Teen Sex, Sex Education And Sarah Palin

Natalie 09-08-2008

The pregnancy of the Republican vice presidential nominee's daughter is only the latest of a number of highly visible teen pregnancies, ranging from celebrities such as Jamie Lynn Spears to a group of teens in Gloucester, Mass.

Sarah Brown, executive director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, says she sees 17-year-old Bristol Palin's situation as a teachable moment for many. Roughly 750,000 teens in the U.S. will become pregnant this year.

"You can turn the television on any day or night and find something that allows families and communities to have a conversation with their young people," Brown says. "It allows parents to explain why 'in this family, we hope you are going to delay childbirth and pregnancy until you are older.' "

It's a conversation, she says, that parents should have with their children not once, but time and time again.

The messages in the movies, at church and in school may not be the same as the one they're hearing at home. And those mixed signals can confuse teens, she says.

"Is the message that sex is OK as long as you use protection?" she asks. "Is it that sex should be postponed until you are 22 and out of the house? In the meantime, teens are spending a lot of time together, and a lot them are grown up — at least physically."

Sex education is a highly politicized issue in the United States. Polls show that the vast majority of adults agree that teenagers should not be having sex. Most parents support some form of comprehensive sex education. But they disagree about what to tell teenagers who are already having sex.

Meanwhile, Brown says, about 60 percent of teenagers surveyed say they have had sex.

On one side of the debate, some oppose providing contraceptive information to teenagers. They just want teens to abstain until they are married.

Gov. Sarah Palin is among that group. In response to a questionnaire during Alaska's gubernatorial race, Palin said, "I am opposed to explicit sex education."

Raven

She's one of the biggest hypocrits I've seen. She pro-choice for her daughter but against it for everyone else.

hugo281

Right!!! yeah I noticed that about her and you know I agree with you on this one, I guess being in Alaska for so long maybe the cold affected her brain a little

spawnschickishot

well i think shes is opposed for it because she doesnt want other parents and children to have to go through some thing like this its not because shes trying to be a hypocrite i think its more less something she has to accept in the case of her daughter... i know i think i would be the same way if it was my child... shes only human

Raven

Well if you feel that way let's say that something was to happen to your daughter, if she goes into office you can't make the decision, she removed it from you and your daughter. She took away your right to choose what may be best for you.

spawnschickishot

true but there is always a way to work around something ...

Nina

Yeah but with stuff like that work arounds can get alot of people in more trouble if not worse.

Raven

Yeah what Nina said but really you shouldn't need to work around something that should be your decision in teh first place.