Teenage Pregnancy!!

**Agony_Aunt** · 12-07-2010 07:41 PM

A friend of mine, who is studying Youth work as a part of her degree in college was doing some research on teen forums, to get a general idea of teen issue's and problems in this generation and so on.

She was telling me about how shocked she was that on a number of different forums, the amount of young girls aged between 13 and 17 that are planning on having babies, and who are already pregnant, is unbelievable!!

Here in Ireland, sex education is taught when the kids are 12/13. I'm not saying that that is too early but they are are not being taught enough about sex.
When my friend had researched what they are being taught in these sex ed programmes. They are basically being told how to have sex. Not told about the consequences of getting pregnant at the age of 13-17. They don't teach them about sexually transmitted diseases. They don't teach them, that sex is not just making a baby.
So the youths of this generation, in Ireland atleast, don't have any idea about the emotional and maturity aspects of sex.
In these "Education programmess", the 3 things that stand out, that they are learning about is:

1. How to have sex. (penis goes in to vagina, bla bla bla)
2. How to put on a condom.
3. Periods.

After my friend had told me about this, the only thing I could say was... That it is a DISGRACE!!!

**WildChild** · 12-07-2010 09:47 PM

The US is apparently worse as we have such high teen pregnancy rates and they all seem to be abysmally misinformed about conception control and pregnancy risks. Half of them think they can get pregnant on the pill, using a condom and with their clothes on all at the same time while the other half seem so scared of the conception control methods and have no concern for STIs so that they decide to have unprotected sex and end up welfare parents.

I'm not glad to hear that we aren't the only ones doing such a poor job of teaching about responsible sex.

**jns** · 12-07-2010 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by Agony_Aunt

A friend of mine, who is studying Youth work as a part of her degree in college was doing some research on teen forums, to get a general idea of teen issue's and problems in this generation and so on.

She was telling me about how shocked she was that on a number of different forums, the amount of young girls aged between 13 and 17 that are planning on having babies, and who are already pregnant, is unbelievable!!

Here in Ireland, sex education is taught when the kids are 12/13. I'm not saying that that is too early but they are are not being taught enough about sex.
When my friend had researched what they are being taught in these sex ed programmes. They are basically being told how to have sex. Not told about the consequences of getting pregnant at the age of 13-17. They don't teach them about sexually transmitted diseases. They don't teach them, that sex is not just making a baby.
So the youths of this generation, in Ireland atleast, don't have any idea about the emotional and maturity aspects of sex.
In these "Education programmess", the 3 things that stand out, that they are learning about is:

1. How to have sex. (penis goes in to vagina, bla bla bla)
2. How to put on a condom.
3. Periods.

After my friend had told me about this, the only thing I could say was... That it is a DISGRACE!!!

Many young girls don't think out the whole situation and go forward with having a baby. They want to love a baby so much and want the unconditional love that a baby gives, because they don't have that in their lives. Many times they have never had a much younger brother or sister so they don't know how much work it is. They can get money from the government, so having a husband to support them while the baby is an infant is not part of the picture, nor is savings or a job. A bad situation supported and encouraged by our western societies. Even if the guy uses a condom, if he leaves it behind the girl can use the still viable sperm unless it has spermicide. Though probably most cases are from unprotected sex.

**MYALL99** · 12-07-2010 11:11 PM

It has nothing to do with Sex ed either,These girl are taught about it.
During Junior high scholl even elementary.So it's not the teachers fault they know
what they are doing. Opening legs, not using protection to have a "cute" baby
Don't even have a pot to pee in and insist on bring a child into this world.
It's just a whole bunch of wild little girls that don't care.
Who are influenced by others and want to be grown,
Sadly having a baby on purpose to fit in or because it;s cute.
Proves that they don't even have common sense let alone any.
I just shake my head when I see those kids pushing strollers
with a backpack on.It's so sad and i feel for there parents
having a wild uncontrolable child is a nightmare.
I could go on but ....What for

Please do not blame the schools, it all boils down to the student
and what they parent taught then.I know girls who has been taught
about the precautions of sex. Told by peers,parents.And still chose
to have a baby because her friend had one.
Bottom line its all on the girl.

**ItsASecret** · 12-08-2010 12:35 AM

It is not the lack of education, if the student turns their head away to carve something into a desk or count ceiling tiles during sex ed then that is their problem. No teacher no school board no parent can make a child be interested in the material enough to retain it. Sure answering a couple multiple choice answers on an exam can show they read the material but a good portion of material in school is forgotten the second they are no longer required to be tested on it. Teachers are not to be blamed for following their curriculum. No child in their early teens is going to embrace their inner rightful sex goddess or prance around thinking condom education just may save them countless thousands of dollars in diaper bills. No. They are going to be naive because they should be at that age. There is no maturity, they have hardly finished (or begun in some cases) puberty. One cannot expect them to be prepared for the harsh realities that await them in life. There is no intent for maturity amongst countless teens, they are riding a rebel high in many cases thinking that they are mature by saying at 16 they are totally prepared for a baby. They have sex early because it makes them popular.

They do teach about STDs and other infections, but all they say is "here is a list of STDs you can be infected with if you have unprotected sex". Okay? so what? Half the students cannot even pronounce the names of those infection what good is that going to do. Factor in the part of not everyone enjoys learning about science so they are not going to pay attention to the words "this is a bacterial infection which can be helped with antibiotics", "this is a progressive flesh eating bacteria that is hard to get rid of". The students don't care, its class they just want out. My take is they need hard education, you want them to learn? Stick a herpes powerpoint slide in front of them, show them a syphilis infection in its prime, show them the facts about having an STD for life because doctors and researchers have no real cure for some diseases. Lay the facts out and then let them make their decisions from there. Harsh but it may be the only way for them to retain some information other than saying "listen boys and girls you are going through a thing called puberty and you should not be having sex just yet".

**Agony_Aunt** · 12-08-2010 05:59 PM

I agree ItsASecret. They do need hard education, they really need pointed out to them, Everything about sex.

Here in Ireland though, they don't learn at all about sti's and std's. So they are un-aware of the risks that un-protected sex can bring.
And most teen's that age, really just think about the "cute" babies and how fun it would be to have one. Not the responsibilities or anything else.
A girl at the age of 13/14, planning on having a baby, isn't that long finished playing with dolls.

It is on the students, for what ever their own take is on sex, but I personally think here in Ireland, they could be educated more about sex.

**ItsASecret** · 12-09-2010 12:06 AM

I agree ItsASecret. They do need hard education, they really need pointed out to them, Everything about sex.

Here in Ireland though, they don't learn at all about sti's and std's. So they are un-aware of the risks that un-protected sex can bring.
And most teen's that age, really just think about the "cute" babies and how fun it would be to have one. Not the responsibilities or anything else.
A girl at the age of 13/14, planning on having a baby, isn't that long finished playing with dolls.

It is on the students, for what ever their own take is on sex, but I personally think here in Ireland, they could be educated more about sex.

I know what you mean but the kids do not actually need to know everything about sex. If disease is in the curriculum then teach that, teach condoms, teach basic anatomy, teach the safe ways to engage in sex if they do decide to engage in it. Half the kids cannot spell, cannot read at their grade level and many have the attention span of a gold fish. They are simply not going to pay attention, the material means nothing to them. Telling them about hormonal levels, and how erections actually happen, why they happen, how mother's lives can be compromised during pregnancy, how pregnancy actually occurs and so on is not going to happen...they do not need to actually know what sex is at that age. Maybe at 16-17 when they are slightly more cognitively able to understand but not when they are innocent young children. The kids are kids and they will be treated as such because they do not need to know everything. Throw pictures up, give them the money data on how they are not going to be able to support a new baby considering they may not even have a paper route yet, how their social life will be severely if not completely compromised due to their lack of judgment at the local "I am soooo cool at this party" event. It needs to be to the point and cut to the chase.

**Agony_Aunt** · 12-09-2010 05:27 AM

Yes you are right, they do need to cut the chase, and just give them hard cold facts.

You are right in saying that they are young innocent children at that age, but then I do believe that they need to know the basic in's and out's of sex, because after all. It is innocent young 13 and 14 year old's who have already had babies. And I think we would both agree that that is way too young to have a baby, because they themselves are still children.

It's very debatable as to whether it's lack of education (by governement choice, not teachers) and the personal take by the student themselves, and of course parental teaching on the matter.

**ItsASecret** · 12-09-2010 08:22 AM

It's very debatable as to whether it's lack of education (by governement choice, not teachers) and the personal take by the student themselves, and of course parental teaching on the matter.

That is exactly it. No one can be blamed per se but people love to point fingers anyway because they want someone to blame. The reality is peer pressure and society in general has caused this problem not some grade school teacher teaching kids how to properly put on a condom. The only way to tell if the material is effective is to interview thousands of kids who took the "education" and see if they understood or retained the material and if they have actually engaged in sex even after being educated.