The number of teen births in the U.S. dropped in 2010 (and hopefully the trend continues), according to a government report, with nearly every state seeing a decrease. This is the lowest national rate for teen births since the CDC began tracking it in 1940, and CDC officials attribute the decline to pregnancy prevention efforts. Other research has concluded that teens are having sex less often but when they do, they use contraception. The University of Washington in Seattle found that teenagers who received some type of comprehensive sex education were 60% less likely to get pregnant or get someone else pregnant.
HOORRAAAYYYY for comprehensive sex education:
Unfortunately, states that still choose to neglect sex ed OR that incorporate abstinence-only education have a higher birth rate compared to those states that include comprehensive sexual education. That statistic becomes horribly apparent when you look at the figures:
- Mississippi (which has the highest teen birth rate in America) doesn’t require sex education in schools, but when it is taught, abstinence-only education is the state standard.
- New Mexico (which has the 2nd highest teen birth rate) also doesn’t require sex ed and but it also has no requirements on what should be included when it is taught.
- New Hampshire, on the other hand, requires comprehensive sexual education in schools that includes abstinence and information about condoms and contraception. OH yea, and New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate in America.
BOOOOO for non-comprehensive sex education: