Sex on TV found to be foreplay for teens

William Atkins
Wednesday, 19 November 2008 20:21

Science - Biology

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around one in three girls in the United States is pregnant before the age of 20 years.

In 2006, over 435,427 babies were born to 15-to-19-year-old mothers.

Statistics by the CDC find that 80% of those 2006 births were “unintended.” [CDC: “Teen Pregnancy”]

The CDC article also states, “When teens give birth, their future prospects and those of their children decline. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and more likely to live in poverty than other teens.”

The CDC also provides comparisons with the United States and other countries. It states: "International comparisons show that the United States could do much better in improving teen pregnancy and birth rates."

"U.S. teen pregnancy and teen birth rates are the second highest among 46 countries in the developed world. These data show that U.S. teens’ sexual behavior is similar to teens of other developed countries in terms of when they start to have sex and how often they are having it."

"Yet, U.S. teens are less likely to use contraception or to consistently use more effective methods of contraception when compared to the teens of several other developed countries."