
Governor Blames Teen Pregnancy on Teens Not Caring
December 27, 2012
Many people ask the question, “Why do teen pregnancies happen?” Is it because of inaccurate or inadequate sexuality education? Or in the words of Republican Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi, is it because “teenagers do not care enough?”
Recently at an event to address the issue of the high percentage of teen pregnancies in Mississippi, Bryant told reporters that he believes most adolescents know how to use and obtain birth control, but they simply do not care about the consequences of having unprotected vaginal sex.
Although Bryant claims most adolescents know how to use and obtain birth control, that’s not necessarily true, especially when he encourages the use of abstinence-only programs to educate Mississippi young people. Abstinence-only programs do not educate teens about birth control or safer sex. If a teenager does not know which types of birth control methods are available, where to obtain them and how to use them properly, how can a teenager be expected to effectively use birth control?
Teenagers will not stop engaging in sexual behaviors despite the teachings of abstinence-only programs in schools. The only way to effectively help teenagers to prevent pregnancy or the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is to provide comprehensive and accurate sexuality education in one of the places teens are most influenced—schools.
Posted In: Pregnancy
Tags: sex ed | abstinence | politics | teen pregnancy