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Who gets your vote in 2012?
Home » Issues » Gender & Sexuality
From the Left
The United States has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the developed world. In 2000, there were 83.6 pregnancies per 1000 girls age 15-19, resulting in 48.8 births and 34.8 abortions. However, there is a downward trend. In 1990, there were 116.9 pregnancies per 1000 girls age 15-19, resulting in 61.8 births and 55.1 abortions. About 25% of the decline in teen pregnancies was due to abstinence and the other 75% to the effective use of contraceptives.
Although these are encouraging numbers, much more needs to be done to decrease the rate of teen pregnancy in America. The main stumbling block seems to be the lack of sex education and availability of contraceptives. There is still a strong sexual taboo in America, due to our Puritan heritage. But this is not healthy, as it creates more problems than it solves. Communication with parents and teachers regarding sex is very important, as is the availability of condoms and oral contraceptives. There are far too many unwanted children born to teens, and the victims are both the parents and the children. We need to face up to this and deal with the problem head-on. |
From the Right
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