Teenage Pregnancy: Positive New Statistics for the United States

Fewer teens are having sex today than in 1991, 7% less to be exact down from 54 percent in 1991 to 47 percent as of 2005. The teens that are having sex are using condoms making the teen pregnancy rate drop to a record low. This statistic is more than good news in a society of struggling economies and non existent job security. More teens are finishing high-school finally realizing the importance of a diploma and education. Not only is this good news it's great news in the fight against AIDS more teens using condoms means less acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.

According to www.cnn.com teens who had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent which is about 9 million used condoms. That figure is up 46 percent from 1991. That same report put the teen birth rate at an all time low, 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15-17 in 2005 down from 39 births per 1,000 teens in 1991. Most if not all of these statistic changes can be attributed to an aggressive sex education program occurring in schools all over the country. Programs in high-schools teaching the need for protection when teens do decide to have sex has dramatically increased preaching protection rather than abstinence. Abstinence education has long been pushed by Evangelical Christians as an answer to teen pregnancy and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases but hasn't been proven to work. With the development of Sex Education classes, updated materials and printed pamphlets for parents as well as teens families are learning new ways to talk to each other about sex.