Well, since yesterday it has been all over the news that Jamie Lynn Spears, 16 year old sister to Britney Spears, is pregnant. My first thought at hearing this was, "Damn, I thought at least one of them would be stable." My second thought was "Holy shit, she's 16!"
Now, I don't want to talk about how her parents are bad parents, or how Jamie's just following in Britney's footsteps. I'm not here to make judgements about her character, though it is very hard not to do. What I want to do is use this event to hopefully spring some change in America.
Jamie Lynn was quoted in various news articles that she was "shocked and suprised" that she was pregnant? Really, Jamie Lynn? You're shocked that sex can lead to babies? Sounds like someone didn't get good sex education in school. If she didn't think enough to use protection, or didn't realize that protection existed, that is definitely the educator's fault. Now, I certainly didn't learn about condoms and the Pill from my parents, I learned about those from health class, and yes, TV. But someone taught me that if you use a condom correctly, it prevents pregnancy 97% of the time. Use the Pill properly and it prevents pregnancy 99% of the time. Use them both together (correctly) and you pretty much aren't going to get pregnant.
So why didn't Jamie know this? I'm going to guess that she didn't get comprehensive sex education in school, and she didn't learn it from someone else. Perhaps she thought that you can't get pregnant if the woman is on top (not true, gravity can't defeat the little swimmers), or that there is only one day a month when you can get pregnant (also not true). Maybe she thought that you can't get pregnant if you have sex while on your period. (Also not true, sperm can live for up to 5 days in a woman's body.)
Now, there is nothing wrong with teaching abstinence. At one point in my life I thought I wouldn't have sex till I was married. Then I met my current boyfriend, and let's just say I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. But I was (and still am) smart. We use condoms every time, and I'm on the Pill just to be extra safe. I'm a college junior with dreams of medical school. I do NOT need a child right now. But anyway, there is absolutely nothing wrong with teaching abstinence. It is, after all, the only sure-fire way to not get pregnant, and to not get STIs. However, there will always be teenagers who do not intend to practice abstinence. Or teenagers who get caught up in a heated moment, don't use a condom, and 4 weeks later are peeing on a stick praying to God it doesn't turn blue. These are the teenagers we need to be educating.
I realize that a lot of religions and moralities prohibit sex before marriage. I was raised Catholic, believe me, I know. However, what proponents of abstinence-only education have GOT to realize is that not everyone shares their morality. This country is full of people with thousands of different beliefs, not all of which are against pre-marital sex. Some proponents are worried that by promoting safer sex, we are demoting those who choose to be abstinent till marriage. This is where parenting comes in. If you are really against pre-marital sex, it is up to YOU as a parent to convey that to your child. Public schools should not be the ones to say pre-marital sex is right or wrong. And besides, educating our children about sex doesn't make them want to have it anymore. Hell, if someone had told me how awkward it is to stop action so the guy can put a condom on, or how shitty it is to find yourself out of condoms and the Kwik-E-Mart closed when you haven't seen your boyfriend in two months, maybe I would have reconsidered having sex at 19. (Just kidding. Maybe.) Anyway.
Comprehensive sex ed doesn't mean saying "if you use these protective measures, you won't get pregnant." It means saying "sex has consequences. If you're willing to accept those, here are some ways you can lessen your risk of those consequences." Abstinence-only education teaches that sex is dangerous and that you WILL get pregnant if you have sex. Scare tactics don't work on this generation. We're smarter than that. Parents and the school system just need to help us be a little smarter.
And Jamie Lynn? Should have stuck with oral.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2018929820071220http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20167193,00.html?xid=rss-tophead...
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20167191,00.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2018929820071220
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1576746/20071218/spears_britne
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