Teen Pregnancy

There are 365,000 births to teen mothers (age 15 to 19) each year in this country -- and nearly 67,000 of them are second, third, or fourth births to the same teen mother. That tells me we are doing something wrong -- we are failing the children of this country. Note on the second chart that the states with the worst teen birth rates are generally states where fundamentalist Republicans rule. They think the answer is just to tell children not to have sex, and then refuse to teach them any sex education. They are wrong, and it is the children who suffer because of it.

Religion or teaching abstinence does not prevent teen pregnancies. Studies have shown that. What does prevent teen pregnancies is good sex education and easy access to contraceptives. Fundamentalists believe that teaching the truth about sex will make children have sex. That's silly. The children who want to have sex will do so whether they know the truth or have access to contraceptives or not, and the ones who don't want to will not be bolstered by preaching at them.

I don't think teens having sex is a very good idea, but I don't think it's a sin either. And I would rather my child be taught the truth and have access to contraceptives, than to make life a lot harder by having a teen pregnancy. But then I think my children are more important than any religion. And I think we could go a long way toward solving the problem of teen pregnancy in this country if all parents thought that way. If a loving god did exist, wouldn't he/she agree?