One of my very first posts on this blog had to do with the media glamourizing the idea of teen pregnancy. Interestingly enough, I happened to be reading through Newsweek the other day and found an article that supports this theory.
The article explains that the real issue is not that pregnant teens are a “hot plot” right now, but rather it is never fully explained in these shows why the teens got pregnant in the first place. To some, the answer may be obvious. However, to the younger crowd, it may not be so clear. The plot is simple: teen gets pregnant, teens is horrified, teen tells family but no where in these shows does it mention unprotected sex.
Take for example last-year’s box office hit Juno, where an unintended pregnancy suddenly becomes a heart warming adoption. Or how about Jamie Lynn Spears? We found out she was pregnant when she was only 16 years old. Rather than focusing on the reason she was pregnant (unprotected sex) we seem to be asking her about her wisdom from parenting and the joys of having a baby.
Like I said in my earlier post, it’s not all bad that teens are being exposed to sex. I actually saw Juno and thoroughly enjoyed the movie and thought it was semi educational, not to mention very entertaining. If teens are educated about the subject of sex they are less likely to engage in promiscuous behavior. The problem is we are not expressing what the real reason is that teens are getting pregnant. It may seem obvious to us, but to a young girl it could be a completely foreign concept.
Bottom line? Unprotected sex leads to pregnancy and possible contraction of a STD. Make sure your teens are getting the full story so they can make an informed decision when it comes time.
To read the full Newsweek article click here.
