One in five US adolescents has sex before turning 15

Taipei Times ^ | 5.21.03

[MineralMan]

"At 14 I was more interested in sports and my various friends. Dating was out of the question - my parents wouldn't let me date until well after 16 years of age, and even then it was well supervised."

There ya go. If you weren't allowed to date, there wouldn't have been much chance you'd have sex, then. Most parents do allow their kids to start dating at about 14. High school, you know. Dances after the games, and that sort of thing.

[MineralMan]

"If my math is correct, this works out to 1.4% of all girls getting pregnant when they are 14. One never knows, but that seems pretty darn high."

Not really. My freshman class in high school, in 1959-60, had 106 members. Two girls in my class got pregnant in their freshman year and left town for a while. That doesn't count the ones who had abortions. While abortion was illegal back then, there was one doctor in town who did them, quite openly. We all knew about him. By the time four years of high school had gone by, at least 6 other girls got pregnant and had kids. Again, that doesn't count the ones who were pregnant but terminated.

Nothing has changed.

[lone star annie]

Responsible interaction with chaperones is fine. I read a study where most teen pregnancies happen between the time they get out of school in the afternoon and when the mother comes home from work.

[Timesink]

More like "one in five US adolescents CLAIMS to have had sex before turning 15." It's cool to say you have, and humiliating to admit you haven't. Those are very, very strong cultural biases to overcome, and they won't be overcome just by telling the students that "nobody's going to be able to tell you're the one that filled out this form."

[grasshopper2]

The data in the report comes from three federally financed surveys of young people and four smaller data sets.

I am struck by the fact that it's permissible to even conduct these surveys on minors. I do not want my children to get these kinds of questions. Is it right for the state to ask young children : "have you ever had sex?"

[valkyrieanne]

No, both the birth rate and the abortion rate is down. Less pregnancy=less sex not more birth control. Teens aren't very good at using birth control consistently or correctly.

I don't think this is the case. From what I read, the groups that have had the biggest declines in teenage pregnancy are black teenage girls. Their decline is *not* due to abstinence. It's a result of the use of Norplant implants and/or Depo Provera shots. They don't experience "contraceptive failures" because they don't have to do anything but stick out their arms in the clinic.

[MineralMan]

"I am struck by the fact that it's permissible to even conduct these surveys on minors. I do not want my children to get these kinds of questions. Is it right for the state to ask young children : "have you ever had sex?"

No doubt the survey was on paper and anonymous. I have no problem with such surveys. We need the information.

[Valpal1]

I guess you'd have to compare the Norplant/Depro usage rates in teens to see if it can account for the drop.

I have seen many studies/articles stating that abstinence education and revival of traditional mores claims responsibility for the drop.

It would be nice to have a definitive answer.

[P.O.E.]

Shouldn't that read 2 in 10?

Not necessarily. There are "serial fornicators", who may sleep with several of the opposite sex.

[astounded]

I must say, that Clinton sure has been busy!!!LOL.

[Jaded]

There are certain groups of kids that are more likely to engage in sexual activity at younger ages.

My teenager doesn't and she doesn't feel a great deal of sypmathy for other teens who do, particularly those who get pregnant and wear it as a badge. She and many of her friends understand that being sexually active has consequences and that the consequences are pregnancy and STDs. They also understand that the way to avoid the consequences is to avoid the activity.

I guess, I can repeat your schpeil to her and tell her she is out of touch. Thanks for the advice. /so

[mel]

I disagree, Hollyweird has their liberal agenda which they are pushing on the public constantly, if all they are offering are movies, TV shows about sex, homosexuality, etc, what is left? Politics is a big motivator in Hollyweird.

[optik_b]

"I disagree, Hollyweird has their liberal agenda which they are pushing on the public constantly, if all they are offering are movies, TV shows about sex, homosexuality, etc, what is left? Politics is a big motivator in Hollyweird."

True many in Hollywood are left leaning, but Hollywood is also obsessed with making money and often times takes the easy way to market things and uses sex as a marketing tool, just like madison avenue does in thousands of beer ads and millions of other products. I'm not sure if you're connection makes sense anyways since I've never seen Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins or any of those famous lefties pushes this "teenage sex agenda" you seem to think they are. Let me get this straight you blame Hollywood lefties for every been ad since 1985 having scantily clad women?

I don't think you'd see this much marketing using sexual imagery in music videos, commercials and everywhere else unless they felt it was going to sell products.

[eno_]

Some people here have highly selective memories. I was a completely normal boy at 14, and I was having sex because I convinced a girl it was a good idea. Around age 13 my body comandeered my brain and all the cleverness that previously went into a near-master level chess rating was diverted to getting girls into bed.

[mel]

Then why is there a dearth of movies that are family oriented that repeatedly make money in lieu of R-rated movies that have a more limited audience. Hollyweird definitely has a political agenda.

[mel]

Did I say that I blame Hollywood for every ad since 1985 having scantily women?

[MineralMan]

"Some people here have highly selective memories. I was a completely normal boy at 14, and I was having sex because I convinced a girl it was a good idea. Around age 13 my body comandeered my brain and all the cleverness that previously went into a near-master level chess rating was diverted to getting girls into bed."

Either bad memories or the "do as I say, not as I did" attitude.

[optik_b]

"I guess, I can repeat your schpeil to her and tell her she is out of touch. Thanks for the advice."

When did I ever tell you that your daughter is out of touch? You stated that the only teenagers having sex are in your words:

1)Welfare trash
2)Idiots/Liberals

If your daughter goes to school with welfare trash maybe you should consider changing schools. Get a better job so you can afford to send her to private schools. I plan to send my kids to private schools as I was educated in private schools and this enviroment is better than a public school enviroment IMO.

[optik_b]

"Then why is there a dearth of movies that are family oriented that repeatedly make money in lieu of R-rated movies that have a more limited audience. Hollyweird definitely has a political agenda. "

Same reason there is 21 sequels this summer and the writing in movies is abysmal and many of the movies are remakes of stories written in the 1930s and 40s. They take the easy way out and instead of being creative and hiring good writers who come up with compellling family movies like all the great films of the past like Sound of Music and Pollyanna, we end up with Blade 2 and Freddy vs. Jason.

[ido_now]

Only 4 in 5 were alone