Politics & Current Events
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Teen Pregnancies Highest in States with Abstinence Only Policies
Teen Pregnancies Highest In States With Abstinence-Only Policies
The number of teen births in the U.S.dropped again in 2010, according to a government report, with nearly every state seeing a decrease. Nationally, therate fell 9 percent to about 34 per 1,000 girls ages 15 through 19, and the drop was seen among all racial and ethnic groups. Mississippi continues to have thehighest teen birth rate, with 55 births per 1,000 girls. New Hampshire has thelowest rate at just under 16 births per 1,000 girls.This is the lowest national rate for teen births since the Centers for Disease Control began tracking it in 1940, and CDC officials attributed the decline topregnancy prevention efforts. Other reports show that teenagers are having less sex and using contraception more often. Studies have backed this up. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle found that teenagers who received some type of comprehensive sex education were 60 percent less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant. And in 2007, a federal report showed that abstinence-only programs had ?no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence.?But 37 states require sex education that includes abstinence, 26 of which require that abstinence be stressed as the best method. Additionally, research shows that abstinence-only strategies could deter contraceptive use among teenagers, thus increasing their risk of unintended pregnancy.For example, take the states with the highest and lowest teen pregnancy rates. Mississippi does not require sex education in schools, but when it is taught, abstinence-only education is the state standard. New Mexico, which has the second highest teen birth rate, does not require sex ed and has no requirements on what should be included when it is taught. New Hampshire, on the other hand, requires comprehensive sex education in schools that includes abstinence and information about condoms and contraception.
Re: Teen Pregnancies Highest in States with Abstinence Only Policies
my read shelf:
2012 Reading Challenge
Oh no, they learn, they just don't have the same priorities as normal people.
Normal person: everyone should be as happy as they can be. Teenagers having babies could be happier, and so could the babies of the teenagers. Let's prevent teenagers from having babies!
Fundy: sex is bad. Anyone who has sex should pay, and pay hard. Spending the rest of their life parenting a child they didn't want in crappy circumstances is excellent punishment!
Above Us Only Sky
Yeah, but all they did was compile studies by the government (hard for some to take seriously as well) and universities. Although I guess that's kind of the point--people discount information wholesale for petty reasons and pretend it's opinion when it's clearly fact.
Actually, Utah doesn't have abstinence-only education. A new bill to start abstinence-only earlier this year passed their senate but was vetoed by the governor. http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/03/16/governor-vetoes-abstinence-only-education-bill
I am a firm believer in abstinence only teaching. I always have been, but to me it has always been more about self respect/control of your own body. There are some situations that I don't believe kids are ready for, sex being one of them.
You guys know I taught abstinence only to the kids, but I wasn't so reckless as to not tell them about the mechanics and the options available if they found themselves in the position to have sex.
I also hate knowing that for some kids the only sex ed they are going to get it through the school system. I wish it wasn't that way because this is really something that kids need to hear and would possibly respond better coming from a parent and not Coach Numnuts.
I wouldn't call this abstinence only then.
I always say that because I don't know how to word it. Emphasis on abstinence?
ETA: I guess I should add that we made it known that that was the first and only acceptable option in our mind...
If I had a child I would probably couch it in Church teaching. Both would be mentioned (abstinence and contraception) but I would teach them what our Faith teaches us (which would also include waiting until marriage).
I find that interesting. I would have thought it was abstinence-only for sure. Huh.
I'm with you. I'm not giving my future kid license to have sex before a committed relationship. I expect her/his Sunday School and youth leaders would handle the religious aspect, and we as parents would go the moral route--that sex at a young age is a serious emotional quagmire, and that despite how secure you are, having sex affects how your peers view you. Not to mention pregnancy, STDs and all that biological jazz. But they will certainly know where to find the tools they need to do it safely if they disregard my advice. My mother never talked about sex with me and it still affects me today.
It surprised me too, that's actually the only reason I remembered it. I haven't memorized the sex-education policies of all the states, thank goodness.
Cops: that is what regular sex Ed teaches. Abs only does not teach any of the other methods. You have just described regular sex Ed
not abs only.