sex.

Distribute condoms in high schools, teach comprehensive sex education, and remove restrictions on young womens' right to control their bodies.

[Smash255]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

Explain why when we had more of a broad based sex education that we saw record drops?  And that those biggest drops occurred in the areas you speak of?  Also explain why the trend slowed and reversed itself when our sex education became lets not tell kids anything?

[jimrtex]

Uh huh... so explain why teen births have been going down in the past.

It appears that the fertility rate for 18-19 YO tracks the birth rate for 20-24 YO fairly closely (a little over 70%), and the birth rate for 20-24 YO has been declining over the same period, until it also increased in the last couple of years.  The number of births to 19 YO is 41% higher than 18 YO, which also indicates that the characterization of 19 YO as "teenagers" is somewhat arbitrary.   The fertility rate for 25-29 YO women has been fairly steady, and for 30+ YO women has continued to increase over the period, so that the US reached a total fertility rate above 2.1 (replacement level) for the first time since 1971.

It also appears that among Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites that the fertility rate for unmarried 18-19 YO has not been declining or perhaps even increased a small amount.  That is, the decrease in the overall rate is due to either a decreased fertility rate among married teenagers, or more like a decrease in the percentage of married teenagers.  Among Blacks, the overall rate and the unmarried rate have both declined, but the decrease in the overall rate was greater (note that 90%+ of 18-19 YO Black mothers are unmarried).

From 1990 to 2005

Hispanic unmarried, 107.5 to 112.4
Hispanic total, 147.7 to 134.6

White, non-Hispanic unmarried, 37.0 to 37.4
White, non-Hispanic total 66.0 to 48.0

Black, non-Hispanic unmarried, 143.7 to 101.6
Black, non-Hispanic total, 157.5-103.9

[Tetro Kornbluth]

From general observation as well as statistics it is true in general that most teen pregnancies occur among the "lower classes" in society.

This should not be understood to mean that the poorest are having more sex than those who are "middle" or "upper" class.

[MODU]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex. 

hahaha . . . sorry, couldn't help but laugh at that.  The people ENCOURAGING them to have unprotected sex are the ones who ENCOURAGING them not to have sex at all? 

No, abstinence-only education isn't the cause of this.  It's society in general.  Sex is glamorized, and pretty much encouraged, in many media outlets which you kids are exposed to.  Be it movies, music, or video games, you can't escape images of sex.  Now, we don't need to clamp down on advertising and production to bar such images, but we do need to encourage the parents to take more responsibility in talking with their kids and explain to them hour their lives can be ruined by sex, while our schools inform kids of the legal penalties of having sex as/with minors. 

And as far as abstinence-only education goes, most schools team safe-sex practices along with what is stereotypically labeled abstinence-only classes.  The only way to have safe sex is to not have it at all, and as such, that should be the dominant repetitive message in schools, followed by "but if you choose to break the law and put your futures at risk, here are the ways to minimize your chances of becoming and/or getting someone pregnant."

[Silent Hunter]

Could just be a blip.

[opebo]

Encouraging!  From what one hears from the religious and 'safe-sex' parade one would think the last spurting that was not encapsulated by a condom-sleeve was in 1982.

Freedom Fighters!

[Dr. Cynic]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

Uh huh... so explain why teen births have been going down in the past.

Rightwing talking points don't sway me. Comprehensive sex education, and condoms made available were clearly working.

The idea that "traditional moral values" would stop me or any other red blooded male from having sex is laughable at best. I'm a teenager for another two months. I'm not a virgin, and haven't been for a couple years. Yet, I have no kid, and no VD. I wore a condom... SHOCKING!!!!!

[Person Man]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex.  They might not know that that's what they're doing, but it sure as heck is the effect.

The problem still lies with lack of family values and morals, how much would you be willing to be the vast majority of pregnant teens are minorities, poor or inner city people or belong to single parent homes.

You read just like a book called "popular lines of a right-wing hack"

....see? He comes off as a fundie...or at least an asshole. Maybe he believes in not just spanking kids (Heck, I do that) but beating them. The Right is destroying America and are creating a culture that is more insensitive to life.

[memphis]

The only people failing the country are the hippie left that encourage ghettos and unprotected sex among young people.  The answer is traditional families and stable home life, something schools cannot provide.

The only people encouraging unprotected sex among young people are those who want abstinence-only sex education rather than properly educating people on safe sex. 

hahaha . . . sorry, couldn't help but laugh at that.  The people ENCOURAGING them to have unprotected sex are the ones who ENCOURAGING them not to have sex at all? 

No, abstinence-only education isn't the cause of this.  It's society in general.  Sex is glamorized, and pretty much encouraged, in many media outlets which you kids are exposed to.  Be it movies, music, or video games, you can't escape images of sex.  Now, we don't need to clamp down on advertising and production to bar such images, but we do need to encourage the parents to take more responsibility in talking with their kids and explain to them hour their lives can be ruined by sex, while our schools inform kids of the legal penalties of having sex as/with minors. 

And as far as abstinence-only education goes, most schools team safe-sex practices along with what is stereotypically labeled abstinence-only classes.  The only way to have safe sex is to not have it at all, and as such, that should be the dominant repetitive message in schools, followed by "but if you choose to break the law and put your futures at risk, here are the ways to minimize your chances of becoming and/or getting someone pregnant."

What a load of crap! Kids want to have sex because they saw it in the movies? Yeah, there was no sex before the introduction of photography.
Kids want to have sex because it feels good, the same reason people have always wanted to have sex. They're going to keep having sex no matter what you tell them for the same reason. Condoms are not 100% effective, but nothing ever is. They are in fact extremely close to it in preventing the spread of of HIV and pregnancy. However, they make sex less pleasurable, so the kids (and adults too), who are going to be having sex anyway, are unlikely to wear them unless you regularly scare them into doing so. This is an enormous public health threat, and we can't just all pray that parents will choose to be responsible.
Also, regarding teen pregnancy. It has been my wholly unscientific observation that rates are highest in rural areas, then urban areas, and least high in suburban locations.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I read this somewhere - it is troubling.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

The far left wil soon be accusing GW of personally causing it.....really personally.

[Bono]

If it's caused by abstinence education, why is the effect only registering now? This is one of the most ridiculous post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacies I've seen in my life. Hume laughs at you.

[Silent Hunter]

Teen sex is nothing new. People used to have kids quite young in the past.

[MODU]

What a load of crap! Kids want to have sex because they saw it in the movies? Yeah, there was no sex before the introduction of photography.

No, that's not what I am saying (I thought I was quite clear).  I am saying that it is glamorized, as in being generally accepted and expected.  Children are impressionable, and if they see images about the first stages of a relationship involves sex, they are going to combine that with their own biological urges which are beginning to come about and act on it.  This is why parents need to take a more active roll in their children's development.

[Person Man]

What a load of crap! Kids want to have sex because they saw it in the movies? Yeah, there was no sex before the introduction of photography.

No, that's not what I am saying (I thought I was quite clear).  I am saying that it is glamorized, as in being generally accepted and expected.  Children are impressionable, and if they see images about the first stages of a relationship involves sex, they are going to combine that with their own biological urges which are beginning to come about and act on it.  This is why parents need to take a more active roll in their children's development.

They do, but what if they don't?

[Person Man]

If it's caused by abstinence education, why is the effect only registering now? This is one of the most ridiculous post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacies I've seen in my life. Hume laughs at you.

...and you blamed the last reccesion on Clinton...now this is the pot calling the kettle black.

[Ban my account ffs!]

If it's caused by abstinence education, why is the effect only registering now? This is one of the most ridiculous post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacies I've seen in my life. Hume laughs at you.

Your use of philosophical jargon isn't going to sway anybody.

There are two trains of thought in the U.S. regarding sex education:

One accepts that teenagers have always and will always have sex at a fairly young age because the body becomes able to do it, and that humans can generally figure out what gets put into where when it comes to sex without education... so contraceptives and safe sex are promoted to minimize unwanted pregnancies and the spread of STDs.

The other side reads their sex education out of the Bible and tries to force all teenagers in PUBLIC schools to adopt a moralistic abstinence only approach.  This clearly is not working.

All of the indicators for a rise in teen birth rates are in place now:  The poor are getting poorer and they're not being educated about safe sex, so they're making poor choices and unwanted pregnancies are the result.

You can try to blame it on whatever you like... Religion should have no bearing in sex education inside public schools.  If you want to teach abstinence only sex ed., then teach it at home or in Sunday School.

And MODU:  Perhaps sex is glamorous and being a virgin is uncool.   But that is not going to change.  Why in the hell would we simply ignore that fact and continue down a path of teaching young people to be ignorant of steps they can take to keep themselves safe?

[MODU]

What a load of crap! Kids want to have sex because they saw it in the movies? Yeah, there was no sex before the introduction of photography.

No, that's not what I am saying (I thought I was quite clear).  I am saying that it is glamorized, as in being generally accepted and expected.  Children are impressionable, and if they see images about the first stages of a relationship involves sex, they are going to combine that with their own biological urges which are beginning to come about and act on it.  This is why parents need to take a more active roll in their children's development.

They do, but what if they don't?

We've seen what happens when they don't.