“Asking teenage girls this question is one simple way to prevent unplanned pregnancies,” says a foundation for “reproductive health” in the United States. The question: “Would you like to become pregnant in the next year?” When a teenage girl visiting a BC4Teens clinic answers “No” to this question, a trained professional counsels her about “the full spectrum of essential contraceptives” and helps her choose the birth control method that is right for her. “Better sex education and access to contraception can improve the lives of teens,” says an associate professor of clinical pediatrics in Ohio, USA.
“To expect teens not to have sex is inhumane!” said one of the leaders of an international HIV/AIDS conference, speaking on television at the end of the conference.
Following a talk by Josh McDowell on saving sex for marriage a young teen boy came to Josh and said, in astonishment, “You mean I don’t have to have sex? I thought it was expected! Nobody ever told me that before.”
Some adults seem to have low expectations of teens, especially with regard to sex.
Teens pick up this message, and pass it on. One teen girl, speaking on Canadian radio on behalf of the sex education and abortion provider Planned Parenthood, made a statement that continues to surface frequently in my mind: “You can’t expect teens not to have sex!”
Is using contraceptives and condoms consistently and correctly when they have sex the best we can hope for with teens? Is it true that they can’t control themselves, because their hormones are running wild? Is it impossible for teens to choose to postpone sex?
To be continued …
