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Study: Teen Pregnancy Rate Increasing
According to a new study by the Guttmacher Institute, the nation’s teen pregnancy rate rose three percent in 2006, the first increase in more than a decade. While the Institute—founded in 1968 as a division of Planned Parenthood—politicized the findings by touting them as evidence that “Bush administration” abstinence programs “do not work,” the increased pregnancy rate should draw the attention of every parent to the pressures their teens face in a hyper-sexualized culture that treats teen sex as a rite of passage. “It’s extremely difficult for young people to reject the sexualized messages they are bombarded with by the culture—messages communicating promiscuous sex is normal, necessary, and has no negative consequences,” said Rick Schatz, president and CEO of the National Coalition. “We’re seeing these negative consequences play out in the increased teen pregnancy rate.” The National Coalition continues to aid parents in protecting their kids from the effects of the culture’s sexualized messages by producing educational material to help them address the issue with their children. Its popular What Every Parent Needs to Know About… booklet series contains helpful information regarding the following topics:
For more information or to purchase this four-part booklet series, click here. “Ultimately, parents must be the first line of defense for their children, but they cannot provide that defense if they are not educated and equipped,” added Schatz. “If we don’t talk to our teens about sex, the culture will—and the results will continue to devastate lives.” |
