Why the Rise in Teen Pregnancy Rates?

[FrankRep]

Guttmacher Institute, a think tank with ties to Planned Parenthood found that for the first time in more than a decade, teen pregnancy rates rose in 2005 and 2006. by Dave Bohon


Why the Rise in Teen Pregnancy Rates? (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/component/content/article/41-rotator-news/2844-why-the-rise-in-teen-pregnancy-rates)


Dave Bohon | The New American (http://www.thenewamerican.com/)
28 January 2010


A think tank with ties to Planned Parenthood found that for the first time in more than a decade, teen pregnancy rates rose in 2005 and 2006. The study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's de facto research arm, found that the pregnancy rate among girls ages 15 to 19 rose three percent, accompanied by a rise in the abortion rate of one percent over the same time period.

The Guttmacher study found that teen pregnancy rates declined 41 percent between 1990, when there were 116.9 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19, and 2005, when the birth rate was 69.5 per 1,000 teens. The study also found that teen birth and abortion rates likewise declined, with births dropping 35 percent between 1991 and 2005, and abortions among teen girls declining 56 percent between 1988 and 2005.

Those trends changed in 2006, when pregnancies rose to 71.5 per 1,000 women aged 15-19. "Put another way," noted a press release accompanying the Guttmacher report, "about 7% of teen girls became pregnant in 2006."

According to the study, while pregnancy rates for Caucasian teens were still significantly lower than for blacks and Hispanics, the rates for all three groups rose for the period studied.

Data for the study came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Guttmacher Institute.

Heather Boonstra, a policy analyst with the Guttmacher Institute, was quick to politicize the findings, calling the upward trend "deeply troubling" and claiming that the results coincided "with an increase in rigid abstinence-only-until-marriage programs, which received major funding boosts under the Bush administration."

Referring to an Obama Administration policy moving federal funding away from abstinence-based sex-ed programs, Boonstra added, "Fortunately, the heyday of this failed experiment has come to an end with the enactment of a new teen pregnancy prevention initiative that ensures that programs will be age-appropriate, medically accurate and, most importantly, based on research demonstrating their effectiveness."

But Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association, warned that while the rise in teen pregnancies is certainly alarming, it would be disingenuous to blame it solely on such factors as abstinence education. "The overly sex-saturated culture certainly plays a part," she said, "with teen sex communicated almost as an expected rite of passage, without consequences, and that's a dangerous message for young people, who tend to be risk-takers anyway."

Richard Ross, founder of a faith-based abstinence program called True Love Waits, noted that given that the study comes from an organization with strong ties to the abortion industry, its findings can hardly be called objective. "Should we expect the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm for Planned Parenthood, to support abstinence messages?" he asked, adding this explanation for the one-sided study, "Abstinent teenagers don't get pregnant and thus they don't contribute millions of dollars to the abortion industry. If you want to understand new directions in Washington related to abstinence, follow the money."

In a blog posting for National Review Online, Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation called the rush to blame abstinence education for the rise in teen pregnancies "a bit hypocritical," noting, "In the decade after the federal government began its meager funding of abstinence education, teen pregnancy fell steadily. Safe-sex experts never linked that decline to abstinence education. But when the news went bad, they swiftly identified abstinence programs as the culprit."

Rector also noted the Guttmacher study's free and easy use of the term "teen," pointing out that for most people, "teen pregnancy" implies pregnancy among high-schoolers, girls under age 18. According to Guttmacher's own data, the pregnancy rate for 15- to 17-year-old girls barely changed, and the rate for girls 14 and under (the group most affected by abstinence programs) actually dropped."

By contrast, Rector noted, pregnancy and birth rates for women aged 18 and 19 rose dramatically. "The rise in pregnancies and births in this age range is part of a much larger story: the collapse of marriage and explosive growth of out-of-wedlock births in lower income communities," he concluded.

Huber pointed out that contraceptive-based sex education received four times more funding than did abstinence education during the years of the study, but that Guttmacher focused no attention on possible flaws in that model.

The truth of the matter, said Huber, is that research clearly shows "delaying sexual initiation rates and reducing the total number of lifetime partners is more valuable in protecting the sexual health of young people than simply passing out condoms."


SOURCE:
http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/component/content/article/41-rotator-news/2844-why-the-rise-in-teen-pregnancy-rates

[Andrew-Austin]

Its one of the few things girls can do to feel adult, to know that they have moved on from childhood and in to adulthood in a world that treats them as helpless children who cannot be allowed to make any decisions of their own. The public education system + plus our anti-youth culture + plus next to no economic opportunities for youth + lack of self development in terms of being able to express their own interests and initiatives begs for the rather unfortunate behavior seen in youth today.

Just a little quote from a psychology book I'm reading:



In poorer communities youth gangs provide plenty of real challenges for boys. Fights, acts of bravado, and ritual displays such as motorcycle gang parades math the youths' skills with concrete opportunities. In affluent suburbs not even this arena for action is available to teenagers. Most activities, including school, recreation, and employment, are under adult control and leave little room for the youths' initiative. Lacking any meaningful outlet for their skills and creativity, they may turn to redundant partying, malicious gossiping, or drugs and narcissistic introspection to prove to themselves that they are alive. Consciously or not, many young girls feel that becoming pregnant is the only really adult thing they can do, despite its dangers and unpleasant consequences. How to restructure such an environment so as to make it sufficiently challenging is certainly one of the most pressing tasks parents of teenagers face. And it is of no value simply to tell one's children to shape up and do something useful. What does help are living examples and concrete opportunities (me: which hello... are clearly sorely missing). If these are not available, one cannot blame the young for taking their own counsel.

Just wanting to toss some thoughts out there that the problem might be more complicated than some would like to acknowledge. And though it might to some degree have to do with it, to get to the root of the matter I doubt the debate should only be centered around abstinence education (conservative) versus sex education (liberal).

[sofia]

MTV's porn and the total lack of any moral education = degenerate culture

all part of hte Marxist plan for destroying the West from within

[LibForestPaul]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

[dannno]

Its one of the few things girls can do to feel adult, to know that they have moved on from childhood and in to adulthood in a world that treats them as helpless children who cannot be allowed to make any decisions of their own. The public education system + plus our anti-youth culture + plus next to no economic opportunities for youth + lack of self development in terms of being able to express their own interests and initiatives begs for the rather unfortunate behavior seen in youth today.

Just a little quote from a psychology book I'm reading:



Just wanting to toss some thoughts out there that the problem might be more complicated than some would like to acknowledge. And though it might to some degree have to do with it, to get to the root of the matter I doubt the debate should only be centered around abstinence education (conservative) versus sex education (liberal).



I agree with this one.

[surf]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

poor taste:(

[Mini-Me]

Its one of the few things girls can do to feel adult, to know that they have moved on from childhood and in to adulthood in a world that treats them as helpless children who cannot be allowed to make any decisions of their own. The public education system + plus our anti-youth culture + plus next to no economic opportunities for youth + lack of self development in terms of being able to express their own interests and initiatives begs for the rather unfortunate behavior seen in youth today.

Just a little quote from a psychology book I'm reading:



Just wanting to toss some thoughts out there that the problem might be more complicated than some would like to acknowledge. And though it might to some degree have to do with it, to get to the root of the matter I doubt the debate should only be centered around abstinence education (conservative) versus sex education (liberal).

This is a much more insightful post than I ever expected would result from this thread. Thank you.

[Cowlesy]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

+ Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. It will not be tolerated here.

[JasonC]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

Seriously? Why are you here? And if you are trying to be funny you failed miserably.

[ItsTime]

More people owned homes.

[cindy25]

fewer jobs, more government handouts, and an increase in Hispanic (Catholic) population

[TCE]

If there was no welfare state, would teenage pregnancy decline? I'm thinking yeah.

[AlterEgo]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

Horrible racial overtones. but remember that most Mexicans are fairly strong Catholics so there may be a hint of truth among the bs in LFP's post

[Vessol]

Considering that in the past it was more then normal for a teenager girl to get married and be a mother by the age of 14.

From what period are teen pregnancies raising from?

[BlackTerrel]

Because wetbacks don't get abortions. Only negroes do.

Tool.

[revolutionisnow]

MTV's porn and the total lack of any moral education = degenerate culture

all part of hte Marxist plan for destroying the West from within

this

and also sex education. The same way DARE introduces drugs to kids who had never even thought about them, sex education introduces young kids to sex and treats it as an acceptable thing.

As far as the solution, turn back the tables on the amount of tv filth that is allowed, and stop having government schools do the job of parents as far as teaching acceptable behavior and the facts of life.

[BlackTerrel]

this

and also sex education. The same way DARE introduces drugs to kids who had never even thought about them, sex education introduces young kids to sex and treats it as an acceptable thing.

As far as the solution, turn back the tables on the amount of tv filth that is allowed, and stop having government schools do the job of parents as far as teaching acceptable behavior and the facts of life.

How do you plan on stopping "tv filth"?

[Vessol]

Perhaps it's bad parenting..no..never could be that. Blame TV! Blame Liberals! Blame the government.

The government does a LOT of bad, but you got to claim some responsibility yourselves people. You have to be responsible over your kids. (this isn't aimed at anyone in particular)

[james1906]

It's easier to have sex in the back of an SUV than a Ford Taurus.

[TCE]

Perhaps it's bad parenting..no..never could be that. Blame TV! Blame Liberals! Blame the government.

The government does a LOT of bad, but you got to claim some responsibility yourselves people. You have to be responsible over your kids. (this isn't aimed at anyone in particular)

Agreed. Look at the teen pregnancy rates by location.

[Andrew-Austin]

How do you plan on stopping "tv filth"?

We need to ban stuff! The misguided iron fist of parenting may only cause rebellion but with the state we can purify our culture so that teens don't even think of sex!

And we need to push harder against leftist memes such as education about birth control!

Damn marxists brainwashing our kids to **** for the sake of their globalist agenda!

[revolutionisnow]

How do you plan on stopping "tv filth"?

Isn't that what the job of the FCC is, to censor what is on broadcast tv? Back in the 50's they couldn't show the Cleaver's sharing a bed. Somehow in only one generation we got from that point to where we are now.


Perhaps it's bad parenting..no..never could be that. Blame TV! Blame Liberals! Blame the government.

The government does a LOT of bad, but you got to claim some responsibility yourselves people. You have to be responsible over your kids. (this isn't aimed at anyone in particular)

Well before when you were able to have only one family member working, you could have the other parent stay home and take care of the children. Sadly, that is not now possible. All by design though.

[FrankRep]

Perhaps it's bad parenting..no..never could be that. Blame TV! Blame Liberals! Blame the government.

The government does a LOT of bad, but you got to claim some responsibility yourselves people. You have to be responsible over your kids. (this isn't aimed at anyone in particular)
Bad/absent parenting allows morally corruptive elements in society to teach kids destructive moral practices. The moral parent would say something like, "Yes, sex is a wonderful thing, but should be handled responsibility within the framework of marriage." Sadly, the enlightenment philosophy of "If it feels good, do it" and "Do what thou wilt" destroys the moral framework of society and the government gladly comes in and fills the void by making laws/tyranny the new framework.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."
- Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 A.D.)

[Vessol]

Bad/absent parenting allows morally corruptive elements in society to teach kids destructive moral practices. The moral parent would say something like, "Yes, sex is a wonderful thing, but should be handled responsibility within the framework of marriage." Sadly, the enlightenment philosophy of "If it feels good, do it" and "Do what thou wilt" destroys the moral framework of society and the government gladly comes in and fills the void by making laws/tyranny the new framework.

"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."
- Cornelius Tacitus (55-117 A.D.)

Eh. I agree, but the government should not regulate the bedroom.

Also what is your view on the more religious parts of the nation having the highest teen pregnancy rates?

[AuH20]

Our communities have dissipated into nothingness. A strong nuclear family is a rarity these days and it appears that the youth have been entrapped into this materialistic & hedonistic prison. There's nothing wrong with the partaking in the enjoyable aspects of the world, but to make these pleasures the focal point of one's existence? No wonder everyone is over-medicated. Remember this poignant excerpt from Chuck Pahliahnuk's Fight Club?:

Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. We're the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War's a spiritual war... our Great Depression is our lives. We've all been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

[revolutionisnow]

States ranked by rates of pregnancy among women age 15-19 (pregnancies per thousand):

1. Nevada (113) - Purple State
2. Arizona (104) - Purple State
3. Mississippi (103) - Red State
4. New Mexico (103) - Blue State
5. Texas (101) - Red State
6. Florida (97) - Purple State
7. California (96) - Blue State
8. Georgia (95) - Red State
9. North Carolina (95) - Red State
10. Arkansas (93) - Purple State

http://womensissues.about.com/od/datingandsex/a/TeenPregStates.htm

[Vessol]

How Religious Is Your State?
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=504
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mississippi-ranked-religious-state-us/story?id=9441536

What would explain Mississippi being so high on both of those lists?

As well as Arkansas being #3, North Carolina #8, Georgia #9, Texas #11

Personally I think it is because in many of these states these kids are not told anything about sex by their parents and are not taught anything about contraception. I believe sex is better in marriage, but you know that it's unrealistic to believe that will be successful wholly or even partially.

[FrankRep]

Eh. I agree, but the government should not regulate the bedroom.

Also what is your view on the more religious parts of the nation having the highest teen pregnancy rates?

I didn't say anything about government regulations and I didn't support regulations, but we all know, the government will find a way to regulate it -- it's the nature of the beast. "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws." This statement has been true throughout the history of government. Moral corruption leads to bigger government.

Raising a child is difficult enough for even responsible adults with solid moral and financial foundations, but unprepared irresponsible adolescence will have a hell of a time and their kids could likely suffer by having unstable homes.

Those "religious" people choose to idolize sex/self-gratification and disobey God's laws and they will experience the "cause" and "effect" of having a kid without being prepared to do so. Hopefully others will learn from their mistakes and realize God gave us laws to our own good and not to punish us.

[AuH20]

How Religious Is Your State?
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=504
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mississippi-ranked-religious-state-us/story?id=9441536

What would explain Mississippi being so high on both of those lists?

It's also one of the poorest states in the nation.

[Vessol]

It's also one of the poorest states in the nation.

Well it's interesting when you look at other nations. Take Japan for example which is one of the most secular nations out there where only 10% of the population confess a belief in a deity. It has some of the lowest crime rates and lowest teenage pregnancy rates of any nations.
((FYI, I know I've probably caused some to wonder, I am not an atheist, but more of a deist, belief in a inpersonal creator))

[FrankRep]

Japan .. It has some of the lowest crime rates and lowest teenage pregnancy rates of any nations.
Japan Faces Drastic Underpopulation Problems, Workers Leave to Make Babies

Life News
January 26, 2009

http://www.lifenews.com/int1062.html


Japan faces such strong underpopulation problems that companies are more frequently letting their workers leave work early: to go home and make babies. Leading electronics firm Canon has resorted to the early leave policy because the nation's low birthrate is causing a shortage of workers.

[Vessol]

Japan Faces Drastic Underpopulation Problems, Workers Leave to Make Babies

Life News
January 26, 2009

http://www.lifenews.com/int1062.html


Japan faces such strong underpopulation problems that companies are more frequently letting their workers leave work early: to go home and make babies. Leading electronics firm Canon has resorted to the early leave policy because the nation's low birthrate is causing a shortage of workers.

Oh I wasn't saying Japan is perfect, merely commenting.

I am of the firm belief that the nuclear family preserved is the best for society.

[revolutionisnow]

They have a strong family unit in Japan though. I know in many Asian cultures the grandparent often lives with their younger family members. The women often pursue a career until marriage and then retire to take care of the children.

[Bman]

this

and also sex education. The same way DARE introduces drugs to kids who had never even thought about them, sex education introduces young kids to sex and treats it as an acceptable thing.

As far as the solution, turn back the tables on the amount of tv filth that is allowed, and stop having government schools do the job of parents as far as teaching acceptable behavior and the facts of life.

Horrible.

You know what unplug as many TV's from your house as you like, but stay the hell off my property and out of my bedroom. I don't need my kids hearing your silly rhetoric of how things work.

[BlackTerrel]

Isn't that what the job of the FCC is, to censor what is on broadcast tv? Back in the 50's they couldn't show the Cleaver's sharing a bed. Somehow in only one generation we got from that point to where we are now.

Yeah well not showing the Cleavers in bed is stupid. How about people watch what they want to watch and if Americans don't want trash they'll change the dial to one of the other 200 channels? You can also lock channels through your TV if you're worried about your kids.

It sounds like you want more government control over what goes on TV.

[Dieseler]

When I was a kid I didn't see my friends till I got back to school the next day. Any plans made were made during school hours.
Kids make plans 24 / 7 now. They usually aren't well thought out plans either.

[Working Poor]

Perhaps it's bad parenting..no..never could be that. Blame TV! Blame Liberals! Blame the government.

The government does a LOT of bad, but you got to claim some responsibility yourselves people. You have to be responsible over your kids. (this isn't aimed at anyone in particular)

I like this response best. Teen pregnancy is about someone not being responsible. Parents are responsible for their children. Parents need to know what is going on with their teenagers. If you tell them one thing and they see you behaving in another way this will make them disrespect you. If you are supplying them with birth control you better make sure they are using it. If your child is not on birth control then you better know where they are and who they are with. I believe teens should remain abstinent. I think parents have given up on the idea of that though saying it is not realistic but it is up to the parents to make it realistic or not the teen is only following the crowd most like teens do.

[jmdrake]

How Religious Is Your State?
http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=504
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mississippi-ranked-religious-state-us/story?id=9441536

What would explain Mississippi being so high on both of those lists?

As well as Arkansas being #3, North Carolina #8, Georgia #9, Texas #11

Personally I think it is because in many of these states these kids are not told anything about sex by their parents and are not taught anything about contraception. I believe sex is better in marriage, but you know that it's unrealistic to believe that will be successful wholly or even partially.

I think you have selection bias. Alabama is not in the top 10 for teen pregnancy, but it's number 2 (right behind Mississippi) on being religious. Alabama is number 9 (right behind Nevada) for the number of live births. But Nevada is #1 for teen pregnancy. This discrepancy is probably based on abortion.

[Krugerrand]

If there was no welfare state, would teenage pregnancy decline? I'm thinking yeah.

Agree.

[ChaosControl]

Parents need to do a better job at parenting.

[ChaosControl]

They have a strong family unit in Japan though. I know in many Asian cultures the grandparent often lives with their younger family members. The women often pursue a career until marriage and then retire to take care of the children.

That is how it should be.
Instead we throw out the old to old folks homes and people seem more obsessed with career than family. If you aren't going to stay at home, you shouldn't have kids. Kids deserve a full time at home parent.

It is no wonder our society is becoming trashier every year.

[Cinderella]

For the past year my hubby & I have been trying to have a baby with no luck...we both have 1 child from previous relationships (we had them @ 21). Now we're 28 & can't seem to conceive...I don't know what to do...

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

Just remember folks, PROHIBITION WORKS! Yep, we gotta throw those horrible baby-making teens in jail cause they're being immoral. They shouldn't be allowed to make adult decisions until they're 25 cause 'the human brain ain't fully developed until then'. 'Onward Christian Soldiers, Marching as to War!' cause we know that at 17 you should be sent to a 3rd World shithole to die, but we're gonna fry you if you get a blowjob from your 40 yr old hot neighbor let alone her cute 16 yr old daughter. We should castrate every 26 yr old male who wants to have consensual relations with someone above the age of puberty cause its immoral! A 15 yr old girl who takes a nude photo of herself and sends it to her 16 yr old boyfriend is a menace to society and they both deserve jail time and to be classified as sexual offenders for the rest of their lives!

Just do it for 'the children'.

[MelissaWV]

For the past year my hubby & I have been trying to have a baby with no luck...we both have 1 child from previous relationships (we had them @ 21). Now we're 28 & can't seem to conceive...I don't know what to do...

Offer to adopt an unwanted teen pregnancy result? :)

* * *

As to the ridiculous "so and so get abortions, and such and such do not" it's teen pregnancy rates being discussed. In order to get an abortion, one is first pregnant, so the "racial distinctions" being made mean nothing.

There have already been some very well-thought-out responses. Parents need to parents, pregnancy without a means to take care of the child YOURSELF (not "mom and dad will take care of it for me while I go party" or "I can always abort") should be seen as shameful again, etc.. We will always see, as a society, a spike in teen pregnancies when things "get rough" at home. Teen pregnancies were actually lower recently, which was still after MTV and the smut on television, so it has to be something else. If there's a stressful home life, and parents aren't paying attention, kids who weren't brought up to respect themselves are going to weasel out and look for attention, affection, and worth. To some, that means not being safe, and to others it means deliberately trying to have a baby. To everyone, it means trouble.

[Romulus]

MTV's porn and the total lack of any moral education = degenerate culture

all part of hte Marxist plan for destroying the West from within

Bingo.

[FrankRep]

MTV's porn and the total lack of any moral education = degenerate culture

all part of the Marxist plan for destroying the West from within

G. Edward Griffin Interview Of Yuri Bezmenov, ex-KGB Soviet defector

Soviet Subversion of Culture and the Free Press

YouTube - G. Edward Griffin Interview Of Yuri Bezmenov (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS8LA-5fmrs)

[sofia]

Yeah well not showing the Cleavers in bed is stupid. How about people watch what they want to watch and if Americans don't want trash they'll change the dial to one of the other 200 channels? You can also lock channels through your TV if you're worried about your kids.

It sounds like you want more government control over what goes on TV.

We dont allow factories to pollute the public waterways. So why allow the media to pollute public morality?...- the very foundadtion of a free sociecty is moral restraint..i.e. responsibility.

Would you be in favor of allowing the networks to air pornographic cartonos on Saturday morning?

[romeno182]

MTV's porn and the total lack of any moral education = degenerate culture

all part of hte Marxist plan for destroying the West from within

religion is curable.. LOL at the answers here, i tought this is a libertarian forum, seems more a taliban forum

[FrankRep]

religion is curable.. LOL at the answers here, i tought this is a libertarian forum, seems more a taliban forum
We have all kinds here, including those evil Constitutional Christians.

[revolutionisnow]

What does religion have to do with wanting to be a moral society? I don't think anyone is saying that Bible stories should be the only thing allowed on tv, but why must we have graphic murder, violence and sex on tv?

[FrankRep]

What does religion have to do with wanting to be a moral society? I don't think anyone is saying that Bible stories should be the only thing allowed on tv, but why must we have graphic murder, violence and sex on tv?
Religion establishes an absolute moral standard, a gold standard if you will. :)
"Right" and "Wrong" must be defined.

[sofia]

religion is curable.. LOL at the answers here, i tought this is a libertarian forum, seems more a taliban forum

you name for me just ONE...ONE.....civilization, culture, nation etc that even got off the ground without a moral code or religion as its foundadtion for individual behavior and sexual mores.

[Meatwasp]

religion is curable.. LOL at the answers here, i tought this is a libertarian forum, seems more a taliban forum

We are NOT all Libertarians. Please get that staight.

[MelissaWV]

Since some of you missed it, there was a decline in teen pregnancy before this upswing. That decline happened in the midst of MTV's popularity for non-musical stuff. MTV is pretty irrelevant now. The excuse of "OMG the television makes them do it!" is ridiculous. It is society in general that has changed. There's always some evil temptation or another, and adults put that in context for children. Those of you saying "it's this modern sexual stuff on television" are leaving out the really important question: who buys the television, subscribes to cable, and isn't teaching these children to respect themselves?

[steve005]

Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals. It will not be tolerated here.

is he racist because of the labels he used or tha facts he stated? racism=saying your race is better than all other races, i didn't notice him say his race was better so your post is wrong

[JenH88]

lmfao.. well.. i got pregnant as a teenager.. had my first daughter 2 weeks before my 18th birthday.. in 2006. lmfao. so.. yeah.. i will tell you exactly what led to my situation.

parenting.. or lack thereof. after my parents got divorced, my father and I had a very rocky relationship, I saw him occasionally. My mother was at work usually 9am til 10pm everyday between jobs to just barely make enough to cover minimum necessities.. It was just me most of the time.

If a child isn't getting positive attention at home, well, they WILL seek it elsewhere. And.. in this culture.. the easiest way to get that is sexually. Esp. as a teenage girl. This was something I not only noticed in myself afterwards, but observed it as well in the girls that had similar situations in my area.. parents not around or involved..

Those saying though that today both parents "must" work in order to make ends meet.. well, that's just not true. Dig deeper.. that's ALWAYS a choice.

[MelissaWV]

is he racist because of the labels he used or tha facts he stated? racism=saying your race is better than all other races, i didn't notice him say his race was better so your post is wrong

So... it's not racist to, having no idea about actual quantifiable ability, assume that Susie is better than Anne at math because Susie is Asian and Anne is Nigerian?

Racism doesn't belong only to saying your race is better. In fact, you can make a racist statement about another race entirely (which is what most racist statements are). Such and such are promiscuous, so and so is better at math, he or she is going to speak with an accent... simply based on what the observer perceives with their eyes, and not with any other sense or on any other basis. Once there's basis, it's not actually racism. The trouble is that data is usually spun to cover up someone's erroneous assumptions.

[Andrew-Austin]

lmfao.. well.. i got pregnant as a teenager.. had my first daughter 2 weeks before my 18th birthday.. in 2006. lmfao. so.. yeah.. i will tell you exactly what led to my situation.

parenting.. or lack thereof. after my parents got divorced, my father and I had a very rocky relationship, I saw him occasionally. My mother was at work usually 9am til 10pm everyday between jobs to just barely make enough to cover minimum necessities.. It was just me most of the time.

If a child isn't getting positive attention at home, well, they WILL seek it elsewhere. And.. in this culture.. the easiest way to get that is sexually. Esp. as a teenage girl. This was something I not only noticed in myself afterwards, but observed it as well in the girls that had similar situations in my area.. parents not around or involved..

Those saying though that today both parents "must" work in order to make ends meet.. well, that's just not true. Dig deeper.. that's ALWAYS a choice.

So you mean MTV and a bunch of atheist communists didn't push you in to pregnancy? And you are not Latino? That convo your gym teacher had about condoms didn't spark your interest in unprotected sex?

Well.... That upsets the wise conclusions of the enlightened people in this thread, we might need to see a larger pic of your avatar to make sure you are telling the truth.

[Zippyjuan]

Let me try to understand the "problem". According to the article, between 1990 and 2005, the teen pregnancy rate went from 116.9 per 1000 all the way down to 69.5- a decrease of an incredible 41%- declining every year for fifteen straight years. Since then it has gone up to 71.5 per 1000 or an increase of just two in one thousand over a four year period. This is a major change or crisis? If this trend continues we will be up to the 1990 levels in about 40 years.

[MelissaWV]

So you mean MTV and a bunch of atheist communists didn't push you in to pregnancy? And you are not Latino? That convo your gym teacher had about condoms didn't spark your interest in unprotected sex?

Well.... That upsets the wise conclusions of the enlightened people in this thread, we might need to see a larger pic of your avatar to make sure you are telling the truth.


I used to watch MTV, the atheists I know aren't Communists (and the Communists... I don't really know any?), I'm Latina, sex ed never really made it seem like something fun to go do, and I have zero kids :) I also didn't start having sex until I was way older than most of my peers, and don't do so to "hook up" or disrespect myself in those ways.

It must rock their world to be wrong, though :( I wanted to let people have their universe where I'm a multi-abortion welfare queen and stuff.

[Danke]

Started in the '60's with Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, then the Nature Channel, etc....


:D:p

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

We dont allow factories to pollute the public waterways. So why allow the media to pollute public morality?...- the very foundadtion of a free sociecty is moral restraint..i.e. responsibility.

Would you be in favor of allowing the networks to air pornographic cartonos on Saturday morning?

Strawman bullshit at its finest. Furthermore, has it crossed any of you people's mind that its because of the extreme prohibitions placed on sex for normal sexual human beings that is causing this and not 'OMFG, itz da EVUL MTV'? Teenage humans on this planet have been having offspring for going on 2 million YEARS or so. The problem ISN'T that they're having them, the problem is that we've all but CRIMINALIZED perfectly normal human activity.

This whole 'problem' is simply buying into the Malthusian, Fabian-Eugenicist bullshit we've been fed for over 100 years. There is no 'problem' and people worrying about this have got their heads up their ass. This whole 'OMG, TEEN PREGNANCY EPIDEMIC' is just another facet of population control. Its another way that Eugenicist groups like Planned Parenthood can push their vile agenda.

Wake up from your cognitive dissonance! Stop buying into this Malthusian worldview! There is no PROBLEM! This is all BULLSHIT and its designed to be a wedge so that one group can control the habits of another group! Its ANTITHETICAL to LIBERTY!

[TCE]

Strawman bullshit at its finest. Furthermore, has it crossed any of you people's mind that its because of the extreme prohibitions placed on sex for normal sexual human beings that is causing this and not 'OMFG, itz da EVUL MTV'? Teenage humans on this planet have been having offspring for going on 2 million YEARS or so. The problem ISN'T that they're having them, the problem is that we've all but CRIMINALIZED perfectly normal human activity.

This whole 'problem' is simply buying into the Malthusian, Fabian-Eugenicist bullshit we've been fed for over 100 years. There is no 'problem' and people worrying about this have got their heads up their ass. This whole 'OMG, TEEN PREGNANCY EPIDEMIC' is just another facet of population control. Its another way that Eugenicist groups like Planned Parenthood can push their vile agenda.

Wake up from your cognitive dissonance! Stop buying into this Malthusian worldview! There is no PROBLEM! This is all BULLSHIT and its designed to be a wedge so that one group can control the habits of another group! Its ANTITHETICAL to LIBERTY!

I am more concerned with the fact that I'm paying for these teens to have pregnancies. Food stamps, Medicaid, etc. Because of those problems, teen pregnancy IS my problem. Without those, it doesn't have to be.

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

I am more concerned with the fact that I'm paying for these teens to have pregnancies. Food stamps, Medicaid, etc. Because of those problems, teen pregnancy IS my problem. Without those, it doesn't have to be.

So DON'T make it about the teenage pregnancy, make it about welfare and so on and so forth. Its the same sort of pretzel logic used to justify the War on Drugs.

[JenH88]

So you mean MTV and a bunch of atheist communists didn't push you in to pregnancy? And you are not Latino? That convo your gym teacher had about condoms didn't spark your interest in unprotected sex?

Well.... That upsets the wise conclusions of the enlightened people in this thread, we might need to see a larger pic of your avatar to make sure you are telling the truth.

LOL.. were they influences during those years? Yes, but did they MAKE me pregnant? lol. no.. I also had many peers who were also influenced and saw the same culture, yet choose to make better decisions. I do agree that this stuff being pushed in pop culture is contributing to the problem and infact introducing such ideas to the youth. Absolutely. The same is reflected in violent criminal offense statistics.

I actually have had an interesting opportunity to see both sides of the coin.. before my parents divorced I lived the "perfect childhood".. big house, big family, private school, 3 church services every Sunday.. cable was password restricted in the house (no mtv) (you'd be interested to know that at the private Lutheran school I went to sex ed started in 2ND GRADE, it was optional.. and my parents decided not to let me join the class til 6th grade- interestingly out of the 20 or so students I grew up with in those classes, there's only myself and one other who've had a kid by the age 21)

My parents divorced and I started public school in 7th grade.. which happened to be when they started sex ed there..for the first time.. nothing at all up to that point.. I do remember how different it was taught though! In private school it was taught alongside a moral meaningful concept, you really felt like abstinence was a decision to benefit you in all aspects of life. Whereas in public school it was just a dry anatomy lesson with scary warnings on how to protect yourself.. there was nothing on why it should be special, what positive experiences you could get from waiting..

From the 40 or so kids I went through junior high and high school together with including myself, there are 8 who've had kids by age 21.. (6 of which had kids or were pregnant by age 18) All Caucasian btw. lmfao. middle class, Suburbs of Chicago..

With culture and the light in which this stuff is introduced to kids.. it is no surprised we are at the point we are at with society.. but it isn't the media's fault, or the school's fault- the real blame is laid on the parents.. no one said it was easy raising moral children in a media saturated world.. Parentage involvement is thee most crucial element in raising kids.. hands down.. parents need to take that power back and exercise it. Make decisions on what YOU think is or isn't appropriate for your children- it's NO ONE ELSE'S RESPONSIBILITY.

[BlackTerrel]

We dont allow factories to pollute the public waterways. So why allow the media to pollute public morality?

Well my shower only has water from the public waterways. My TV has 500 channels and a DVD player and I can easily change the channel or turn it off. TV gives people what they want - they do what gives ratings.


Would you be in favor of allowing the networks to air pornographic cartonos on Saturday morning?

Honestly I could care less. Parents - don't let your kids watch what you don't want them to watch. Use your TV's functions and block those channels - if enough parents block it those TV stations would lose money.

You know free markets and all that :)

[MelissaWV]

I used to love it when the Sci Fi network would air graphic anime on Saturday mornings. That was awesome stuff.

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

it's cause of sex education, it makes kids curious, it's like teaching someone all about driving but then telling them not to drive until they are a certain age.

[MelissaWV]

it's cause of sex education, it makes kids curious, it's like teaching someone all about driving but then telling them not to drive until they are a certain age.

Yet pregnancy rates were low up until very recently, which was AFTER sex ed began in schools, so that disproves that theory...

[Warrior_of_Freedom]

Yet pregnancy rates were low up until very recently, which was AFTER sex ed began in schools, so that disproves that theory...

No, no it doesnt.

[Dieseler]

Yet pregnancy rates were low up until very recently, which was AFTER sex ed began in schools, so that disproves that theory...

IT is the Tech...
Cell Phones, Myspace, Facebook, IM...



When I was a kid I didn't see my friends till I got back to school the next day. Any plans made were made during school hours.
Kids make plans 24 / 7 now. They usually aren't well thought out plans either.

Sorry to quote myself but no one commented on it.

Minor kids do not need to be in constant communication with their peers in the ways that parents today allow them to be. When you allow them to be in constant communication with one another with all of the bad influences set by all of the other examples of reasons why teen pregnancy is recently through the roof you allow them opportunities to plan things behind their guardians backs that will lead to...

Any number of bad situations.

Teens do not think like adults and thus they should not be allowed to make plans like adults.

The more opportunities you provide for them to get together via the tech aforementioned, after school hours, the greater the chance for them to fuck up.

Now you take that for what it is but trust me, I'm an experienced Dad and I know what the fuck I'm talking about.

I'm shaking my finger at you, can ya see it?

[BlackTerrel]

it's cause of sex education, it makes kids curious, it's like teaching someone all about driving but then telling them not to drive until they are a certain age.

Poor analogy since that is 100% true of driving. Kids know about driving but aren't allowed to do son until they are 16 (in most states).

Kids would know about sex with or without sex ed BTW.

[Brian4Liberty]

It's the economy.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

It doesn't take a genious to figure out that the rise of pregancy coincides with the rise in welfarism and handouts for the impoverished and to those who have kids. Hey dipshits stop rewarding and incentivizing bad behavior and you just may not get bad behavior. THIS IS WHY I HATE STATISTICS AND THE "NEW" ECONOMICS!!! Grrrr. Bunch of clueless loons.

Even the people at Heritage (Neo-Con), and other so-called Conservative institutions are blind. This is simple logic and reason people.

[Brian4Liberty]

It doesn't take a genious to figure out that the rise of pregancy coincides with the rise in welfarism and handouts for the impoverished and to those who have kids. Hey dipshits stop rewarding and incentivizing bad behavior and you just may not get bad behavior. THIS IS WHY I HATE STATISTICS AND THE "NEW" ECONOMICS!!! Grrrr. Bunch of clueless loons.


Exactly. Plus job losses, unemployment and a bleak outlook. Kids that don't believe they have a future via school and a career will instead just do what comes naturally.

[Vessol]

it's cause of sex education, it makes kids curious, it's like teaching someone all about driving but then telling them not to drive until they are a certain age.

Funny. I learned about sex when I was 8 and I didn't get curious and go have sex. I also learned how to drive when I was 10 working on a farm and I wasn't allowed to drive until I was 16. Hell I didn't have sex until I was 18. When I did I used protection and I discussed it with my partner before hand responsibly.

The problem? IMO it's parents, it's parents not telling kids anything about sex and especially not anything about contraceptions. Talk to your kids, tell them that your views of sexuality, but no matter what your views are you should at least tell them if they do unfortunately decide to have sex outside they should use protection.

[kpitcher]

if they do unfortunately decide to have sex outside they should use protection.

Sunscreen comes to mind :D

But seriously you raise a good point. There seems to be a serious lack of parenting going on.

[Natalie]

I went to high school in New York, and we had sex ed in health class. I don't remember them teaching us about abstinence. They were just like, if you need condoms, you can get some for free in the counseling office. They taught us about abstinence in middle school though. Even my parents didn't teach me about abstinence. Once my dad said you should wait about three months to get to know someone before doing it. *facepalm*

[Danke]

Once my dad said you should wait about three months to get to know someone before doing it. *facepalm*

Seriously!?! Unbelievable!

You sure he didn't mean three dates? That's what I've always heard, if not by the third date...

[revolutionisnow]

Children taught sex education are more likely to have intercourse younger, says study

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1247954/Children-taught-sex-education-likely-intercourse-younger-says-study.html#ixzz0eVfohrFy

Children taught abstinence are more likely to delay having sex than those given lessons about contraception, a study has found.

Half of pupils whose classes focused on safe sex went on to have intercourse within two years - compared with only a third of those whose lessons encouraged them to say no until ready.

Last night the Government, which favours teaching about contraception, dismissed the research, insisting there was still 'no evidence' that abstinence education was effective.

The U.S. study looked at 662 black children aged 11 to 15, divided into four groups.

Each was given a different type of education - eight hour-long abstinence-only classes, lessons on safe sex, classes using both approaches or lessons on general health with no sex element.

Two years later, 33.5 per cent of abstinence-only students admitted having had sex, against 49 per cent of each of the other three groups.

Professor John Jemmott, who published the results in the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, said the study showed that abstinence classes could be effective in curbing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

He said: 'Abstinence-only interventions may have an important role in delaying sexual activity until a time later in life when the adolescent is more prepared to handle to consequences of sex.'

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said: 'We want to give young people the facts .

'We encourage all young people to delay sexual activity and help them to deal with pressure to become sexually active before they are ready.'

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

Children taught sex education are more likely to have intercourse younger, says study

Remember 'Just Say "No" To Drugs' kept millions from doing drugs

What part of 'Prohibition does not work' does not compute?

[Liberty Star]

In times of wars/ fear/insecurity, it's natural for procreation rates to increase. During Bush regime days, sometimes instead of reading Iraq war news, I used to take a look at Mothers Work (MWRK) stock chart, they made clothing for pregnant mothers. Their stock peaked about the same time when bombings and killings in Iraq peaked and stock kept slipping as violence came down.

[Zippyjuan]

An increase of two cases in a thousand over a four year period (following a decline of about 40 cases per 1000) is nothing to get excited about. That is within a statistical margin of error.

[revolutionisnow]

Remember 'Just Say "No" To Drugs' kept millions from doing drugs

What part of 'Prohibition does not work' does not compute?

Dare to introduce children to drugs? Yes, that program was a horrible failure also.

[MelissaWV]

An increase of two cases in a thousand over a four year period (following a decline of about 40 cases per 1000) is nothing to get excited about. That is within a statistical margin of error.

But it's MTV! It's Sex Ed! It's the Neocons! It's the Liberals!

It's.............................................. ....... nothing.

[Zippyjuan]

Sorry I pooped on the party.

It's the Liberals!
It's the Conservatives!
It's the illegal aliens!
It's men from Mars impregnating our teens!
It's the parent's fault! If they had never had sex then their kids wouldn't either (because they wouldn't be!).

Carry on. We all need somebody to blame.

[Dieseler]

It's no chores (zero responsibility) Too much time on their hands (school is a joke, no homework, left to the wisdom of the MTV with no one to talk about it to but the Cell phone and other brain dead peers on Facepage and Mybrainbook.) No future (Someone is not being responsible enough to lay the cold hard facts out to their daughter about home economics in a young family, (It's hard, show them on paper) Show them the money or rather the lack thereof.
Displaced, disheartened and more frightful than ever due to parents either not being there at all or perhaps now with the economy like it is, being there too much but in a bad frame of mind.
School itself is like a gauntlet in some areas of the country. Some kids are facing extreme challenges in order to just get to and back from school alive.
Some go without lunch money ( Everyone doesn't meet the criteria for goobermint pandering) eating maybe once or if lucky, twice a day.
It's not hard to imagine how a teen boy and girl might imagine their chances were every bit as good as what they might be if they were to stay at home and tough out their high school years before making a commitment and all too often a teen boy changes his mind when the cold hard facts of ball and chain become a reality.
More and more of them young boys are giving up on finding a job and signing up for a few tours of Afghanistan these days as jobs are hard to come by and they all would love to get a little before they wave bon voyage.
Everybody wants something waiting at home for them.
It's the cell phones. Cell phones make teen girls pregnant.
I'll be on guard duty all farking weekend.
Stupid little bastards, I'll be waiting.
Daddy is on duty.
It ain't funny.
No fun.
No!
You see, as hard as it is to be a teenager and I do remember being one, the hardest thing I have ever been is a Dad to a teenage girl. I've seen some sleepless nights. Sleepless nights? Who am I kidding? I don't sleep at night anymore, I just take naps when I can.
I have looked into the blank stare behind the bangs and wondered, Am I getting through to you? Can you hear me, please God hear me... Please listen to your Mother.
Dear Lord please help me.
Help me to make her understand that I am not a bad man.
I only want what is best for her in all things.
Must get through... to this one.
The boy was easy.
He was a good boy, he was easy.
She is a good girl but it's not easy, not easy at all.
I will be vigilant.
My resolve is like a rock and it is shut like a lock.
I will prevail.
I will win.
Future lives depend on it.
I am The Man, I am a good man and I am perfectly willing to play the bad man when need be. It's my job and I'm going to kick it old school with the young bucks.

[MelissaWV]

I blame it on lack of paragraph structure.

[Dieseler]

:p
I am not insane.
Just taking advantage of an outlet, don't hold it against me.

[tangent4ronpaul]

The economy probably has something to do with it. Adults are taking jobs teens traditionally held, means more free time for teens and allowances haven't ketp up with the cost of living, while condoms and BC pills have increased in cost with inflation.

There is also a culture change. What's on the Disney channel these days would earn a movie a R rating a few decades ago.

-
t

[Mini-Me]

If I can ignore ZippyJuan's excellent point, I want to chime in:
Maybe natural selection is driving the human race to finally become hotter and more irresistible on average? :D (Please don't post "People of Wal-Mart" pics to crush my hopes and dreams.)

[Soca Taliban]

religion is curable.. LOL at the answers here, i tought this is a libertarian forum, seems more a taliban forum

Hey Hey, I resemble that comment! :D

[FrankRep]

Abstinence Education Effective, Study Finds
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=230081