15 replies to this topic

[THE MATRIX]

My link

Quote

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, the rate 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 the highest teen birth rate, with 55 births per 1,000 girls. New Hampshire has the lowest rate at just under 16 percent.

[FurthurBB]

THE MATRIX, on 10 April 2012 - 10:53 PM, said:

My link

This surprises you?  It does not surprise me.

[Rafterman]

I'm curious as to whether or not any distinction was made between wanted and unwanted pregnancies?

I grew up in Mississippi and had four married couples in my high school graduating class - 3 of whom were expecting babies.  Would they qualify as "teen mothers" in this study?  Yes, they were teens and they were soon to be mothers, but not exactly the scenario that comes to mind when most folks thing of teenage pregnancies.

[msmike1]

I have lived in Mississippi all my life, and in a lot of ways it is a wonderful state to live in. In others it is still behind the times. Teaching abstinence is not by any means the only reason that Mississippi is tops in the nation for teenage pregnacy. Several more factors should be included, but they are highly unpopular so are not talked about near as much. I am personally for teaching sex ed in schools. Abstinence would be great, but in reality teenagers are going to do what they want to a certain extent. Teens are also highly sexualized in todays times and sex is everywhere you look. It really is not just a state problem but a problem with society on the whole.

Mike

[eqgumby]

The attempt to draw a conclusion that teaching abstinence causes pregnancy is dopey. There are a gazillion other factors to take into account that aren't.

[Princess Serenity]

My mom has taught me that children comes after marriage and even today I still believe it.

I had posted something at tumblr one day and one reply from one of the people was that I was "close minded." On top of that I got messages from some people. One of them was "ignorant" and "bible thumping/thumper." Why? Because I don't believe in teen pregnacy?

When I was a teen, I was more concerned about my grades and other things. >< Teen pregnancies enrages me so much.

Edit:

Teens are just horny and they can't control themselves.

Edited by Princess Serenity, 11 April 2012 - 04:51 PM.

[OverSword]

I bet states that don't teach abstinence lead on aborted teenage pregnancies, and probably a higher rate than teen pregnancies in mississippi.

[Parsip]

It's naive to teach "abstinence-only" at school then release teenagers into a sexual culture and not expect them to try sex and possibly unintentionally get pregnant. Sex is everywhere, and there's nothing stopping teenagers from doing it. It's the culture, not the type of sex education, that's the problem.

Quote

According to a 2001 UNICEF survey, in 10 out of 12 developed nations with available data, more than two thirds of young people have had sexual intercourse while still in their teens. In Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, the proportion is over 80%. In Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, approximately 25% of 15 year olds and 50% of 17 year olds have had sex.[2] In a 2005 Kaiser Family Foundation study of US teenagers, 29% of teens reported feeling pressure to have sex, 33% of sexually active teens reported "being in a relationship where they felt things were moving too fast sexually", and 24% had "done something sexual they didn’t really want to do".[11] Several polls have indicated peer pressure as a factor in encouraging both girls and boys to have sex.[12][13]

Edited by Parsip, 13 April 2012 - 10:34 PM.

[ShadowSot]

OverSword, on 13 April 2012 - 07:38 PM, said:

I bet states that don't teach abstinence lead on aborted teenage pregnancies, and probably a higher rate than teen pregnancies in mississippi.

Not really, though there are confounding factors such as states that have laws against abortion and states where they uh... Killed their doctors that perform abortion.

[CommunitarianKevin]

Rafterman, on 11 April 2012 - 01:01 PM, said:

I'm curious as to whether or not any distinction was made between wanted and unwanted pregnancies?

I grew up in Mississippi and had four married couples in my high school graduating class - 3 of whom were expecting babies.  Would they qualify as "teen mothers" in this study?  Yes, they were teens and they were soon to be mothers, but not exactly the scenario that comes to mind when most folks thing of teenage pregnancies.

I think this suggests an entirely different problem in Mississippi...

[Ratte]

Teenagers are going to ****. They should be taught how to do it safely. This world is already overpopulated.

[xlizen]

IMO, each new generation makes worse choices than the next. As soon as I left high school in 2006, the school went to hell and the police were there everyday and none of the students care about "school spirit". My Mom who works at the school told me she can't believe how many teenagers are pregnant. I am from Western New York btw.

[Arbenol68]

Ratte, on 22 April 2012 - 06:29 AM, said:

Teenagers are going to ****. They should be taught how to do it safely. This world is already overpopulated.

The link states that the rate of teenage pregnancies is the lowest since they started collecting the data (1940). Suggests to me that they are not going to **** and are taking on board safe sex messages. Quite a positive thing, when you think about it.

Teaching abstinence doesn't work with sex or drugs) people will do it regardless. Keeping people safe needs to be the priority, even if it means accepting the reality of something you don't like.

[Ratte]

Arbenol68, on 23 April 2012 - 02:49 AM, said:

The link states that the rate of teenage pregnancies is the lowest since they started collecting the data (1940). Suggests to me that they are not going to **** and are taking on board safe sex messages. Quite a positive thing, when you think about it.

Teaching abstinence doesn't work with sex or drugs) people will do it regardless. Keeping people safe needs to be the priority, even if it means accepting the reality of something you don't like.

You said pretty much the same thing I did. You were just nicer about it.

[FurthurBB]

xlizen, on 23 April 2012 - 02:02 AM, said:

IMO, each new generation makes worse choices than the next. As soon as I left high school in 2006, the school went to hell and the police were there everyday and none of the students care about "school spirit". My Mom who works at the school told me she can't believe how many teenagers are pregnant. I am from Western New York btw.

I always hear things like this, but it just doesn't prove to be true.  Definitely the school thing has turned bad a lot of places, but teen pregnancy is down and so is crime.  The rates at which teenagers admit to having sexual contact is the same as it was in the fifties.  The rate of smoking cigarettes and drinking in high school is lower now than anytime since recording began.  Those all seem like better choices, not worse.