LatinaLista — The teen birth rate in the United States increased 1% in 2007, according to data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). This is the second year in a row that the teen birth rate has increased. The increase follows 14 years of continuous decline in the teen birth rate. That is, after declining 34% between 1991 and 2005, the teen birth rate has now increased 5% between 2005 and 2007.
All the more reason that this disturbing news supports the national trend (as discussed on Latina Lista’s PalabraFinal entry) that more states need to pass bills requiring medically accurate sex education in schools.
If more students are to finish high school, go to college or vocational school and contribute to society in a meaningful way, then it should be acknowledged that most young people are only human and will bow to peer pressure and hormones in having sex at a young age.
The attitude that young people must pay for their “mistake” for the rest of their lives with an unwanted pregnancy is “old school” — especially when there are methods available to prevent such “mistakes” from happening in the first place, if only the young people were given the option of learning about them.
Comment(1)
Rolando Rivas
Conventional wisdom would say that every teen is destined to act on peer pressure and hormonal activity — our society, our media, our culture, our movies, our TV all encourage it. And according to many the only fix is to provide more provactive education at an earlier age and condoms. However if a mother and father take the responsibility of forming their child’s understanding of sex around the concept of family and God — rather than a mechanical and hormonal activity — our children would treat sex with the respect and responsibility it deserves. It’s God’s invitation to join him in his creative process and his love. If the parent must shield their children from society’s ills so be it. I also must comment on “unwanted pregnancy” — no pregnancy should ever be deemed unwanted. Every child should be wanted, desipte the circumstance of his or her creation. No child is a mistake in the eyes of God. The innocent child is God’s creation and ought to be loved. If a teenager is unable to provide for the child adoption is always an option. If paying for the mistake = having the baby and old school = as old the Bible and as life itself. I’ll have to agree that yes having the baby is certainly old school — and the right school.