Study: Fewer teenagers are having sex

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20031223133809990015

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Like Arielle, a record number of teenagers have received the message, "Don't bring home a baby." Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in its annual tally of birth statistics, announced that the teenage birthrate had declined 30 percent over 10 years to a historic low of 43 births per 1,000. African-American teenagers showed the sharpest declines, down more than 40 percent since 1991. For young black teenagers, from 15 to 17, the rate was half, to 40 births per 1,000 in 2002 from 83.6 per 1,000 in 1991.

These declines, combined with a decrease in abortions among teenagers, points to a promising trend: fewer teenagers are becoming pregnant. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, in women 15 to 19, the pregnancy rate dropped from 11.5 per 1,000 in 1991 to 8.5 in 1999, the latest year with available statistics.

"When you see the abortion rate decline in tandem with birthrate, this essentially means that teenagers are being more successful in avoiding pregnancy, both that end in abortion and end in birth," said David Landry, senior research associate at the institute. It estimates that in women 15 to 19, the abortion rate declined, from 40 per 1,000 in 1990 to 24 in 1999.

No big deal...

rather than having less sex

the 9th grade health classes in albuquerque public schools really emphasize the use of condoms to prevent aids and pregnancy. when the subject is sex the kids do pay attention.

n/t

I think they'd be less likely to lie about sex now than in the past. Certainly it proved true in my experience as a high school teacher.
Maybe Joycelyn Elder's advice about solitary sex is finally starting to kick in!

Don't let the stats fool you. And a lot of those "more holy than thou" parents have teens who are having rectal and oral sex just to keep from having babies. It's been that way since I was in school...and probably since my parents were in school. Sexual gratification is as natural as the human body is and no amount of phony puritanism or sex taboo is going to stop what the creator set in motion. The evangelicals are living in a phony dream world if they think their children are not having sex. Some can even brag about having "virgin" daughters but they should ask their daughters how they stay virgin.

Flame away...the truth always brings a flame.

It's a sign that human verility is on the decline.

The survey presented only states the pregnancy rate is down. Statistics claiming sex is down among teens only work if you adopt Bill Clinton's definition of sex.

Blow jobs, hand jobs, mutual masturbation and cunnilingus are not considered sex in that view, because there is no penetration of one persons sexual organ by that of another.

In that sense nothing has really changed, except many girls are demanding oral satisfaction now. In the old days when I was hardly getting any, girls never expected anything in return. They "took care" of their boyfriends to hold onto them without risking getting knocked up.

So, chalk one up for women's lib. The rule of thumb (no pun) these days is "you scratch my itch and I'll scratch yours."

More and better morality? Nonsense. Wait until they start selling the morning after pill over the counter like condoms. SHAZAM!!!!

"When you see the abortion rate decline in tandem with birthrate, this essentially means that teenagers are being more successful in avoiding pregnancy, both that end in abortion and end in birth," said David Landry,"

All this means is that teens are using more birth control these days.d

wing nuts can say " SEE, SEE, abstinence education works!!!!!" They make me sick!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/23/health/23TEEN.html

Also from the article:

Mr. Landry of the Guttmacher Institute disagreed about the major influences over the decrease.

"The abstinence-only movement," he said, "would like to take credit for what we're seeing. But this decline has been going on since the early 90's, long before their movement came into political force."

He and other people point to statistics that show that teenagers are having less sex and using contraception more effectively when they do. According to the C.D.C. Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the percentage of high school students who have ever had sexual intercourse dropped. Among girls, it fell to 43 percent in 2001 from 51 percent in 1991. For boys, it fell to 48 percent from 57 percent in the same period.

The survey found that use of condoms among high school students rose to 57 percent from 46 percent in those 10 years.

You would get the same results too.

According to the official wingnut/fundamentalist creed, Birth Control doesn't work.

They tell teenagers that birth control is a myth, that condoms don't prevent either pregnancy or disease.

The whole point of the program is to scare kids out of sex. They actually have posters they put up that say something like "Sex=Death."

No wonder these people grow up to be such miserable, hateful creatures.

I would say only about 10% of teenagers under 18 are emotionally mature enough to make a competant decision about sexual activity. Most aren't emotionally mature enough until somewhere between 18-20.

Just my opinion, no scientific study to back it up.

Teenagers under 18 are making decisions about sexual activity all the time, whether they are emotionally mature enough or not. The best way to handle it would be to help make them more emotionally mature, or at least give them enough information to make wise decisions. Because like it or not, they make those decisions on their own, and it's only a question of whether they have all the info they need when they make it.

Besides, if I came home pregnant, I'd be lying on the ground, outlined in chalk.

Right-wing values at work.

now I have something in common with a teenager.:evilfrown:

You don't want to risk having children in this cold, uncaring world of G.W. Bush's? I understand.

by districts that teach abstinence vs. full sex-ed. Then we'd have real numbers to determine the effectiveness of each program.

including carrying condoms, with parents consent. They can also get the morning-after pill from their doctors. Teen girls are having lots of sex with whomever and whenever they like. They are real hotties ala Britney.

Someone needs to explain birth control to "the adults" in charge.

Stupid editor?

I doubt fewer teenagers are having sex. Hopefully they are practicing safe sex & birth control. Todays teens are far more educated about sex and peer pressure to have sex is still going strong. Wouldn't be surprized if Bush takes credit for the falling abortion/teenage birthrate.

Wing nuts said that the example Clinton gave would make kids have more sex. I guess they weren't paying attention to Bill and Monica.

A decline in teen sex will be alarming news for Phyllis Schlaffly. Her whole shtick requires the wanton lust of others.

"Place Mrs. Schlaffly on a 24-hr suicide watch, please."

I've watched him hug his girl friends - he looks sorta like Frankenstein - I figure he's probably not having sex yet.