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American Academy of Pediatrics Revises Policy on Teen Birth Control The AAP says teenagers need access to birth control and emergency contraception. The organization updates a 1998 policy by omitting the statement that “abstinence counseling is an important role for all pediatricians.” The new policy says that while doctors should encourage adolescents to postpone sexual activity, they also should help ensure that all teens – not just those who are sexually active – [have access to] birth control, including emergency contraception. Additional information - see the July issue of Pediatrics Clinical Report on Adolescent Pregnancy. ++++++++++ US Teenagers Think Oral Sex Isn’t Real Sex A study of nearly 600 young California teenagers indicates that, having been told to be abstinent and warned of dangers of sex such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, they have decided that oral sex is the safest choice. The study says teenagers see oral sex as a way of preserving their virginity while allowing intimacy and sexual pleasure. ++++++++++ Girls’ Film on Teen Pregnancy is Airing Nationally Four girls from Mission High School in Mission, Texas - deep in South Texas along the Mexican border - have made an award-winning 16 minute film promoting condom use that is being made available to public schools in Texas. It is a frank discussion about sexuality from a region in Texas where 37 of 1,000 girls get pregnant by age 17, the highest teen pregnancy rate in Texas, and among the highest in the nation. “Toothpaste,” a teen code word for condoms will be shown at film festivals and on Showtime too. “Toothpaste” features two teen girls’ decisions on whether to have sex with their boyfriends. ++++++++++ Question from a Reader School Nurses in the UK Warn About Teen Group Sex BBC News online warns that daisy-chaining, where acts are performed with multiple partners, is putting teenagers' health at risk. Daisy chaining involves groups of older teenagers going round to each other's homes and having sex in a similar way.
++++++++++ Oral Versus Vaginal Sex Among Adolescents: Perceptions, Attitudes and Behavior – Teenagers consider oral sex more acceptable than vaginal sex. They think it is less risky, more prevalent, and more acceptable. The American Academy of Pediatrics in this article urges that those who work with youths recognize their views and include screening, counseling, and education about oral sex in the preventive services Hispanic Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates: Looking Behind the Numbers This new Child Trends Research Brief reports that reductions in teen pregnancy and childbearing among Hispanic teens lag behind U.S. teens overall. Hispanics represent the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population, with a 40% growth rate from 1990 to 2000. Hispanic teens represent an important target group for pregnancy prevention programs. 8 page pdf file. ++++++++++ EMS Sex Ed Program Reduces Rural Pregnancy Rate In a rural Tennessee community Emergency Medical Services paramedics taught two sex ed classes and the number of teen pregnancies fell by more than half. Instructors teach on paid time, but not on ambulance response duty. Classes are offered as a two-week segment within the high school’s Home Ec department. Reality Check is a fact-based program that presents statistics and information on STDs, pregnancy, contraception, costs of raising a child, impact of early initiation of sexual activity, and emotional aspects of sexual relationships. The program is complimented by robot babies (Baby Think It Over) students take home for one overnight or a weekend. The cost to the community is about $5,000 annually. ++++++++++ RAND Report on Sexually Active Teens and Sex on Television The average American teenager watches three hours of television a day. Typical teen fare contains heavy doses of sexual content. A recently released report from RAND finds that:  | Teens who watch a lot of television with sexual content are more likely to initiate intercourse in the following year. | | Television in which characters talk about sex affects teens just as much as television that actually shows sexual activity. | | TV shows that portray the risks of sex can help educate teens. |
+++++++++ U.S. Study Finds More Teens Delay Having Sex American teenagers are waiting longer before engaging in sexual intercourse, and an overwhelming majority of those who are sexually active report using contraception, according to the National Survey of Family Growth, a government survey begun in 1973 and considered one of the most authoritative sources of information on adolescents. Some survey results: | For the first time, more girls (47%) say they had had sex than boys (46%). | | Girls also report a high rate of contraceptive use (83%). | | In many cases teens are using two types of contraceptives, such as the pill and a condom, to reduce the likelihood of pregnancy and of getting a sexually transmitted disease. | | Between 1991 and 2001 the teen birth rate in the U.S. fell from 62 per 1,000 American girls ages 15 to 19 to 43 per 1,000. However, the U.S. teen birth rates remain among the highest in the developed world. Canada’s teen birth rate in 2002 was 20, per 1,000 and in France it was 8 per 1,000. | | Nearly 10% of young girls described their first sexual encounter as “non-voluntary.” |
More objective observers consider the trend to be the result of both abstinence education and instruction on safe sex. Understanding Teenage Mothering: Conventional and Unconventional Wisdom The U.S. teen birthrate, while declining since the early 1990s, remains the highest among western industrialized countries. This anomaly is especially striking since teens in other industrialized countries initiate sexual activity as comparable (or later) ages and have similar rates of abortion. Poverty, social norms, and policies related to teenage sexuality differ markedly. The author of this article advocates for resources to validate the strengths of teen mothers rather than stigmatizing them. ++++++++++ Congressman Waxman Finds Fault with Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Education Programs Rep. Henry A. Waxman of California has issued a report that criticizes federally funded abstinence programs for teaching “false, misleading or distorted information.” Waxman’s staff reviewed 13 of the most commonly used curricula, and found that only two were completely accurate. The report delineates the false or misleading statements contained in the curricula and provides scientifically accurate rebuttals. ++++++++++ Not Yet: Programs to Delay First Sex Among Teens This major report, 92 pages in length, provides detailed descriptions of programs that have been shown through careful research to have delayed sexual initiation for teens. Its contents include practical information on the costs and availability of program curriculum, and lengthy descriptions of what is covered in each curriculum. A section of the Introduction chapter titled “What the Research Shows” includes this information: | Teens who begin having sexual intercourse at younger ages are more likely to express regret about their first sexual experience than are older teens. | | Teens who have sex in their early teens have more sexual partners, are less likely to use contraception, and are more likely to get pregnant. | | Teens who first have sex at an early age are more likely to have older partners. | | Girls and white teens (both boys and girls) are more likely to delay first sex. | | Teens in families with higher education and income levels are more likely to postpone sexual intercourse. | | Higher quality parent-teen relationships help delay sexual initiation. | | Attitudes about sex and peer norms affect timing of first sex. | | Having a steady, romantic relationship is associated with an earlier age of sexual initiation. |
The report is a product of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 92 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Virginia’s Campaign Against Sex With Underage Girls The billboards will say “Isn’t she a little young? Sex with a minor. Don’t go there.” in pink and white lettering against a black background. Health officials hope their program will reduce the number of pregnancies that result from sexual relationships between young girls and adult men. The officials became alarmed when they reviewed state studies showing that in 1999 and 2000, 219 babies born to 13- and 14-year-old girls were fathered by men over age 18. They also cited national statistics that show men older than 21 are three times as likely to father children with junior high school girls as are junior high school boys. ++++++++++ Teen Sexuality These three articles are from the New York Times. NYT articles are available to read online for one week, after that they are available for a fee. Study Finds That Teenage Virginity Pledges Are Rarely Kept While pledges among teenagers not to have sex before marriage didn’t last through marriage, they did tend to delay the start of sexual intercourse by 18 months. | Researchers studied 12,000 teenagers in a federal study. 88% of those who pledged chastity reported having had sexual intercourse before they married. | | The researchers also tested the participants for three common sexually transmitted infections – Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis – and found the rates were almost identical for the teenagers who took pledges and those who did not. | | The teens who had taken pledges were less likely to know they had an infection. Lack of condom use was an important factor in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases among the pledgers. 40% of them reported having used condoms in the most recent year of the study, compared with 60% of the teenagers who had not pledged. |
The new findings are part of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. A Struggle Over Sex and Goals Tabitha travels two hours to her honors program from a homeless shelter in Queens . She is a senior in a college preparatory program at a high school in the Bronx and lives in a homeless shelter with her mother and four siblings. Her grades are falling in spite of her guts and ambition, but she hasn’t given up. Behind Fall in Pregnancy, a New Teenage Culture of Restraint The teenage pregnancy rate in American has fallen steadily for a decade with little fanfare, to below any level preciously recorded in the United States . Though pregnancy prevention efforts have long focused almost exclusively on girls, it is boys whose behavior shows the most startling changes. | More than half of all male high school students reported in 2001 that they were virgins, up from 39% in 1990. | | Condom use has soared to 65%, and nearly to 73% among black male students. |
This feature article looks at kids in a high school in the Bronx and follows them through the complexity of love and relationships in a topsy-turvy world. ++++++++++ 15-to-24-year-olds Account for 48% of New Cases of STDs A study released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention breaks out specific information about STDs among young people for the first time. Of the 18.9 million STD infections in 2000, 9.1 million were found in young people and their collective medical costs for the infections added up to $6.5 billion over a lifetime of treatment. A separate report from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill analyzes the CDC’s findings and makes recommendations for curbing STD infections in young people. Recommendations from that report include frank discussions between parents and children; specific explanations about how to use condoms; and more widespread screening for STDs. ++++++++++ Teen Abortion Rate Down by a Third Since 1990 A new entry from the Child Trends Databank say that the abortion rate among teens ages 15 to 17 has declined by more than a third since 1990, from 26.5 abortions per 1,000 teens in 1990 to 15.2 abortions per 1,000 teens in 1999. ++++++++++ Teen Pregnancy – Facts at a Glance Child Trends has just released its 2003 analysis of teen childbearing and related issues. Teen birth rates have declined continuously since 1991 and are at historic lows for each age group among teens. There remain, however, causes for concern: | The number of births to teens has not declined as much as the rate, due to the increasing number of teens in the population. | | An estimated 18% of current 15-year-old girls will have a birth before age 20. | | About 1 in 5 teen births are repeat births in the U.S. | | Nationally, 80% of all teen births occur outside of marriage. | | Hispanic teens continue to have higher teen birth rates (down 17% since 1991) than non-Hispanic blacks (down 38% since 1991) or non-Hispanic whites (down 30% since 1991). |
++++++++++ 20% of Teens 12-14 Are Sexually Active A new report, an analysis of seven studies conducted in the late 1990s, offers a comprehensive look at the sexual activities of 12- to 14-year-olds. Some interesting data from the report: | While the proportion of unmarried teen girls 15-19 who have had sexual intercourse decreased between 1988 and 1995, the proportion of unmarried teen girls who have had sexual intercourse at 14 and younger increased appreciably during the same time period. | | A recent national survey found that the younger a girl was the first time she had sex, the more likely it was to have been unwanted. |
The report found that young teenagers have ample opportunity to have sex: NPR (National Public Radio) ran a three-day series of reports (May 20-21-22) about this new report. The series includes candid interviews with young teens. Click here to hear the NPR interviews. On the NPR page you will find links to all three days of the series and a link to a 27-page summary of the report, 14 and Younger: The Sexual Behavior of Young Adolescents. ++++++++++ Teen Sexuality The Alan Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization that studies teen sexuality and related subject matter. Here are links to two of their recent fact sheets: And, a research report: ++++++++++ Health/Teen Pregnancy publications – At the Annie Casey Foundation, two short bulletins on children’s mental health to look at plus several teen pregnancy documents. Free. Order online. ++++++++++ Baby Think It Over The Baby Think It Over infant simulator and program gives people the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about parenting. It is intended to show that: The Baby Think It Over infant simulator and program gives people the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about parenting. It is intended to show that: | Infants require a great deal of time and attention. | | Infants’ demands are unpredictable but must be met promptly. | | Parenting responsibilities impact one’s lifestyle profoundly. |
An ID is attached to a teen’s wrist with a tamperproof wristband. When Baby cries, it is the teen’s responsibility to determine and provide the type of care Baby needs: feeding, rocking, burping, or diapering. Sometimes Baby is fussy and cannot be quieted by the teen. Electronics in the Baby’s back monitor the quality of care Baby receives. Baby reports the number of times each type of care was provided, as well as wrong positioning, rough handling, Shaken Baby Syndrome, and more. More information available at the BTIO (Baby Think It Over) web site. ++++++++++ Preventing Teenage Pregnancy, Childbearing, and Sexually Transmitted Diseases: What the Research Shows This is the first in a series of seven research briefs to be published by Child Trends. This, the first of the series, research brief reviews studies on adolescent reproductive health, pregnancy, and birth. The American Teens Series will “translate” key research and evaluation studies on youth development and programs and interventions to support young people. Each research brief will be accompanied by What Works Tables summarizing key findings for the reader. I’ll bring each to your attention as they’re published, about every four weeks. Read/download the brief (8 pages) Read/download the What Works Table (Follow the Youth Development link. 2 pages) ++++++++++ U.S. youth have similar levels of sexual activity but higher levels of childbearing than teenagers in other developed countries The Alan Guttmacher Institute’s new report, Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behavior in Developed Countries: Can More Progress Be Made?, suggests that the United States could learn from the experiences of Canada, Great Britain, France and Sweden. Among the key findings: U.S. teenage birthrates have decreased more slowly and remained higher than those of other developed countries. Differences in sexual activity and the age at which teenagers become sexually active do not account for the wide variation between study countries in pregnancy and STD rates. Across socioeconomic levels, U.S. teenagers are the most likely to have a child by age 20. Being accepting of teenage sexual relationships and having clear expectations about responsible behavior are linked to low levels of teenage pregnancy and STDs. Easy access to contraceptive and reproductive health services contributes to better contraceptive use and lower teenage pregnancy rates. Strong public support for helping youth to become responsible adults provides incentives to delay childbearing.
The Executive Summary of the report is 6 pages with charts and other information and is downloadable. ++++++++++ U. S. Teen Birth Rate Falls to a Record Low In 2000, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), the U.S. teen birth rate declined to a record low. The report showed that the 2000 rate for teen births was 22 percent lower than the rate in 1991 when the decline began. In contrast, estimated births for all ages in 2000 in the U.S. are three percent more than in 1999 and the highest in almost a decade. Some details from the report: | The birth rate for young teenagers (ages 15-17) has shown the greatest decline, down 29 percent from 1991 to 2000. | | Rates have declined most for black teenagers - 31 percent. | | Rates have declined the least for Hispanic teens - 12 percent. |
CDC studies show that several factors have contributed to the decline in the teen birth rate. | Sexual activity for teens has leveled off, reversing steady increases over the past two decades. | | Among teens who are sexually active, more are using contraception. | | Awareness of HIV/AIDS. | | increased abstinence. | | and the economic boom of the 1990s. |
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