ABSTINENCE DOES NOT WORK IN ALASKA

[HowHasItComeToThis]

Source: http://www.adn.com/matsu/story/523692.html

Teen pregnancy in Valley gets reality jolt

DISTURBING TREND: Rate of unwed teenage mothers in Alaska remains high.

By ZAZ HOLLANDER
[e-mail]

Published: September 12th, 2008 01:25 AM
Last Modified: September 12th, 2008 01:52 AM

WASILLA -- Gov. Sarah Palin's announcement last week that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol was pregnant shined a national spotlight on teen pregnancy.

Images of Bristol and Levi Johnston, the baby's 18-year-old father, filled more than 37 million television screens as Palin accepted her vice-presidential nomination at last week's Republican National Convention.

Todd and Sarah Palin have pledged steadfast support for their daughter and Johnston.

But there are plenty of pregnant teens in Palin's hometown of Wasilla and throughout the Matanuska-Susitna Borough who aren't getting that kind of attention -- or family support, according to local service providers for pregnant teens.

State statistics show that Mat-Su teens in 2006 -- the latest year for which such data is available -- gave birth at a rate of almost 31 for every 1,000 girls between 15 and 19. Statewide, the rate was almost 41 births per 1,000 teenage girls.

Read more: http://www.adn.com/matsu/story/523692.html

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EVANGELICALS ARE KILLING OUR NATION

[Jackpine Radical]

1. It's too damn cold up there.

They have to fuck to stay warm.

[kestrel91316]

3. THey all need to get themselves nice feather bed toppers like

my assistant gave me recently (secondhand).

I do believe I'll NEVER be cold in bed again.......

[kdmorris]

4. But that really isn't as cozy, at all

if you know what I mean.

[jmowreader]

18. It's also too damn boring up there

Alaska isn't known for its plethora of entertainment choices--drinking and fucking are about all they have.

[kdmorris]

2. LOL Abstinence doesn't work anywhere

humans will be human!

[cosmicone]

5. Exactly !!

which is why abstinence doctrine is stupid at best

[clixtox]

22. Sarah Heath, ironically, was already pregnant...

when she got married to Todd Palin.

What a hypocrite she turns out to be!

Abstinence before marriage for everyone else but her and her children.

[clixtox]

23. Sarah Heath, ironically, was already pregnant...

when she got married to Todd Palin.

What a hypocrite she turns out to be!

Abstinence before marriage for everyone else but her and her children.

[ticked]

6. I totally agree n/t

[Bette Noir]

11. Which is more powerful,

billions of years of evolution driving us to pass on our genes, or a lecture in health class?

[silverojo]

16. If you define being human as being stupid

It's not like this is the 1800's. Everybody knows that if you fuck around, chances are you'll get knocked up.

Maybe if the parents would keep these kids home to study, they wouldn't have as much time to be bimboys and whores.

And maybe, also, Alaska wouldn't produce baby-spurting cretins like Sarah Palin, either. :evilgrin:

[finch96]

20. "bimboys and whores"

Nice. :eyes: How very progressive and understanding of you to refer to pregnant teenagers as "whores." Teenagers have sex. This makes them normal. Not "bimboys and whores."

I'd be willing to bet there are quite a few DUers who either have teen children who became parents early, or who were teen parents themselves, and who are/were anything BUT "bimboys and whores."

I'd expect comments like that on FR, not here.

[bitchkitty]

21. I wouldn't go so far as to call them whores,

but some of the teenagers I see and hear on the bus and/or train dress and talk like $10 prostitutes. I'm glad I don't have kids.

[AnAnonymousDemocrat]

35. Absolutely agree with you

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we lived in a world where people acknowledged that it's natural to want to have sex - even - yes, even - during the teenage years. Oh, the horrors!

But no, most adults freak out about it and turn it into such a taboo subject that most kids end up believing that sex and our bodies are shameful and disgusting.

I'm glad I'm a weirdo, honestly. The mentality of the "average American" is so lame.

[Marie2]

7. Birth or Pregnancy?

I always look at stories like this to see what's really being reported. Here, it says the BIRTH rates are high. That means more teens aren't aborting, or possibly, less miscarry.

In order for the story to have any weight, it would have to compare unmarried teen PREGNANCY rates with states that don't teach abstinence.

Personally I don't think teaching abstinence is bad, as long as it is taught honestly. Can't we encourage unmarried minors to abstain for sex if at all possible and give them the tools to do that? Is that somehow short sighted? It seems to me to be in their best interest, in view of pregnancy and STDs and the frequent advantages taken over teen girls by older or adult males.

I know many will have sex anyway. But minors will do a lot of things, like drugs, anyway. I still encourage my kids not to use drugs and explain to them the risks. Why is this mocked?

[Bette Noir]

12. You're free to tell your offspring as often as you want, to wait until they are married to have sex.

However, unless someone else is around to explain about preventive health care, be prepared to deal with grandchildren, or STDs.

[salin]

19. because it is advocated to be the ONLY thing taught

No alternatives, so the "I know many will have sex anyway" part of the population is - under abstinence *only* education - is left with NO information about contraceptives. It is the *only* part of abstinence programs that is mocked. By your own words a whole lot of kids are going to ignore the advice, and if that is the only way we are taught to avoid teen pregnancy, then what you have is an elevated teen pregnancy rate. And in this economy where jobs are harder to find, this population becomes the most vulnerable to start their 'family' life needing public assistance just to get by. Most folks promoting abstinence *only* are also vehemently against public assistance, hence earning the rap about caring about life only prior to birth.

[kayell]

30. Most if not all sex-ed programs teach abstinance as a viable

way of preventing pregnancy and STD. But most also recognize that teens aren't perfect (any more than most adults (see any recent Republican sex scandal you care to mention) and so reasonably choose to present all the other options and to let teens know the realities of being human beings - one of which is that humans come with powerful sexual urges. Programs that don't teach it all are doomed to fail - unless teen pregnancy and forced marriage is considered a win. :eyes:

[TlalocW]

8. I hope Palin is happy

By throwing the spotlight on her unwed pregnant daughter, she is encouraging other teenagers to go out and get pregnant. What should we tell our children????? :sarcasm:

TlalocW

[DBoon]

9. Yes it does work

It works in keeping teenage girls barefoot and pregnant

It works in making sure these girls will never get a college education, never learn a marketable trade, and never experience the world outside of the town they were born in

It works in keeping the girl under the dominance of her boyfriend/to-be husband

It works by making sure the girl knows her only value is her ability to make babies

[crossroads]

36. Hear Hear!!! Well said! nt

[depakid]

10. No need to shout. Denial and cronyism hasn't worked any better in Texas

or anywhere else, for that matter.

Unless of course, the poster above is right and that's what people want.

[xchrom]

13. recommend -- like the surge -- abstinence isn't working. nt

[Journeyman]

14. According to the CDC, the statewide Alaska rate is in line with the national average. . .

or at least, it is as I read and understand the stats -- though admittedly, I'm no expert and the CDC stats are the first to come up on a Google search.


Teen Births
(Data are for U.S. for year indicated)

Number of live births to 15-19 year olds: 414,593

Birth rate for 15-19 year olds: 40.5 live births per 1,000 population

Source: Births: Final Data for 2005, Tables 2, 4


http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/teenbrth.htm


Anyone have any other, different info to share?

[skyounkin]

15. One thing we have to accept in society

is that the goal of teaching safe sex isn't to prevent kids from having sex, but for when they DO have sex they use a condom or other preventative measures to stop unwanted pregnancies or the spread of STDs.

But I'm not gonna hold my breath until this is realized. LOL.

[orleans]

17. so when mcscrewup and sarah lose will levi johnson still agree to get married? n/t

[liberalla]

24. I would love to see a survey of parents who promoted

abstinence, but had children who got pregnant (prior to marriage).

I would really love to know if those parents are pleased with their decision to promote abstinence only programs, denying their children knowledge of how to prevent contraception and STD's, AND ~~~~~ if they would do the SAME thing again. Or, if they had the opportunity for a 'do-over', would they still choose abstinence-only sex education?

I wonder if they would still adhere rigidly to that belief/choice, or if they could admit it might have been a good idea to better prepare/educate their child for the very remote possibility (:sarcasm:) that the child would not remain virginal until marriage.

[JeanGrey]

25. Alaska has no where NEAR the highest teen birthrate

in the U.S. I couldn't find 07 statistics but 06 shows on the chart

http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2008_07_30_FAAGStateRanking.pdf

[BearSquirrel2]

27. Nice chart ...

Nice chart and revealing that all the so called "Librul city slicker" states had lower rates of pregnancy. The worst ... Texas!!! Abstinence only ... BITCH!!!!

[JeanGrey]

38. Sure. But Alaska is by far not the worst.

I actually have no problem with abstinence education as long as it's taught along with bc.

[BearSquirrel2]

40. Yes ..

Here is some comprehensive education on human biology and contraception for 1 week. Then I will spend 10 seconds telling you not to have sex until marriage.

The point of an "abstinence only" program is to teach you that contraception is wrong and ineffective. Otherwise, you could say "don't do it" and get it over with.

[slampoet]

33. That chart shows Alaska went from #37 to #23 in just one year!!

[JeanGrey]

39. Yeah and that was 06. But it's a stretch to say Alaska is

the worst.

[crossroads]

37. Considering the population of Alaska is only about 700,000 ---

Thats a lot of unwed kids! Your right - abstinance does not work!

[Bubbha Jo]

26. It'd didn't work for Palin years ago either

She was pregnant before her marriage too.

[marshall]

28. I think you mean "Abstinence EDUCATION does not work in Alaska"

Because I'm pretty sure that real abstinence does work. It's abstinence education in conjuction with raging hormones, absentee parenting, and non stop sexual imagery in the media that doesn't work.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

29. Abstinence works fine. It's just no fun.

Maybe "Abstinence in moderation"
:hi:

[nichomachus]

31. Abstinence works. Preaching abstinence is a dramatic failure.

[slampoet]

32. Echoes of Bristol indeed!!

""They also try to make sure that teen mothers start using contraception to delay a second pregnancy," she said.

"When teen moms become teen moms it's not unusual for them to get pregnant the next year," she said.""

[TrogL]

34. The past participle of "to shine" is "shone"