Sex Ed and Teen Pregnancy

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), out of every 1,000 teenage girls in the United States (defined as ages 15-19) an average of 24.2 of them gave birth in 2014.The national rate of teen pregnancy is a fairly significant figure, but how does it compare to Oregon’s rates?

According to the Oregon Health Authority, an average of 3.7 of every 1,000 Oregonian girls aged 10-17 gave birth in 2016, and 3.1 per 1,000 in Washington County. A total of 712 children were born to teen moms in Oregon 2016, 90 of them being in Washington County. Washington County is ranked second in teen births, only behind Multnomah County, with 127 new teen mothers in 2016.

Adolescents (15-24) in the United States make up only a quarter of the sexually active population, but are responsible for half of newly reported STD/STI’s, according to the CDC. This surprising statistic, along with moderately high teen pregnancy rates, can be attributed to poor Sexual Education in the United States.

Only 24 states and Washington D.C. require Sexual Education, and 22 of them require both HIV/AIDS education alongside the curriculum. Only two states require that religion may not be considered in the Sex Ed. program (California and Louisiana). Four states demand that only negative results of sex should be presented, discussed, and taught in classrooms. Currently, these states are Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah, all according to the Guttmacher Institute and the National State Conference of State Legislatures.

According to the CDC, only 55% of high school Sex Ed. programs stressed the importance of the use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives, such as hormonal birth control. The National Conference of State Legislatures stated “Sexual activity has consequences. Though the teen birth rate has declined to its lowest levels since data collection began, the United States still has the highest teen birth rate in the industrialized world. Roughly one in four girls will become pregnant at least once by their 20th birthday.”

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy cited that 46% of Oregon pregnancies (all ages) in 2010 were described as unplanned, with teenage pregnancies costing $88 million in Oregon, 2010.

Based on these statistics, one can see that inadequate Sexual Education can lead to misinformation and unplanned pregnancy in teens and young adults.

According to the Advocates for Youth, many Sex Ed. programs in the United States are inadequate. “Analysis of federally funded abstinence-only curricula found that over 80 percent of curricula supported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services contained false, misleading, or distorted information about reproductive health.”

Another controversial aspect of teen/unplanned adult pregnancy is abortion in the United States.

In 2013, across 47 reporting areas in the United States, 664,435 legal abortions were documented. This equates to 12.5 women (aged 15-44) undergoing an abortion in 2013 to every 1,000 live births, according to the CDC. This is a monumental decrease since 2000, with 857,475 legal reported abortions, 246 abortions performed for every 1,000 live births reported that year.

On the bright side, teen pregnancy and abortion rights continue to decline in the United States. The CDC states “From 2004 to 2013, the percentage of abortions accounted for by adolescents aged 15–19 years decreased 31% and their abortion rate decreased 46%. These decreases were greater than the decreases for women in any older age group.”

The largest demographic in abortions is women aged 20-24, accounting for 32.7% of all abortions in 2014. The second largest demographic is women aged 25-29, whom account for 25.9% of abortions. Fortunately, girls under 15 and aged 15-19 account for only 11.7% of total abortions. White women account for 57% of women, and 81% of all abortions were performed on unmarried women in 2014, all according to the CDC.

How can the United States prevent unplanned teen and adult pregnancy, decrease abortion rates and STD/STI’s?

The first step is to destigmatize talking about concepts like birth control and sex with teens. Teaching abstinence is an essential part of Sex Ed., but isn’t entirely effective for many students. One can lecture for hours on the dangers of smoking, but there will always be a student smoking.

A common misconception about abstinence-only Sex Ed. is that students will not have sex, and therefore will be safer from STD/STI’s. According to Columbia University “researchers and virginity pledge programs increase pledge-takers’ risk for STIs and pregnancy... Pledge-takers were less likely to seek STI testing and less likely to use contraception when they did have sex.”

So, if students are going to have sex no matter what, teaching kids how to make sex safe and have it responsibly, and to do so with consent is of utmost importance in reducing unplanned pregnancy, abortion rates, rape, and STD/STI’s in the United States.

The most effective way to decrease things like teen/unplanned pregnancy, STD/STI contraction, abortion and rape is to improve our Sex Ed. programs, both statewide and nationally, to cover a broader array of subjects and to outlaw the influence of religion in our curriculum.

Clearly, things such as teen pregnancy, abortion, and inadequate Sex Ed. plagues the United States. To get involved in improving Sex Ed. through legislation, contact local government, such as our Senators, congressmen, and governor. Below is a list of representing government and where to contact them. To contact Oregon house representatives, you can visit https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/house/Pages/RepresentativesAll.aspx . You can also take steps to further educate yourself by asking a doctor, advocating for yourself and your education, and relying on other educational materials.

Senator Ron Wyden

221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Phone Number: (202) 224-5244

Senator Jeff Merkley

313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510 Phone Number: (202) 224-3753

Governor Kate Brown

State Capitol Building 900 Court Street NE, 160 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: (503) 378-4582