Posted on 02/23/2008 5:17:56 AM PST by UFC Pride K1
New research, published by Child Trends in the journal Demography, confirms a long know fact that teens have a mixed track record with contraceptives. This research concludes that "Overall, teens do not use contraceptives consistently, which places them at risk of unintended pregnancy and STIs."
The research shows that across all relationships, 59% of teens always used contraceptives,17% sometimes used them, and 24% never used them.
This means that 41% of teens never or inconsistently used them, and research shows those with such a history were likely to continue in that pattern. This highlights the fact that overall, contraceptives can't solve the problems of adolescent pregnancy, child-bearing, abortion, and disease.
Despite this problem, contraceptive advocates keep pushing pills and condoms instead of pushing for a positive cultural change.
True, long term reductions in teen pregnancy, abortion, disease, and child-bearing are realized by decreases in the number of those who have ever engaged in sexual intercourse. Reliance on contraceptives - especially condoms - to solve these problems only sustains them in the long run.
Why do teens have such a poor track record with contraception? Child Trends' research identifies relationship types and characteristics of partners as factors in the consistency of contraceptive use.
The researchers found that communication about contraception among involved teens is associated with increased use, and that relationship type - casual or romantic - and partner differences - age, race/ethnicity, and social networks - may affect the ability to comfortably negotiate contraceptive use.
This may explain why some who consistently used contraception with one partner did not consistently use it, if at all, with another partner.
Not only the type, but the number of relationships is related to the consistency of contraceptive usage: 62% of teens who had just one sexual relationship used contraceptives consistently compared to 53% who had five or more such relationships.
The researchers suggest refining pregnancy prevention programs to account for relationship and partner differences. Unfortunately the authors do not even come close to suggesting that maybe contraceptive use among adolescents has been a bust, and that maybe abstinence is a better solution to the very problems they are trying to solve.
Ruben Obregon is the National Director of the Campaign for Healthy Choices.
When I taught HS it was amazing to me that anyone would suggest that a group of kids who couldn’t even be counted on to always get to school with their homework would remember to use contraceptives every time. Of course, we also know that pregnancy and diseases aren’t the only negative impact of teenagers having sex, especially multiple partner and even random sex.
susie
Because they're teens, duh.
Ya’ know, if you teach your kids to keep their pants on, this becomes a moot point.......
just sayin’..........
What do you call a woman who demands that her sex partner uses condoms?
Pregnant.
The whole idea of teen contraception is stupid.
To begin with, teenagers are *compelled* to want to mate, and like with dogs, even if they are terrified of punishment, this biological imperative will usually overcome their training.
This leaves only two alternatives: segregation and chaperoning.
But just dispel the idea, once and for all, that you can persuade a teenager to not want to copulate, or intellectually defuse hormones that are driving them half insane with lust.
If you have ever talked with someone who is truly insane, you understand the frustration of talking to them, and they *seem* to be getting it, but no communication is taking place. The lights are on, but nobody’s home. Most sane people find it to be truly aggravating that they just can’t control themselves.
So unless you segregate them or chaperone them: puppies.
<”kids who couldn’t even be counted on to always get to school with their homework”>
There’s a reason the auto insurance rates are astronomical for this age group.
They take risks.
Encouraging them to engage in ANY sex risks physical, emotional, and future reproductive health.
If we encourage and expect good behavior rather than the worst, I think most kids will at least wait.
The problem is that the people promoting teenage sexuality have an agenda. They don’t want to admit that some sexual practices have dire consequences. They want everyone to believe that if everyone would just have *safe sex* (ie use a condom) there would never be a bad consequence. I suspect they want to justify their own behavior, but that’s just a supposition on my part.
susie
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