Could it be lack of education? Such as English as a second language and or conservative American households that also feel sex is taboo in the home or even as a spoken warning to young kids?? The earlier you educate the better. Opinions?
2006-10-23 06:17:30 · 39 answers · asked by Sophia R 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
In my opinion it is a lack of education (not gpa - grade point average), but a lack of education from the parents. How many teens feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex), and how many parents feel comfortable talking to their teens about sex. As a parent of 4: 21, 18, 16 and 12, I had the talk early with my children.
Granted the bible should be a guideline for rearing morals and values, but with peer pressure I feel that parents should talk to their children about real life issues that they face everyday. I had the talk with my children about sex when they entered 6th grade. Teen pregnancy wasn't what I feared it was my child telling me that they had AIDS. As parents we would hope that our children aren't out the expermenting with sex, but the way I look at it is I was a teen once I thought about things that I knew I shouldn't being doing, and sometimes even tried them. What I also thought about is "if you ask God for forgiveness you will be forgiven." In part this is true, but children also need to learn that there are consequences for their actions.
What troubled me the most were the parents who said that I was promoting teen sex by telling my children to be responsible if they were going to do grown folk things.
So here is what I told each of my children: my 2 sons if a girl is giving it away for free she is giving away more than sex, you don't want an old doorknob, because everyone has had a turn. The only thing that is given away freely is air and water.
I told my 2 daughters that they don't want to be labled as doorknobs. That giving yourself to a man is a precious gift, it is delicate like a rose and if you give all of the petals away you are left with a thistle of thorns to give the right man when he comes along.
The thing that my children found funny at age twelve was that mom was comfortable talking to them about sex and condoms. Even told my children that if they were going to experiment with sex please ask me for condoms.
My daughter that is 16 has a friend that is thinking about having sex, because she wants to be popular. I asked my daughter if she felt the same way as a friend, and to my surprise she said no. My daughter told me that, that was a stupid way to become popular.
So I don't regret having the talk with my children I just wish that more parents would, it should never be about what is socially acceptable, but what being a good parent is all about.
2006-10-23 07:41:38 · answer #1 · answered by Boo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lack of education?! Maybe thirty years ago. Today the teen pregnancy rate is much lower than then, so education has done something. The thing is, its not reaching everyone, and its not going to reach everyone.
Educate, educate educate is the mantra of so many causes; yet TELLING people about their options only does so much. The sad truth is many teens aren't brought up to respect themselves and respect others, so they engage in sexual activity long before they're physically, emotionally, or financially able to handle the consequences. Parents aren't providing firm examples and enough oversite to limit the opportunities to have sex.. and believe me, limiting works for a large number of people. Time spent alone together by a couple is the #1 predictor of sexual activity among teens, and a lot of teens are given almost unlimited alone-time. Parents are even providing the access in their own houses under the mistaken idea "they'll do it somewhere." Sorry, but you're setting the stage for their move from petting to sex with that added comfort and privacy.
Further, our "sex education" has leaned so heavily on condom-use that kids get the idea that "well something could happen, but its really unlikely if I use a condom, and it won't happen to me." I was told in high school sex ed that "we know you are all having sex by now" and laughed at for suggesting that abstinece be mentioned at least... in ninth grade! Talk about pressure, not just peer pressure, but authoritarian pressure to have sex.
Our kids are having sex because they have time, no responsibility for their actions, and both parental and societal sanction. Not because they don't know about condoms or how to put them on or have access to other forms of birth control.
2006-10-23 06:32:01 · answer #2 · answered by Tomteboda 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Im from Cleveland OH. and on the news about a week ago they were covering a story on teen sex education. They stated that teaching sex education in middle and high school just wasn't doing it. They even suggested that they may start some type of sex education as early as kindergarten! Some were in a debate about if teaching abstinence was the way to go (as the have done in the past for years). It does come down to better education but not only with schools , but with parents as well. Telling your children that not having sex until marriage isn't the way to get to kids. Teaching them that yea, not having sex WILL prevent any chance of pregnancy...but what about STDS? You dont have to have sex to get one.... so why not teach them instead that their are other ways such as birth control, condoms, and so on to protect your self from these things. And please...stop using religion while trying to teach your child ANYTHING. It gets no where in this world.
2006-10-23 06:45:15 · answer #3 · answered by kujolee 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I feel that it is lack of care from the parents. A lack of communtication and understanding! I think that instead of blaming the children, the parents should be blamed... after all it is their responsibility to care for their children! I'm 19, my mom had me when she was only 17! We have a very open relationship, we can talk about anything. My mom is the one that convinced me to have safe sex! She told me that she doesn't regret having me for one minute, but if she could have been a little older and ready for it things would have been much easier. The parents need to do their part in raising their children properly...
2006-10-23 06:28:36 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think its a lack of education, kids are TOO aware now, thats the problem! when my mum was little there was practically no info, but it was frowned upon to have sex before marriage and the deterrent was being ostricised from society. Today, sex is everywhere and kids have it stuffed down their throats at every oppotunity. Advertising, video games, music videos, celeberites even young kids - look at the bratt dolls. The innocence of childhood has long since dissapeared and we live in a moraless society. thats my belief, and Im not even religious!
2006-10-23 06:25:10 · answer #5 · answered by Serry's mum 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm 17 years old and I feel that young people are getting pregnant, not because of a lack of education, but because of a lack of entertainment, healthy entertainment. I spent most of life in a big city in Florida, and I hardly ever seen teenage girls get pregnant. I also lived in Atlanta not to long ago and seen maybe two girls pregnant at a school of 3700. But then my family moved me to a small town in Georgia, where all there is to do is go to Wal-Mart and hang out (seriously) More girls tendto get pregnant. They see it as somthing to do. If towns would have some sort of healthy entertainment, less girls would resort to sex, honstly. Not everybody may agree with me, but living in both worlds I have kind of seen a major difference.
2006-10-23 06:25:10 · answer #6 · answered by chelsea 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, its not a lack of education. Regaurdless of its a boy or a girl. My brother is 16 he got a 4.0 and he has sex. The same with this other girl. She got pregnat and has a 4.0 and they are both in a free ride to college. It has nothing to do with education. But i think it has something to do with the parents. If parents were more involved and the school are more invovled maybe there would be less young pepole getting pregnate
2006-10-23 06:21:50 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it is a lack of education...the parents aren't educated to teach their kids to abstain. People aren't scared anymore about what people think because we are in a different generation now. 30 years ago it was completely unacceptable to get pregnant when you weren't married. They used fear of having a bad reputation to scare kids into using birth control or to abstain. And if a young unmarried girl did get pregnant she automatically had to go away until she gave birth then the baby went up for adoption. These days people are afraid more of being called judgmental or prejudice of others, that everyone is accepting of everything.
2006-10-23 06:37:36 · answer #8 · answered by mommyem 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a think it is lack of education a was a a teen mum myself a think schools should be talking to kids more ano when a was at school a never heard eny thing about sex jst saw a woman having a baby that was it, am now 20 yrs old had my baby when a was jst 17 in would'nt change her for the world!! but a will be educating her when shes older lol!!
2006-10-23 06:25:00 · answer #9 · answered by PRINCESS! 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have two answers:
1. Lack of sex education could be an issue but I think moreover,
is...
2. looking for "love" in all the wrong places. They think that having a baby will give them the unconditional love they arent receiving at home.
Very good, thought-provoking question!
2006-10-23 06:24:32 · answer #10 · answered by Munya Says: DUH! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋