Flutterby™! : teen pregnancy rates stop falling 2007-07-24 15:41:39.203873+00

teen pregnancy rates stop falling

2007-07-24 15:41:39.203873+00 by Dan Lyke 3 comments

Looks like all of those "abstinence only" sex ed classes have finally had their desired effect: Teen pregnancy rates stop falling:

The long decline in sexual activity among U.S. teenagers, hailed as one of the nation's most important social and public health successes, appears to have stalled.

And, of course, teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. are still horrendously high relative to other industrialized nations.

#Comment Re: Teenage sex on the increase made: 2007-07-24 17:16:46.688301+00 by: andylyke

I wonder whether young people perceive fewer productive future opportunities available to them, and being discouraged about prospects for themselves in society fall back on the good old reliable "acceptance" ritual. Maybe if the sanctimonious horses' posteriori in positions of authority would offer hope and positive options instead of negatives (e.g. abstinence, "just say no") things would be different.

I think if you looked at the problem hard enough you could tie it into another debate we've been having here recently.

Larry, yeah, I'll bet there are some other ways to slice that data more interestingly.

Dad, I can certainly see young people perceiving less opportunities available to them, and I think the best thing we can do to that end is to work on breaking down the notions of hierarchy that permeate the culture. It's a scary thing to contemplate transforming a society, but thinking of the government as just another group with weapons, rather than in some mystical sense of right and wrong and kingship, is a good start. It's time that we citizens ask why gangs spring up and how we can address the notion that people are looking for governments that provide services and protections in a different sphere than the ones that you and I participate in.