Conservative states with higher pregnancy rates

[Sage Ninja]

http://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual...6pLid%3D133567

TUESDAY, Feb. 07, 2012 — 39.1 out of every 1,000 — that’s how many teenage girls gave birth in 2009 in the United States, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Compared to other industrialized countries, this number is pretty lofty: Live Science reports that in the United Kingdom, 24 out of every 1,000 teen girls gave birth that year, and only 4 out of every 1,000 had a baby in the Netherlands. But what about here in the United States — do birth rates vary state by state?

Yep, and research suggests that this may be the rule of thumb: The more conservative the state, the higher the teen birth rate. In a new Washington University study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers looked at the birth rates of girls aged 15 to 17 living in 24 states from 1997 to 2005. Interestingly, Arkansas (which was recently ranked as the 10th most conservative state in the nation by Gallup) had the highest teen birth rate (at 34.8 births per 1,000 teen girls). Texas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma (all above-average in conservatism) also rank high. However, New Hampshire, which tends to swing to the left, boasted the lowest rate during this time period (at 9.7).

While these stats may seem to contradict logic (conservative kids have less sex, right?), the researchers note a number of issues that could be at play — and it could have something to do with the states’ sex ed programs.

Is Unsatisfactory Sexual Education to Blame?
"State adolescent births vary widely, and these disparities across states should be acknowledged as a major public health concern," researcher Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, PhD, told Live Science.

While the researchers studied the birth rates for each state, they also looked at the state’s sexual education practices — whether schools taught things such as STD prevention and condom efficacy — as well as each state’s level of conservatism, religiosity, and abortion policies.

Not surprisingly, conservative states tend to take a more conservative stance on sex education — some still focusing on abstinence-only-until-marriage programs instead of sexuality-based programs (14 of the 16 southern states, which also tend to be the most conservative, continue to concentrate on abstinence programs, according to a 2010 report from the Sexuality Information and Education Council). “Our findings provide evidence that increased sexuality education within school curricula is associated with lower adolescent birthrates,” the researchers wrote.

However, right-swinging states’ sex ed programs may not be the only factor: The fact that these states are more conservative and tend to be more religious suggest that the rates may also be related to more conservative views on abortion. “Could it be that, despite sex education, girls in both conservative and liberal states are getting pregnant at about the same rate, and that the girls in Arkansas are carrying their babies to term, perhaps as a result of higher religiosity, a lack of access to abortion services, or both?” asks Live Science.

The researchers say they need to investigate further before they can answer that question absolutely — but that these findings can help shape decisions about education programs in the future. “Though it still remains unclear as to what 'truly effective' sex education is, what we now know is that any future evaluations of sex education must consider the effects of sociopolitical characteristics in comprehensive analyses," Cavazos-Rehg said.

well now, who da thunk it?

[Jester]

There's a difference between teen pregnancy rates and teen birth rates. Conservative states, like the second to last paragraph says, see abortion as more taboo, and thus the BIRTH RATE would probably be higher. To know if teen PREGNANCY rates were higher or lower we need pre-abortion figures.

Like the last paragraph says (and I love how it practically un-writes the article) more study is needed, with more accurate numbers.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Question-does sex education make any real difference in overall social behavior? Certainly you don't need to go to class to know that sex=babies, or about the existence of venereal diseases.

[Katie]

Oh boy


Wanna know why birth rates are high among teens in "conservative" states? It's not because our (yes I am a southerner and no I'm not a Republican) sex ed classes are biased or inadequate. Every dumb f*ck teen knows having sex can get you knocked up. It's because sex is something you don't discuss...and if you do ask you mother to put you on birth control you never hear the end of it.

Kids down here aren't freaks who think you gotta wait for marriage.....or don't know anything about sex... jesus, media.

[Jester]

I'd almost say that in some places, there ain't much to do. I know teens in my town just sit in parking lots...for fun.

I'm sure if that's one way kids "have fun" sex is probably high on the list of pass times, too.

[Barkworm]

I guess the sex "education" is a huge part of the problem.

[Jester]

Well it was a good run. So long thread. We barely knew ye.

[ToTheNines]

Kids like to hump. Whatcha gon' do?

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Barkworm

I guess the sex "education" is a huge part of the problem.

Spoiler:

"I don't have any proof it's better I just know it worked for me!". And that guy is a governor. Genius.

Reminds me a bit of this. Skip to around the end if you want to see the best quote. "You don't have to pass an IQ test to be in the senate."

[Jester]

Ahh, that's one of my senators. When I watched the movie, I face palmed.

But of course only southern politicians say incredibly stupid things, right?

Spoiler for possible to political:

Oh...and by the by, abstinence does work. It's abstinence only education that has issues. Though Perry's right...ish...he still sounds like an idiot because he doesn't realize the questioner is asking about teaching abstinence and not actually practicing it.

[NameGoesHere1066]

Originally Posted by Katie

Kids down here aren't freaks who think you gotta wait for marriage.....or don't know anything about sex... jesus, media.

why is there this mentality that if some wants to wait until marriage they are freaks?





Or for that matter why do people think if you want want to wait for the right person before having sex (like waiting for marriage) that you are a relgious nut job? So many people act like if someone wants to wait they are archaic idiots or goody-goods. Actually I rather respect someone who wants to wait, personly it's not for me, but I marvel at the amount of flack some people get when they express that they would rather wait. There is this guy I know who is a grad student and he said that he wants to wait till he meets the right girl. He is not religious he just said he has become disenchanted with casual sex or sex with girls that end is breaking up after a while. This guy gets so much sh** from his male buddies, he's beeen called everything from a nerd to a ****** to religious fanitic (when he is actually agnostic)it's is so sad. He's not gay and he is a really decent guy, but everyone treat him like he's a freak. What the hell!

Put it this way-do other women think well of females who sleep around? I'm willing to bet the answer is no.

I agree with you , but it is really more complex than that. It is a double edged sword women want to be sexually liberated but there is fine line between female stud and a slut/whore and most women do not want to be associated with that so they do what they can (including turning on other women) to distance themself from that. Because like it or not, a woman's worth is still judged on her purity. And I'm sorry this come out of Patriarch soceity. Thats a fact. But it's women's falt for abetting it. I saw a story on the news where of a muslim woman accused of adultry was stoned to death, not by men but by other women.

BTW, years ago a men's magazine (I don't remember which) had an article about a married man who bragged about having a number of extramarital affairs, and who called himself a romantic. The letters written in response-by other males-were invariably negative and condemnatory of this man.

if that is true than that is a pretty sign that things are changing for the better.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by NameGoesHere1066

I agree with you , but it is really more complex than that. It is a double edged sword women want to be sexually liberated but there is fine line between female stud and a slut/whore and most women do not want to be associated with that so they do what they can (including turning on other women) to distance themself from that. Because like it or not, a woman's worth is still judged on her purity. And I'm sorry this come out of Patriarch soceity. Thats a fact. But it's women's falt for abetting it. I saw a story on the news where of a muslim woman accused of adultry was stoned to death, not by men but by other women.

You seem to assume that men create all of society's rules and women have no say and passively go along with what men want. On the contrary I have found that women have quite a lot of power in society, and certainly they would dictate sexual rules along with the men. After all, they're the ones who get pregnant, and are more likely to catch VD from sleeping around. If you're still convinced over womens' powerlessness, try reading literature from decades or centuries ago, and note how men and women behave in various poems or stories.

[Sage Ninja]

On the contrary I have found that women have quite a lot of power in society

In hunter and Gathering societies of the past you are right, there was alot more equality among men and women where both had equal say and contributed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter-gatherer
It was mostly agricultural societies where women had a lower status. Contemporary society we have more say.

Frankly, I think that parents should be the ones to also educate their children on the matter so that they know the facts just in case their schools don't teach them about it.

My parents were too shy to approach the subject and my mother didn't even aknoweldge it beyond telling me about my menses. Alot of parents just don't seem to want to tackle the issue. My mother said her father made her step mother do it but she decided to just give my mom a book about it instead. My Mother was new to the country and understood little english and misunderstood the book because it used alot of metaphores. She said she thought it was a book on flowers and gardening. Some how I still don't think parents are beyond this indirect way of teaching sex.

[BubblyShell22]

Yeah, my mom never had the talk with me at all. I had to learn it at school. But still, I think that parents need to do it anyway. Yeah, they may feel uncomfortable about it, but it would be worth it as long as their kids know what sex is about and the dangers it can present if they don't take proper precautions.

As for waiting until marriage, it's fine if you want to do that. It's your choice. It's not for me at all. Plus, I doubt I'll be getting married because if I do, my BF's Social Security benefits might get taken away. So, for that alone, I'd rather just have sex without marriage involved.

[Redeemer]

Originally Posted by Sage Ninja

http://www.everydayhealth.com/sexual...6pLid%3D133567



well now, who da thunk it?

According to these statements the premise could also be made that Southeren States have higher pregnancy rates.

[gobo]

Oh, THAT kinda "conversative state"...

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by gobo

Oh, THAT kinda "conversative state"...

Where they have lots of conversations...