Teens not getting knocked up as much due to birth control, not not giving it up

[SamTheEagle]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The dramatic declines in teenage pregnancy rates noted in the United States between 1995 and 2002 were largely due to improved contraceptive use, not to abstinence, a new study shows.

"The current emphasis of U.S. domestic and global policies, which stress abstinence-only sex education to the exclusion of accurate information on contraception, is misguided," warn doctors in a report just released online by the American Journal of Public Health.

Dr. John S. Santelli from Columbia University, New York, and colleagues examined the relative contribution of declining sexual activity and improved contraceptive use to the recent decline in pregnancy rates among U.S. women between the ages of 15 to 19 years. The data were derived from interviews with nearly 1400 women in 1995 and 1150 in 2002.

The investigators estimate that the likelihood of pregnancy in this age group declined 34 percent between 1995 and 2002, and that 86 percent of the decline in pregnancy risk was attributable to improved use of contraception. Reduced sexual activity explained only 14 percent of the decline in teen pregnancy.

Among younger teens 15 to 17 years old, increased contraceptive use was responsible for 77 percent of the pregnancy risk decline while decreased sexual activity was responsible for 23 percent of the decline.

Among 18 to 19-year-olds, the decline in pregnancy risk was entirely due to improved contraceptive use, which includes increases in the use of birth control pills, condoms, or both.

"These data suggest that the U.S. appears to be following patterns seen in other developed countries where increased availability and increased use of modern contraceptives have been primarily responsible for declines in teenage pregnancy rates," Santelli and colleagues write.

"Our findings," they conclude, "raise questions about current U.S. government policies that promote abstinence from sexual activity as the primary strategy to prevent adolescent pregnancy."

:The Wonder Years:

[SirVLCIV]

Abstinence is great as a privately pursued policy. I don't think government strategies should include it.

[The President]

Originally Posted by SirVLCIV

Abstinence is great as a privately pursued policy. I don't think government strategies should include it.

I am fine with it presented as an option, but it shouldn't be the only one.

[SamTheEagle]

Originally Posted by The President

I am fine with it presented as an option, but it shouldn't be the only one.

Agreed. Though I would take it further and say that (if the government is going to be in the business of teaching about sex/discouraging teen pregnancy) abstinence should be encouraged over sex with birth control.

[yankeetripper]

Originally Posted by SamTheEagle

Agreed. Though I would take it further and say that (if the government is going to be in the business of teaching about sex/discouraging teen pregnancy) abstinence should be encouraged over sex with birth control.

Even I agree that abstinence should be taught as the #1 fool proof way to avoid both unwanted preganacy and sexually transmitted disease. The problem I have is ignoring the reality that teens do in fact have sex even if they are told not to. I think teens should be taught about other forms of birth control as a means of reducing unwanted pregancies.

The #1 way to reduce the rate of abortions is not to make them illegal, but to reduce the rate of unwanted pregancies and there is nothing more effective IMO in doing that then making contacpetion readily available and easy to obtain and understood by teens.

Originally Posted by SamTheEagle

Agreed. Though I would take it further and say that (if the government is going to be in the business of teaching about sex/discouraging teen pregnancy) abstinence should be encouraged over sex with birth control.

I must be getting all fuddy-duddy and conservative in my old age. I find myself agreeing with the conservatives. If my kids get sex-ed at school, I hope they are both taught about the advantages of abstinence (especially for kids) and also about the importance of prophylactics if they decide to get it on.

Actually, my kids (who are teens) get their primary sex-ed at home, but a little support from the schools would be okay.

[Dr T Non-Fan]

Originally Posted by Lucy

Actually, my kids (who are teens) get their primary sex-ed at home,...

Cinemax?

[Griffin 1]

Originally Posted by SirVLCIV

Abstinence is great as a privately pursued policy. I don't think government strategies should include it.

Why not?

[ShebaPoe]

Awesome thread title, Sam.

[SamTheEagle]

Originally Posted by MattTheSkywalker

Awesome thread title, Sam.

Thanks!