Teen Pregnancy: bogus problem, bogus solution

The following is a blog by Robert Rector, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation. The blog was featured on National Review Online on Wednesday Jan 27, 2009.

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Teen Pregnancy: Bogus Problem, Bogus Solution

The Guttmacher Institute recently released a report raising alarm over a one-year increase in teen pregnancy. “Safe sex” experts quickly pinned the blame on abstinence education.

This is a bit hypocritical. In the decade after the federal government began its meager funding of abstinence education, teen pregnancy fell steadily. Safe-sex experts never linked that decline to abstinence education. But when the news went bad, they swiftly identified abstinence programs as the culprit.

But did teen pregnancy actually rise in 2006, as Guttmacher claims? It depends on what you mean by “teen.” For most people, “teen pregnancy” implies pregnancy among high-schoolers, girls under age 18. According to Guttmacher’s own data, the pregnancy rate for 15- to 17-year-old girls barely changed, and the rate for girls 14 and under (the group most affected by abstinence programs) actually dropped.

By contrast, the pregnancy and birth rates for young adult women aged 18 and 19 rose sharply.

The rise in pregnancies and births in this age range is part of a much larger story: the collapse of marriage and explosive growth of out-of-wedlock births in lower income communities.

Between 1997 and 2007, the percentage of births outside of marriage rose from 32.4 percent to 39.7 percent of all births in the U.S. Very few of these non-marital births occurred to minor girls; most were to less-educated young adult women aged 18 to 26. Since non-married moms are less likely to postpone childbearing than those who patiently wait for marriage, it should be no surprise that the ongoing collapse of marriage in low-income communities would lead to a bump in the birth rate among 18- and 19-year-olds.

In the grand scheme of things, the issue of “teen” pregnancy is dwarfed by its much larger cousin, the disintegration of marriage. Marital collapse is a catastrophe for taxpayers and society; the welfare costs alone exceed $250 billion per year. As noted, little of this problem results from teenagers getting pregnant in high school. Of the 1.7 million children born out of wedlock in 2007 only 136,000 (or 7 percent) had mothers under age 18.

“Teen pregnancy” is largely a red herring, hyped by the Left because it supports their agenda of condom promotion and permissive sex ed in the schools. Of course, condom proselytizing is a bogus answer to real social problems. Contrary to conventional wisdom, lack of access to birth control is not a significant factor contributing to non-marital pregnancy among teens or non-teens.

Harvard sociologist Kathryn Edin recently conducted a survey of lower income men and women who had experienced (or, in the case of men, caused) one or more non-marital pregnancies. The survey asked whether the individuals had, ever in their lives, been in a situation where they wanted to use birth control, but could not afford it or could not obtain it. All answered no.

Many laughed at the suggestion that their pregnancies had been caused by a lack of access to contraceptives, noting that contraceptives are abundant and aggressively promoted by schools and clinics in their communities. Of all the non-marital pregnancies reported in the study, not one was caused by lack of availability of contraceptives.

The explosive rise in out-of-wedlock births is due not to a lack of contraceptives, but to a crisis in the relationships of young adult men and women in lower income communities. Couples no longer see the need to be married before having children, and they lack the skills to form stable relationships. Ironically, young non-married parents yearn for eventual stable marriages and healthy families, but they utterly lack the skills and understanding to fulfill their aspirations.

Another irony: One of the greatest sins of abstinence-education programs (in the Left’s view) has been their effort to teach low-income youth that it is best to marry before having children. This affront to political correctness has outraged the Left and has been a principal motivator behind the drive to remove abstinence education from the classroom.

Next year we can expect the out-of-wedlock childbearing rate to top 40 percent. A chilling number, but one which won’t affect the Left’s campaign to promote bogus issues and bogus solutions.

— Robert Rector is a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

It Starts with You!

What if you could change a person's day? All it takes is a minute of your time...and a little creativity.

That's the thought behind Operation Beautiful. A website which initiated a movement which seeks to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL.

Here's a few of the most recent postings:

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Here’s a message from a DAD! Michael wrote, “I’m the father of a beautiful soon-to-be 17 year old daughter, and my wife and I wanted to say thank-you to Operation Beautiful. She asked me to help solve a problem with her laptop and her desktop wallpaper was a picture she took of multiple post-it notes with OperationBeautiful.com phrases. When asked, she shared that she always has some with her and puts them in bathrooms and other girl places (fitting rooms, etc.) whenever she gets the chance. She recently rented Step-Up and took a picture before sending back to Blockbuster. I hope it makes it to the next renter!”

Alexis wrote, “When I found out about Operation Beautiful, I cried. I’ve been struggling with my own self confidence and an eating disorder. When I found out about what everyone was doing it made me so happy. After visiting the site I decided to post up a few myself because I know a lot of girl in my school that are going through the same thing . I posted a bunch in my school bathrooms and they stay up usually for the day.”

So check it out and start leaving some of your own notes...whether it's for your wife, daughter, coworkers, friends, or a random stranger. Be the difference in their day!

Not Buying into The Proposal

Last night my husband and I watch the Proposal. As the movie began you see Sandra Bullock dressed in an all black suit playing the role of Margaret, a “witch” like manager of a publishing firm running a strict shift among her employees. Enter Andrew, played by Ryan Reynolds, as the overworked yet ambitious assistant.

The plot thickens when Margaret learns of her near deportation to Canada due to an expired Visa. Grasping for a way out of her predicament, Margaret decides to blackmail Andrew into marrying her, thus saving her career – and as she tells Andrew – his as well.

The twist comes when Andrew has to take Margaret along with him to his hometown in Alaska to celebrate his grandmother’s 90th birthday. The pseudo-couple are under pressure to prove the genuineness of the relationship or else be accused of committing fraud.

The parts of the movie which astound me are the sly messages about sex woven throughout the movie.

For instance, when the couple arrives at Andrew’s parents’ home they are led into a bedroom with one big bed. Margaret notes the bed and asks, “So where is Andrew’s room?” To which his parents rely something to the effect of, “We aren’t so silly as to assume that you both aren’t already sleeping together.”

Talk about setting high standards for your only son and his supposed fiancé! And not only does this send the message that sleeping together before marriage is expected, but it also communicates that parents should be supportive of this arrangement!

Later Margaret is resting on the bed, while Andrew is on the floor. She begins to share more intimate details of her life, revealing her softer side despite all her attempts to prove her hard headed, independent feminism. She shares about her parents’ death, details of her tattoo, memories of her first concert, and (of course Hollywood!) – the length of time since she has last been with a man sexually – 1 ½ years.

Andrew silently listens and when Margaret finishes he admits he is “Processing.” Then he bursts out, “You haven’t had sex for 18 months!”

As if a person becomes less of a person if they have had periods of abstinence in their life!

When speaking with youth we ask the question – is sex a need or a desire for an individual? With the need to reproduce and continue the human race aside, sex is not a need. I joke around and ask the students, “If I walk around the Erie cemetery, would I see a tombstone that said ‘Here lays Joe Smith. He died because he didn’t get any.” To which the students chuckle and realize the lie that they have become to believe.

The lie seen in virtually every movie, television show, music lyric, magazine cover, internet site, and product ad.

Teens begin to believe that they must have sex in order to prove something. Prove they are a real man or woman, prove that they are cool, or even…sadly…that they can get attention and love (or so they think).

You see, that’s the problem in Hollywood. Too may people have confused not only sex as a need instead of a desire, but also confused sex with love.

They take something that is an emotional need for all of us – love – and twist it so that we believe that sex equals love. Even beyond that, they equate lust with love!

So parents, think critically about the movies you watch and discuss the underlying messages with your teens. And teens don’t be conned! Learn to decipher the lies from the truth.

(The use of the Proposal is for discussion only and I am in no way recommending or supporting the film.)

Waffle Wedded Wife

One of the biggest moments of this couple’s life has turned into a Youtube sensation! Whether he is concentrating on his last “single” breakfast, or just has a simple case of a twisted tongue, the groom slips up during the vows causing his wife to go into a laughing frenzy.

Regardless of one’s position on faith, it’s always in your best interest to make smart choices regarding sexual activity in order to work towards the healthiest future possible for you.

Check out this couple as they describe how they successfully waited till marriage to engage sexually with one another!

Check out the video here!

(Blog taken from Project Yes You Can!)

Overcoming the Winter Blues

Stuck inside for days, watching the snow pile higher and higher? If so, you may be looking for new ways to brighten up your day and overcome the winter blues.

Here are a few tips to either keep your kids active or cheap date ideas for you and your special someone. Enjoy!

1. Have a Bahama vacation - in your living room! Require everyone to wear summer clothing and to sit on beach blankets on the floor. Play limbo and serve hawaiian chicken


2. Embrace the snow - build an Igloo! Gather your snow shovels and gardening tools and hit the outdoors. Pile the snow and create a new hangout. Complete the deal with blankets and pillows.


3. Take a trip - a coin flip trip! Get in the car and hit the road. All you need is a coin and a road map. The instructions are easy: each time you come to a stop, flip a coin to decide which way to turn. Heads you turn left, tails you turn right. Use the map to help you get home!


4. Dress to impress - at Salvation Army! Give each person $5 to use to buy one article of clothing for another secret person in the party. Shop until you find the most hideous outfits you can find. When you arrive home, present the outfit to the secret person. Then make everyone wear their new look to dinner and enjoy the laughs!


5. Eat around the world - in your hometown! Make a goal to each at a new restaurant from a different culture each month. From Indian, to Japanese, to Middle Eastern, there are plenty of new tastes to try.

Once you try one or two from the list, let us know how it goes. Leave us a comment!

Parents for Truth

Are you an involved parent, concerned for your child or teen, and hoping to give them the best future possible? If so, you are not alone. Many parents like you desire to give their children a better life.

However, when it comes to talking to teens about love, sex, and relationships, some parents don't know what to say. Some feel like hypocrates when giving advice they didn't take growing up.

But what those parents don't know is that wisedom is learning from your mistakes, hypocracy is only if you continue to make those same poor choices yourself.

We often hear concern from parents over what teens may be receiving in sex ed class. Other parents want to know how to start the conversation about sex. While other parents want to ensure teens hear about abstinence and don't know what to say.

If that's you, we've got the perfect resource! http://www.parentsfortruth.org/

This website has a very informative video, resources, links and groups to join. Don't miss out on this wonderful resource so that a parent like you can be fully informed.

Parents matter!

Happy Holidays!

As the end of 2009 rapidly approaches, the WC2ed would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Use this holiday break to connect with your family in new and deeper ways. After all, the best things in life aren't things!



We would also encourage you to continue reading our blog in 2010 and sharing it with your friends as well. We hope to keep you up-to-date on topics relevant to teens and healthy relationships.

However, in 2010 we don't want to blog topics to just come from us, but to also have some ideas on what you want to hear about as well. So we'd like to offer you a chance to throw out some ideas in the comment section. We welcome questions, advice or just something you've heard about in the news that you'd like to know more about. We gladly welcome the interaction!

With that, take care and God bless! We will connect with you next year!

What Happens at Fifteen?

I am always amazed at the shear invincibility that teenagers believe themselves to possess. But who can blame them? They are full of life and each new experience gives them a jolt of dopamine and endorphins, flooding their brains with that unique “high” sensation.

With time and through observing the mistakes of others however, wisdom comes. Everyone one of us would want to spare teens – whether it is your own child, a relative, or a neighbor – from painful consequences and the shocking reality of their vulnerable humanity.

This morning I was reminded of a song written by a young adult as she looks back on life as a teenager. It’s a warning to teenage girls especially to be aware of the choices they make during high school.

Choices like naively thinking they will marry the boy who says he loves her. Choices like giving everything to a boy so she can feel wanted. Choices like getting caught up in the fleeting drama of high school without figuring out who you are and who you want to be.

The song is Fifteen, by Taylor Swift.

(You can read the lyrics and watch the video below.)

Fifteen

You take a deep breath and you walk through the doors

It's the morning of your very first day

And you say hi to your friends you ain't seen in a while

Try and stay out of everybody's way

It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here

For the next four years in this town

Hoping one of those senior boys will wink at you and say

"You know, I haven't seen you around before"

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you

You're gonna believe them

And when you're fifteen feeling like there's nothing to figure out

Well, count to ten, take it in

This is life before you know who you're gonna be

Fifteen

You sit in class next to a redhead named Abigail

And soon enough you're best friends

Laughing at the other girls who think they're so cool

We'll be outta here as soon as we can

And then you're on your very first date and he's got a car

And you're feeling like flying

And you're momma's waiting up and you're thinking he's the one

And you're dancing 'round your room when the night ends

When the night ends

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you

You're gonna believe them

When you're fifteen and your first kiss

Makes your head spin 'round

But in your life you'll do things greater than

Dating the boy on the football team

But I didn't know it at fifteen

When all you wanted was to be wanted

Wish you could go back and tell yourself what you know now

Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday

But I realized some bigger dreams of mine

And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy

Who changed his mind and we both cried

'Cause when you're fifteen and somebody tells you they love you

You're gonna believe them

And when you're fifteen, don't forget to look before you fall

I've found time can heal most anything

And you just might find who you're supposed to be

I didn't know who I was supposed to be at fifteen

Your very first day

Take a deep breath girl

Take a deep breath as you walk through the doors

When a floor is more...

Came across this blog entry on the Rated G Romance website. Thought it was so adorable I just had to share!

When a floor is more…

It was our 26th anniversary on May 14th and we spent the better part of the day upgrading our kitchen floor. We installed the new vinyl plank flooring I bought the Mrs. as a present.

Tres romantic, n’est pas? Normally, no. Household upgrades are not romantic for most couples. However, for us it was.

Why? “Quality” time is my lovely’s number one love language. And what did we do? We spent an entire day together talking and working toward a common goal.

Let me spin the story another way to show you what I mean…

I took an unpaid leave day so that we could spend our special day together. We woke slowly, playing the “I love you because” game and snuggling. After a romantic breakfast (she made me my favorite ), we cleaned up and went out to one of her favorite stores. I bought her a little something she’d been wanting for months. The afternoon was full of music and talk of goals and rememberings. At dinner, she took me to a restaurant that I had always wanted to visit. The sun sparkling on the water of the inlet outside our window matched the sparkle in my sweeties eyes.

We finished our meal, went for a walk on the boardwalk, then returned home to more time together. The moments we shared were precious. Midnight approached and it was time for us to head to bed. “Wait,” she smiled, “we need to dance.” Music played (http://blip.fm/~6c084) as we finished our evening dancing in the kitchen.

The fact that we were testing the new floor we had spent the day installing was beside the point. ;-)

By Gregory Blake of RatedGRomance.com

No Sex Please, We're Vampires

(CNN) -- "New Moon," the latest film in "The Twilight Saga" is doing record business at the box office.

In its opening weekend the film grossed $140.7 million -- more than any other film with an autumn release in history.

The tales of teenage vampire love based on the best-selling books by Stephanie Meyer have wooed film-goers without having to resort to acres of flesh being on display.

This distinct lack of on-screen sex runs contrary to the popular trend of portraying teenagers on screen as playing fast and loose with their virginity and affections.

Love and the importance of relationships most definitely rule in "The Twilight Saga" and the formula is proving popular with audiences.

Elizabeth Morowitz, Communications Professor at the University of Missouri and author of "Bitten By Twilight" thinks that this more sensitive approach is the key to the film's success.

"A lot of people ask 'what's so appealing about the Twilight and why is it popular now?' and we think it's because of the relationships and the messages about love in Twilight. In a more conservative environment we've had this push for abstinence education, so we now have a media message that's more congruent with that. So perhaps some teens relate to it in that way," Morowitz told CNN's Katie Walmsley.

The director of "New Moon" Chris Weitz says that sexual abstinence is central to the film's appeal.

"It's not that they can't have sex, they choose not to and I think there's so much popular culture that's saying to young people: 'you'll be cool if you have sex' or 'it's important to be sexy' whereas this series really concentrates on matters of the heart and spirit and I think that's lovely," Weitz told CNN.

A dashing male lead, in the shape of Robert Pattison doesn't hurt either when you're trying to attract a female teenage audience.

But whatever the exact recipe for its undoubted success it looks like teenagers in the "Twilight" world don't like to bite off more than they can chew.