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Teen Pregnancy in the Spotlight
Recent media attention

It’s desirable for young people to delay sexual activity until they’re physically and emotionally ready, and preferably are in stable and loving relationships. The reality is that nearly half of all teens have had sex by the time they leave high school, so youth need the facts on how to protect themselves. With these sobering facts in mind, the American Social Health Association (ASHA) renews its plea that adequate resources be provided for comprehensive sexual education programs.

Each year in the U.S. there are approximately 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STI), about half of which occur among youth ages 15-24. Untreated STIs can cause a host of medical complications, including infertility. Teen pregnancies have also increased in the recent years, a fact underscored in recent news stories in Time magazine and other media outlets about a Massachusetts High School where 17 girls became pregnant in one year, some of which seem to have been intentional. This points to the striking disconnect teens often have about the profound and life-changing realities of having a child.

The federal government's response has been to spend over $1 billion to fund scientifically unfounded abstinence-only programs. Research shows that young people exposed to comprehensive sex ed, which teaches both abstinence along with birth control and condoms to prevent STDs, are no more likely to have had sex than those only taught abstinence (Kohler et al.). Pregnancy rates among the comprehensive sex ed group in this study were also half that of those in abstinence only programs.

Studies also show the majority of adults support both comprehensive sexual education and instruction in correct condom use, and ASHA agrees with those who support providing young people with unbiased, medically accurate sexual health information. Doing so doesn’t encourage sex; it encourages responsibility and promotes reproductive health.

ASHA President and CEO Lynn B. Barclay says it's critical that young people understand how to protect themselves, and they also need clear messages about just how pregnancy and STIs can impact their lives. Barclay points out that care for newborns usually falls to the mother, making a significant impact on young women who already face plenty of challenges. "Getting an education, finding a good career, and establishing their own identity as an independent adult are all difficult things for young people, and adding a child to the mix before they're truly ready makes the transition to adulthood all the more difficult for girls, " she says. "The bottom line is we don't want teens to become sexually active, but the reality is many of them are. They need accurate information about the consequences of sexual activity along with tools to reduce risks."

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