Teenage pregnancy?

Question

Do you think that as a society, our conservative attitudes to sex have contributed to the number of teenage pregnancies in the U.K?
Personally I think it has and if we were open about it and talked about it more without shying away from it then children would have all the facts they need before they grew into teenagers and had sex.
There are people out there who say 15yr olds shouldn't be having sex but that's not the case and they will wether it's legal or not. Surely it would be better to change our attitudes that sex is 'dirty' and shouldn't be talked about.
Rather than bombard them with facts and booklets and horror stories of STD's etc we should be encouragiing them to talk openly about it.
You might not want to think that your son/daughter might be having sex but the truth is they very wel could be.
Wouldn't you rather them be able to come to you and tell you so they're doing it responsibly than do it behind your back with all the risks?

I don't think it's fair to blame the government or the schools without taking responsibility ourselves.
Everyoe has to accept that this is a problem that can't be solved uness everyone is willing to pull their heads out of the sand and face it.
Personally I'd rather find condoms in my teenagers bedroom than find out they haven't been using any.
Maybe the parents who are stricter with their children are doing more harm than good with their 'you better not come home with a boyfriend!' attitude and the liberal parents whose children are often branded the 'bad influences' are infact the better.

Kathyw - Maybe that's the problem. Teenagers might be open with each other about sex but thats no good if none of them have a clue what they're talking about, rumours get spread arround this way the wrong information can be dangerous. I don't think that parents should talk about sex to be "cool" it's about responsibility. People have the responsibility to give their children the correct information and be there to answer any questions. Not to ignore it and pretend their children don't have sex etc... I don't agree that this has anything to do with letting your children come home and have sex in your house at all. My point is not that we should encourage young people to have sex because that is irresponsible,BUT we SHOULD encourage them to do it safely. After all, they will do it wether we say they shouldn't or not. Surely it's better to make sure that if they are doing it then they're prepared and have al the correct information they need and are not scared to talk if things go wrong.

Answer 1

Completley aggree

note lisa hug ... this is why you should always have two typesf contraception ie a back up


If this was the cse then you would not have things like mythes floating around like you cant get pregnant standing up, first time, if guys pulls out etc as you would have covered all that.


Likwise kids would not end up messed up due to inability to handle sexul relatioships and being able to get thwem...


ie not going annorexic or slashing wrists as feel to ugly for anyone towant them and cant cope teith the lonliness.


As mid teens IS when people should start having sex ie mid 15-17 as tharts biology, alwasys has been always will be. its just inconvieinet in modern society... biology takes longer to change,


It goes back to cavemen days or look at the 3rd would where life expectancey is 30. Therfore for your offspring to survive you would need to find a mate by mid teens so it could grow up enough to look adfter itself before you were dino din dins or something.



Look at hormones, feelings, teen expression.



its a virtuyally guaranteed bet unless you kid has very poor social skills and ugly they will get sexaully active in mid teens or end up needing heavey coucilling so they dont top themself.


http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsest.htm


Look at Europe they follow your idea exactly and it works... the UK, ireland and especailly the US dont hence their problems.

Plus its no good teaching sex stuff to teenagers when you think they are ready to understand as it will be too late... they will think they know it all having heard all the bull like you cant get pregnant frst time.

you will appear olds and clueless and not doing it , and its all embarrasing or a giggle and not taken seriously.



Whilst little kids all take it in like any other lesson as no hormones


Plus under your own roof is safest and most controlled.


Plus when your kid first crosses the road you hold its hand right?


well sex is the same when they start they are most at risk of messing up so parents or schools should put gitls on things like depor injections and not trust girls to take the pill.


AND provide the condoms


It works in Europe. Most pregnancies are amongst relgious immigrants.

And its mostly love and happiness. Thats whay they want ti... A loved up teen is a happy teen provided its done in a safe way.


A kid who has absteinance forced on them is the lonler, lonley, nurd, no mates , treated as ugly, unloved, unwanted one who ends up a mess and maybe does a school shooting.



ACTUALLY TELL YOU WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA...


IS TO GIVE YOUR CHILD ALL THE LEAFLETS THAT TEACH ALL ABOUT SEX, LIST AGENCIES FOR INFO AND HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS TO ALL MYTHES AND WHATS IS THIS AND THAT... AND HAVE THEM EDUCATE ALL THE OTHER KIDS IN THE PLAYGROUND...


IE GIVE THEM THE INFO AND BECOME THE SOURCE OF INFO

Answer 2

Kids get plenty of education about sex. You'd never know it from reading the questions here but there is a lot of education out there for them.
My own take on this problem (and most problems with teens) is that if you feel that it is RIGHT that your 14 or 15 yr old have sex, then you are going to communicate that in many many ways even as you are raising your child. And if you don't care either way, then it is going to show that you don't care because you can't be bothered to communicate and discuss your Morals. Notice the word I use - morals.
If you think that it is WRONG for someone so young to have sex, then I think you absolutely have to communicate that because it is your child that you have been raising. Why in the world you would let a permissive society (with semi-pornographic images guiding the imaginations of young people) raise your child for you by making that important decision for you? Your child may feel the pressure from what is going on around him or her - that doesn't mean that you have to be stupid enough to give it all your approval!
Honestly, talk about a nation of sheep. Since when does political-correctness guide your behavior in an issue you really care about. Consider child-raising the same way.
Kids do talk openly - to each other -about sex. If you think you should be listening to your child talk about who they're sleeping with these days because you want to impress your kid with your 'open mind' and 'open attitude', well, just give them the freedom to bring home their latest sexual conquest and have at it in the bedroom next to yours.
At some point, your child will call you on it - they will tell you that you are a hypocrite because you won't allow them to have actively pursue having a baby at 14 - they love the guy, he's cute, they have fun, they like babies. Blah. blah. blah.
Here's the bottom line: Sex drives don't match up with maturity levels. Once you realize that, you see it differently.

Answer 3

my daughter has just had a baby last thursday and she is only 14 so she got pregnant at 13 it was her ist time the condom split she went to a so called adult and they said you cant get pregnant the 1st time, what sort of hope have we got if adults tell children that perhaps we need to send the adults back to school in how to teach our children about sex, i was very open with her even asked if she wanted me to go to docs and go on the pill as i know young people of today are having sex early and she laughed and said no way, at least they had the sence to use condom even if it did fail them, my daugher was 52 hours of labour and had so many stitches they lost count, but baby is here now and both well. so i think your right in what you saying if people dont think that there teen is not having sex wake up mums cause they do, they all say oh no not mine they wouldnt do that as i said i think same parents need to go back to school to learn how to be responsible about sex with their children, i think you have made a very good point lets hope some parents read you question and have a bloody good think xxxx

Answer 4

totally agree. The other thing is that some girls use pregnancy as a meal ticket i.e not having to work, it's a way to get a house etc and unfortunately copy this pattern as it's what they have grown up with.
i think the American concept of the baby for two weeks which cries, poos and demands fed and changed and your undivided attention is a wake up call to a lot of teen who believe its all fun and games having a baby and should be more widely used.

Answer 5

i agree,
when i was sixteen i was having sex but i think that the reason i was having sex was because my parents didn't want me to and i did get pregnant it worked out for the best in the long run but i think that had my family had been more open i would have been more understood what i was doing i think young people need to be shown the options condoms etc and they should supported and have people to talk to them clearly

Answer 6

Thats a toughy. i become a young person mom, i had my daughter at 17 and that i individually desire i'm going to have waited until eventually finally i found the dazzling guy 2 be with yet thats how existence is going. My daughter is a happ, healthy, outgoing lil woman so thats all that concerns. i think of babies could wait until eventually finally their with the dazzling individual to have babies with and finished with college first reason their alot of responsibilty and confusing artwork in todays community.

Answer 7

agree 100% my son is 16 and i am open with him he can talk to me about anything, there going to have sex no matter what, so as you say about condoms i would be relieved to find them.

Answer 8

agree

Answer 9

i totally agree with u

Answer 10

i agree