Teenages pregnancies and why the increase?

Question

I remember being at school and we were hardly told anything. In fact I didn't know a thing until I was 12. It seems the more kids know the more they want to try it. It is like putting sweets in front of a four year old and saying you can look and touch but don't eat them. Does anyone else think that kids Know too much rather than too little? Or do you think they are being taught too much about sex and pregnancy and not enough about the other concequences?.

Answer 1

They're being taught all about sex - except for the fact that it's SUPPOSED to only be for consenting MARRIED adults. The physical sexual act was created to be the ultimate bond between married adults, but that point has just been forgotten. Now, they're being told 'oh, go ahead, have sex, have fun. Just use a condom, and you'll be okay' or 'so what if you do get pregnant. Just get an abortion and everything will be all right'.

The moral issues and social problems are not touched. All kids see is that sex is fun and 'cool' and associated with their favorite movie stars and performers (music videos). And for the most part, parents, teachers, and other adults who are supposed to be the responsible influences in kids' lives are afraid to stand up and say 'no, this is wrong, and if you do it, then YOU are wrong'.

Can anyone remember when if a teen-aged girl got pregnant, she was shunned and had to move to stay with family in another city or state until the baby was born and put up for adoption? Now, not only is it okay, but the blasted schools (and churches, unfortunately) have BABY SHOWERS for these teen unwed mothers!!

Society needs to tighten it's moral belt and adults need to remember they're the adults and ACT like adults. My child (11-yr-old daughter) knows about sex and the consequences - not just pregnancy and disease, but the fact that I'll beat her to a bloody pulp if she winds up pregnant (okay, that was for dramatic effect, but you get my meaning.) There is no doubt in her mind that I do not approve of and will not tolerate that sort of behavior from her. She is expected to DRESS like a young lady and ACT and CONDUCT herself like a young lady at all times - and she does it. It's amazing what a child can and will do when normal limits are not only set down, but ENFORCED by loving, caring parents.

I tell her all the time I'm not disciplining her because I DON'T love her. Just the opposite. If I didn't love her, I wouldn't care what sort of person she grew up to be. But because I do love her so much and she matters to me so much, I am very concerned about the person she is going to become, not just the fun she may want to have now.

Answer 2

Many good answers read so far. Recently on CNN was a commentary regarding this being a record time in world history for single women households. Family went from Leave it Beaver, Mother Knows Best to Reba's sitcom type scenarios. Role models such as actors, singers living free and easy with open sexuality. Church attendance at an all time low. Society has always swung between the prudish to the over indulgent - keeping a balanced middle ground has always been a struggle. Pollution & then conservation extremes. Economic growth to massive international debt. The list goes on. The kids, in any era, are a reflection of society's values / that swing. Seems we are in a phase of 'just be happy - do what you like'. Know to much or know to little? No - just don't really care (even more sadly don't think they matter) or think about the future (again, even sadder -think they have don't have one). See quite a few young people trying to maintain the 'good life' with a poor job - babes of their own - and a growing sense of desperation. Many more watched their single parents struggle and vow for a different future for themselves & their children. Time will tell how the mix will tee totter balance.

Answer 3

I think they are being taught it in the hopes they will take the education they learn and stay away from it since they are educated. But you're right - it's a temptation in front of them that they may not need or know how to handle. Not to mention the media makes sex a casual thing that is ok to do with anyone, as long as you 'like' them enough.

I am six years younger than my oldest sister and only 2 years younger than middle sisiter, and I had a much wider knowledge of sex when I was in middle school than them -- I taught them things.

I think these days, teens think that sex is an ok thing b/c teenage pregnancies are in a way accepted. If you went to my high school and got pregnant - you went to a class on how to raise your kid. Instead of keeping the ideals and morals we once had -- we are evolving into an 'accepting and loving' era and we're just giving teens the ticket they need to do whatever they want.

Answer 4

Actually the rate of younger mothers has decreased. You are probably just seeing it more now that you are older and more aware of it. Another thing is, you didn't mention when you went to school. I'm going to assume you are older then me, I had some sex ed in school. When a girl got pregnant a couple decades ago, these girls were sent off to have their kids and then put up for adoption so you probably wouldn't have heard about it at all. Sex ed is good to help keep these young women from getting pregnant. It's when you don't tell a child what something is about and then tell them that they aren't under any circumstances allowed to do it that they will want to find out why.

For eg, I asked my 11 yo son if he cusses and he said no. I said to him that if he does do it I won't get mad. Just be respectful around adults. He said that he doesn't want to cuss. I know it's not the same topic, but the same rules apply.

Answer 5

On the contrary I don't believe teen pregnancy shows have anything to do with how "popular" it is to have sex and conceive a child. I think it has more to do with how a young lady is brought up as a child into adulthood. My reasoning? A national study was done and proved in fact popular shows such as Sixteen & pregnant, or Teen mom didn't increase sexual activity in teens, but in fact decreased it. To some degree I can personally agree myself such shows could have a small effect on teen pregnancy rates. Although Chances are if a one girl grows up in a middle class family while another girl grows up in a broken home the girl in the broken home has more of a chance getting pregnant early on than the other girl.

Answer 6

I started asking questions from an early age about sex. My parents would always talk to me openly. I am nearly thirty and now trying for my first child. A lot of my school friends had children very young, three of those were only just fifteen. I dont think it is the education. I think that it is the fact that it is made easy for young girls to get council houses and benefits. My parents talked to me and showed me there is more to life than falling pregnant at a young age. They encouraged me to do what I wanted. They also talked to me about love and contraception. I'm not saying it's the parents fault. I think there are a lot of things that encourage young girls to have babies where as we should be encouraging them to go out and live a little! x

Answer 7

It's actually decreased, but I think only because abortions are more available along with "Plan B". I don't know any schools around here that teach sex ed, they only had this program once or twice that was abstinence only program.

Ex. they taught us about abstinence and the consequences of having sex if we didn't stay abstinent (pregnancy, std's, sti's). But they didn't even talk about birth control. Education and failed birth control is the main reason for teenage pregnancy.

Answer 8

Can't be knowing too much. In The Netherlands they give more sex education than we do, and at an earlier age.

Their teenage pregnancy rate is a fraction of ours.

So there must be another explanation - no idea what.

Answer 9

I learned it on my own and didn't ask my parents back then.
I think the increase in pregnancies are due to the permissiveness of society more than anything else. If there's a taboo against getting pregnant in high school or even out of wedlock, there'd be a sharp decrease in such cases.

Answer 10

Some of the answers say that it is on the decline. I say that is rubbish.!!!

When I was at school (I left in 1955 at 15) we had no sex education, but plenty of discipline, I recon I spent more time outside the headmasters office waiting for the cane. Detention was a daily occurrence and our teacher Mr, Sweyn walked around with a cane up his sleeve, he was a sadist. But we knew what respect was.

With a government that pays so much in allowances, child benefit,
and £500 as a start up figure, oh yes I must not forget, a flat or house paid for by us taxpayers. I had my son at nineteen and their was no help what-so-ever. A baby, if you wer'nt married was looked upon with contempt.

Today, what happens at school? No discipline at all teachers, aren't allowed to to say anything, and if they do it's, I'll tell my dad. The end result of this is: total disrespect for people or property, in fact most are a load of scumbags. Nobody wants to see my school days again but a little of what we had would certainly do no harm.

God help the next generation, what chance will the babies that are borne to unmarried mums of today.