Wednesday, January 27, 2010

New at Allvoices: Teens and sex -- abstinence isn't working, so now what?

My latest piece for Allvoices.com went live today, off of yesterday's announcement that pregnancy and abortion rates for teensagers in the United States rose for the first time in a decade. Here's an excerpt:


The number of pregnant teenagers is on the rise in the U.S. for the first time in a decade, according to a report released yesterday. And researchers are blunt in laying blame: the Bush-era emphasis on abstinence-only education is behind the uptick. ...

While some teens are responsible and willing to weigh the risks of early sexual activity, plenty of others -- including many of those discussing "The Pregnancy Pact" online -- seem more focused on finding love by having a baby. Which begs the question: If you knew your child was sexually active, would you buy him or her birth control? Where do you draw the line between protecting your kids vs. facilitating their actions? [More]


Click through to read the entire article and related news.

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