- Around 3/4 of a million teens between 15-19 become pregnant each year in the US, with 82% of teen pregnancies being unintended. Two-thirds occur among 18-19 year olds. - Abstinence-only sex education programs saw a rise in the late 1990s but were eliminated by the Obama administration in favor of more comprehensive programs teaching contraception. - The US has much higher rates of teen pregnancy compared to other developed nations like France and Germany, where more open discussion of sex and contraception is the norm.

1. Sex Education:Helping or Hurting Our Youth?

2. ¾ of one million teens between 15 and 19 become pregnant each year Out of all teen pregnancies 82% are unintended 2/3 of teen pregnancies occur among teens 18-19 years old Black females have the highest pregnancy rate Teens who become pregnant are less likely to attend college Scary Statistics for All Americans

3. “We do know when we saw the big decline in the 90’s, that a lot of it was due to the improved contraceptive use among teens” - Larry Finer(Director for Guttmacher’s Domestic Research)

4. Since the late 1990’s $1.3 billion has been given to abstinence only programs backed by many social conservatives who oppose teaching contraceptive methods. Because of the teen pregnancy rise in 2006 the Obama administration eliminated spending for abstinence only programs. The new focus is funds for pregnancy prevention education. They still teach abstinence along with “medically accurate and age-appropriate” information. Abstinence Only Programs vs Contraceptive Programs

6. The internet can have positive and negative effects on sexual health A national survey of kids 10-17 who regularly used the internet had encountered unwanted porn The Word “Sex” is the Most Popular Searched Term of Today Sex and the Media

7. Depictions of intercourse, suggestive or explicit, occurred in one in every ten television programs Adolescence ages 13-15 ranked mass media 4th behind parents, friends, and school when asked where they learned the most about sex More and more shows are popping up on different television stations about teen pregnancies, reality and scripted

8. 1. Mississippi 2. Texas 3. Arizona 4. Arkansas 5. New Mexico 6. Georgia 7. Louisiana 8. Nevada 9. Alabama 10. Oklahoma Top Ten States for Live Births:Women Ages 15-19

9. France, Germany, and The Netherlands show more contraceptive and condom use in Europe Higher rates of sexually transmitted disease, abortion, pregnancy, and birth was reported for teen mothers in the US Our teen pregnancy rates are 4 times higher than Germany or France Teen Pregnancy in the US vs the Rest of the World

10. “They are far more open to discussing sex… than in the US” he says. “There is a cultural norm that teen pregnancy interferes with your future career. That is really, really clear.”- James Wagoner (The President of the Advocates for Youth)